Enjoy | Flores Spanish

Enjoy!

Take a refreshing swim in Lake Petén Itzá and admire the stunning sunsets from one of the wooden docks.

Visit the ongoing Tayasal archaeological project. Four years ago, Guatemala's second-largest archaeological excavation began on the San Miguel Peninsula, directly across the lake from Flores.

Love nature and wildlife? Visit ARCAS to learn about the rainforest, its flora and fauna, or sign up as a volunteer: https://arcasguatemala.org/es.

Have fun at Jorge's Rope Swing.

Activities

During breaks and in your free time, take a swim in the warm waters of Lake Petén Itzá to escape the heat. Or stroll along the shoreline and wait for a boatsman to invite you for a boat ride on the lake to visit one of the nearby villages.

Opportunities for exercise include; playing basketball or football with the locals at the Central Park in the afternoon or evening during your free time. Gain a different perspective of Flores by paddling around the island in a canoe. Challenge yourself and count the number of times you can jog around the island. Rent a bike and explore your surroundings! Your options are endless.

Visit traditional craft shops of indigenous Mayans, who have moved from their homes in the highlands to the island of Flores, to listen to their stories or watch them weave their famous, brightly colored traditional clothing. These native people constitute over half of the population of Guatemala are undoubtedly one of the best sources for learning about Guatemalan culture.

Stop by the white church "Catedral Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios y San Pablo Itzá", which rises majestically into the sky at the center of the island. Visit the adjacent building, the "Centro de Informaciones sobre la Naturaleza, Cultura y Artesanías de Petén (CIN-CAP)," an interesting museum and information center in the ancient "Castillo de Arismendi" (Castle of Arismendi).

Peruse the local markets and supermarkets in the bustling towns of Santa Elena and San Benito, two towns often also referred to as “Flores,” which are directly across the bridge from the island. Watch the hustle and bustle on a market day or visit the modern mall on the outskirts of Santa Elena. For those running low on cash or in need of exchanging their money, we suggest visiting one of the many banks in Santa Elena.

Admire Flores' beautiful sunsets from Sky-Bar or sit on one of the decks while the sun goes down and the perfect light for the best photo comes up.

Walk to the southern shore to experience Flores’ party nightlife in the bars and discos and listen to Latin American music practicing your Spanish having a Gallo beer or a wonderful cocktail with local Guatemalans. For those looking for a fun challenge, we recommend to learn how to dance Salsa and Merengue!

Discover the many villages around the shore of Lake Petén Itzá:

Take a boat to nearby San Miguel to the "Mirador", a viewpoint constructed from a tree, which offers an amazing view of Flores and other surrounding villages. From the "Mirador" walk to the "Playita" (little beach), and enjoy refreshments or traditional meals (sold only during the main season) in the picnic area. Go for a swim in the lake or hang a hammock (available for purchase or rent) in one of the many trees on the shore.

For enchanting beaches and a tranquil ambiance, visit El Remate. Walk through the woods, watch animals, or enjoy the lake view at the Biotope Cerro Cahui. Visit the plethora of craft shops and delicious restaurants in town.

Take a tuk-tuk to the stalactite cave in Santa Elena and marvel at the curious rock formations on the walls, which look like Mayan heads and elephant paws. Bring your torch for a unique experience!

Maya

Tikal

Tikal is arguably the most impressive of the Mayan sites in the whole Mayan area of by today over 7,000 registered archaeological sites! Tikal National Park contains five huge temple pyramids between 42 and 70 meters of height and over 30 smaller but still impressive ones plus hundreds of palace constructions. Visitors can admire very steep pyramids and temples towering above the top of the jungle with stunning views over the rainforest. Temple IV, in fact, is the tallest temple pyramid in Mesoamerica. The manmade myth that “La Danta” in El Mirador is the highest one is a lie to call for attention. „La Danta“ is 53 m. high and is constructed on a 19 m. high mountain. So if you count the mountain…. However, the construction mass and building volumen of Temple IV is at least six times what is „La Danta“.

Tikal was rediscovered in 1848; in 1882 the first expedition with following excavation work was carried out. During the 1950ies and 60ies the Pennsylvania University founded an enormous archaeological project in Tikal - Penn Museum.

Although excavation work began in 1956 and continues today, only a fraction of the thousands of ancient structures including remains of royal palaces, numerous smaller pyramids, palaces, residences and stelaes (inscribed Maya stone monuments) have been excavated. This should give visitors an idea of the remarkable size of the city-state of Tikal.

Do not miss the opportunity to visit majestic Tikal!

La Blanca and Yaxha

The Mayan sub-center La Blanca is located on a small country lane far from the mass tourism of the Petén. Since 2004, the University of Valencia has been excavating the site, which means that visitors have the unique opportunity to gain direct insight into excavation work and admire incredible murals inside the edifices of La Blanca.

Our tours aim to support the communities of the villages lying next to La Blanca and Yaxha. We hope that with more outside recognition, - such as allowing visitors to eat lunch with Guatemalan families - community members will begin to protect "their" sites from thieves.

Yaxha is a unique Mayan site in the Petén. Restoration work began in 1989 in cooperation with the German KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau), and over the years, archaeologists have restored and excavated many of the buildings. Today, the former shape of the city is once again recognizable. On our tours to Yaxha, visitors have the chance to admire sacred roads, the observatory, several huge acropolises, and numerous temple pyramids. Temple 216, the highest temple in Yaxha offers a breathtaking view over the lake.

3 Day Trek

El Zotz and Tikal

The Mayan site of El Zotz lies at the western border of the Tikal territory and has several impressive plazas and two high temples. On our tours, visitors hike through virgin jungle from El Zotz to Tikal and discover countless plants and animals, such as howler and spider monkeys, coatis, deer, and wild boars along the way.