A
slow-paced village with Caribbean sensibility, pastel-colored
buildings and friendly people. Flores is situated on an island
in Lake Petén Itzá, 45 minutes by road from Tikal
National Park.
Enjoy exploring the cobbled stone streets flanked with handicraft
stores, charming houses, many of which are small hotels, guesthouses
and restaurants. Good places to eat are
easy to find in Flores.
The shops stay open well into the evening and you can purchase
colorful hand-made garments, fabrics and other take-home items,
including t-shirts, wood carvings made from local hard woods
fashioned after indigenous wildlife.
Great places to eat in Flores. There are affordable Internet
cafes in Flores. There are plenty of nice places with affordable
accomodations in Flores too. Flores is the jump-off-point for
travellers from all over the world who are here to visit Tikal.
You might want to visit
Flores Tikal Hostel.
SLIDE SHOW - DESCRIPTIONS
Fabrics from tienda in Flores
Open-air market in Santa Elena
Canopy Tour
Looking out at San Miguel from Flores
Typical "launcha" on Lake Petén Itzá
View of Isla de la Flores from Sant Elena
Typical side street in Flores
Dining in Flores
THINGS TO DO AROUND FLORES
Lake Petén Itzá -
Going anywhere on Lake Petén Itzá is a very pleasant
affair. You can hire a "launcha" (wooden motorboat)
to visit the zoo on the small island of Petencito. Besides
the indigenous
wildlife, some of which roam freely on the island, there is
a good size "Wet & Wild" type water slide leading
into the lake. A great way to cool off in the heat of the day.
There are also several nature-wildlife trails, one of which
leads to a un-excavated Maya structure.
Afterwards, motor to San Miguel and hike up the steps to "El
Mirador" (The View) for an unforgettable panoramic view
of Lake Petén Itzá. On the other side of the
island there is a secluded beach, "la playa", for
swimming & snorkeling. Another option is to go horseback
riding. Your guide will point out interesting
flora and fauna and you can explore a nearby
unexcavated Maya
archeological
site. (3-4 hrs)
ARCAS - Asociación
de Rescate y Consevación de
Vida Silvestre (ARCAS) ia a wildlife rescue center easily accessible
by boat from Flores. Animals here include macaws, green and yellow
parrots, jaguars, howler
and
spider monkeys, kinkajous and coatimundis that have been rescued
from smugglers and the illegal pet trade. At the center, the
animals are rehabilitated for release back into the wild. See Photo
Gallery > Actividades
Las Cuevas -
At the edge of Santa Elena town there is an easily accessible
cave attraction maintained
by INGUAT. It is quite large and takes around 45 minutes to
have a look around and complete the well-lit, circular route.
A flashlight is provided to explore unlit areas or you can
ask them to turn the lights out for a different kind of cave
experience. By the way the formations are very nice. To get
there, it's a an easy-to-follow bike route leading to the outskirts
of Santa Elena, or hire an inexpensive cab.
Santa Elena - One activity you can
easily arrange on your own is to walk, take a taxi for $1.50
or use local transportation (bus shuttles) even less, and cross
the island causeway into Santa Elena and experience the main
market, which is near the causeway and open every day. Here
you can try your hand at bartering for cell
phone accessories, sunglasses, watches, bootleg cd's and other
local and regionally produced items.
