Flores is a cute, colorful town in Guatemala’s northern Petén region. It is located on an island in Lake Petén Itzá, connected to the town of Santa Elena by a small bridge. Flores is well-known for being a gateway to nearby national parks and impressive Mayan ruins such as Tikal. With this travel guide, you definitely won’t miss out on anything. I’ll share with you the best activities, restaurants, and hostels in and around Flores.
How many days in Flores?
3–4 days is probably the ideal time to spend in and around Flores. It leaves you enough time to explore the town itself, visit the nearby Mayan ruins, and enjoy some time at the lake.
Things to do in Flores:
1. Explore the town
It’s small and shouldn’t really take more than a couple of hours. You can get yourself a nice meal or coffee with a beautiful lake view or go to some handicraft shops to buy some nice souvenirs.
2. Visit the ruins of Tikal
Most of the people coming to Flores have one goal: Tikal. It is one of the largest pre-Colombian Mayan archeological sites and was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1979. To visit Tikal, you’ll need at least one full day. If you’re passionate about history and want to explore Tikal extensively, you can do it in two days as well. I highly recommend the sunset or sunrise tour, which allows you to stay at the site outside the normal opening hours, which means fewer visitors.
3. Lake Petén Itzá:
Flores is located on the shores of Lake Petén Itzá. You might want to spend time enjoying the lake, perhaps renting a kayak or SUP (~Q70 for the entire day), going to Jorge’s Rope Swing to relax and swim in the lake (take a boat for 20 minutes for Q25 + entrance fee of Q10), or even taking a boat tour.
4. A day trip to the Mopan Waterfalls
This is a lovely waterfall about an hour’s drive from Flores. It is in the middle of the jungle and surrounded by beautiful nature. The water is crystal clear, making it an ideal place to unwind and relax. There are several ways to jump into the water if you are feeling brave. Maybe from the 8-meter-high falls directly, the wooden platform, or, most excitingly, the zipline?
5. Multiple-day trek to El Mirador
For those with more time, there is a 5- to 6-day trek through the jungle to “El Mirador”. It’s one of the oldest Mayan cities, with the world’s largest pyramid by volume. The fact that it is so remote from the civilized world adds to its uniqueness; it is completely hidden in the jungle and surrounded by nothing but nature. Those who want to do this should be in good physical shape; you’ll be walking for up to 8 hours a day!
Where to stay in Flores?
- Los Amigos Hostel: This is undoubtedly one of the best hostels I have ever stayed at. The location is great, the rooms are quite spacious, and most of them have AC. They serve delicious food, and the interior is just wow. Everything is handcrafted and decorated with attention to detail. They offer a whole lot of tours and activities with their in-house travel agency. They also sell bus tickets for travels within Guatemala or beyond the borders to Belize, Mexico, or Honduras. The prices are very reasonable as well: Q150 per night in a dorm, which is around $19. Check out their
websitefor more details. - La Terraza Hostal: I did not stay in this one personally, but I’ve met a few people on my travels who did. It has all the regular hostel features, including a shared kitchen that is free to use and a cozy common area. This one is a cheaper option but also looks very nice. Prices for a dorm are at Q80, approximately $10 per night.
- Hotel Petén Express: After doing some research, I found this one, and I must say I am impressed. The bunk beds have curtains, which is always a huge plus for me. They have a really nice pool (you’ll appreciate that one, believe me). and a free breakfast! Prices are at Q140, so around $17 per night.
Where to eat in Flores?
- Maracuyá: I absolutely loved this one! It has a super cute terrace with views of the lake, and most of their food is vegetarian/vegan. They offer so many different varieties of food, including pizzas and pastas, different kinds of hamburgers, Asian and Middle Eastern food, salads and vegan bowls, and most importantly, typical Guatemalan dishes. Also in drinks, they won’t disappoint you; they serve smoothies, juices, coffees, infusions, cocktails, and other alcoholic drinks. Prices for a meal are between Q60 and Q120 (between approximately $7 and $15).
- Maple & Tocino: If you’re a breakfast lover like me, you’ll definitely enjoy this one! It serves amazing breakfast and brunch and has pretty much everything a heart desires. From the classic waffles and french toasts to some fancier options, they have it all. The frappuccinos and milkshakes are delicious as well; my favorite was the arequipe frappé.
- Los Amigos Hostel: Like I mentioned before, Los Amigos Hostel is not only a great hostel but also a supreme restaurant. They serve a delicious and healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their menu comes in a lot of varieties, such as hamburgers, salads, pizza, and pasta. They also have quite a lot of house specialties that look amazing as well.
- Maya Mall: For those who want to cook their own food or are on a really low budget can go to the Maya Mall. It’s a mall on the main land, maybe like 10 minutes walking from Flores. They have a big supermarket where you can buy your own stuff and a food court that offers mainly local dishes for an extremely low price. A menu there will cost as little as Q30-Q40, so only about $3-4.
How to get to Flores:
- By plane: Flores has an airport, so you can take a plane from Guatemala City directly to Flores. They operate quite a few times a day and usually cost around $100. The flight itself only takes about an hour, which makes it a really good option. The downside of this, though, is that you first have to get to Guatemaly City Airport from wherever you are. Pretty much every city or town offers shuttles to the airport, but it’s just additional money and time you’ll be spending getting there. Book your flights with Skyscanner.com for the cheapest options.
- By shuttle: This one is probably the most famous option, since you can get a shuttle from pretty much anywhere. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Antigua, Lake Atitlán, or somewhere else; there’s always a travel company offering trips to Flores. I personally recommend going to Antigua first to split up the journey a bit. Flores is quite far away from everything, and it takes at least 10 hours to get there, also because the streets really aren’t built that well. Here are two companies that offer shuttles: Guatego and Atitrans.
- By private transfer: If you have a bigger budget or are a group of people, this is also a nice option since you’ll have your own private driver. GetTransfer.com offers different vehicles for prices around $300. So if you’re 3–4 travelers, this is definitely something to look into.
Once you arrive in Flores—well, Santa Elena, actually—you will have to take a taxi or tuktuk to get to Flores itself. The airport and all the bus stations are located in Santa Elena, which is the town on the mainland. From there, it’s super easy to just get a taxi to Flores, and it shouldn’t cost more than Q20–30 since it’s a short ride. You can definitely negotiate or bargain the price a bit; being a foreigner, they will always try to rip you off lol.
