Visit this lovely town on the shore of Lake Peten Itza in northern Guatemala.
Updated Sep 2022.
Flores, Guatemala
The best part of Flores is on an island in Lake Peten Itza. Its narrow cobblestone streets and colourful houses make it very picturesque.
Across the bridge is the central part of Flores, called Santa Elena and San Benito, another city that is joined to Flores like one big city. Nothing special to see here. Stay on the island. It is beautiful and safe.
Despite the many warnings on the internet, Flores is very safe. (Perhaps less so in large cities to the south of Guatemala). There are thousands of tourists from all over the world at Tikal and Flores. There have been no robberies or assaults in a long time. The only places where I did not feel entirely safe were in southern Chiapas and the Guatemalan border areas, but even there, there has been no crime against tourists in years. Bandits used to put up roadblocks to rob and kidnap people, but the police and army now seem to have this under control.
Colourful Houses and Hotels
The much larger city of Santa Elena Flores is visible just across the bridge. Santa Elena is a typical Central American city with nothing special there. However, the island part of Flores has no banks, bus station, airport or other things that most cities have, so it is necessary to go to Santa Elena for most services. The island consists mostly of hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops.
Where to Stay
There are many nice hotels in Flores, such as the one with all the plants on the balconies in the photo above. I chose to stay at the Casa Amelia. This is a plain hotel but has good service, and if you get a room at the back, you will have a great view of Lake Peten Izta. The photo at the top was taken from our hotel room. The staff are friendly and helpful and can arrange your transportation to Tikal with a minivan that will pick you up right in front of the building.
Taxis
The Flores and Santa Elena taxis are little, red, three-wheel vehicles built on a motorcycle’s body. They work well and are very convenient and cheap for getting around the city. One only has to walk out into the street and wait a few minutes, and one will come along.
I found Guatemala, or at least Peten, to be very expensive compared to Mexico or Belize. Souvenirs cost several times the price of the same item in Mexico. For example, the entrance to Tikal National Park is more than $20, and you must pay daily, even if you stay there overnight. Belize is cheaper than Guatemala but still a lot more expensive than Mexico.
Pretty Flores
There is nothing special to do in Flores, but it is a lovely place to spend a couple of days. It is primarily an overnight stop for people travelling to and from Tikal. There are hotels in Santa Elena and other towns between here and Tikal, but I think Flores is the best place to stay.
Most tourists go to see the Mayan ruins of Tikal and then leave Guatemala. If you are making the trip to Tikal, I recommend stopping at least one day in Flores to see a little bit of Guatemala other than the Mayan pyramids.
Tikal
Click here for information on the Mayan city of Tikal