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Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · Guatemala

Flores

Base on Flores island for 2 nights: Tikal at opening one day, the lake and Tayasal the next. Skip it as a day trip from Antigua.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
GTQ
Best months
Dec–Apr (dry season)
avoid Sep–Oct (wettest), Easter week
Airport
FRS
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua (CA-4) giv…
  • Central America ↗Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua (CA-4) give one shared entry allowance, usually 90 days in total; leaving for Belize, Costa Rica or Mexico and coming back does not always reset it — check with immigration before a long stay.
  • Central America ↗Cross land borders in daylight and early in the day; many posts close or empty of transport by late afternoon, and the approaches are where robberies happen.
  • Central America ↗Several borders charge entry, exit or municipal fees in US dollars (Belize exit, Nicaragua entry and exit, Honduras entry); carry small, clean US notes and ask for a receipt.
  • Guatemala ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Guatemala's Migration Institute or a Guatemalan consulate. Guatemala shares a Central America border agreement (CA-4) with El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, so your permitted stay may count across all four.
  • Guatemala ↗Hike volcanoes (Acatenango, Pacaya) only with registered guides and check eruption alerts; Fuego is highly active.
  • Guatemala ↗Avoid public chicken buses between cities: they are frequent targets of robbery. Use tourist shuttles or private transport.

Flores is a small island town on Lago Petén Itzá, joined to Santa Elena and San Benito by a causeway. Almost everyone comes for Tikal, 1.5 hours away, but the island itself is worth a slow afternoon: a 15-minute walk circles it. Two nights covers Tikal properly and leaves time for the lake. Three if you add Yaxhá or El Mirador.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Flores, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeQ15–30
  • Street or quick mealSet lunch (comida corriente)Q40–70
  • BeerBeer: bottle at a bar / shopQ20–35 / Q12–18
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTuk-tuk in townQ10–15
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personGTQ 80
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, a night, per roomGTQ 400
  • High-end bedDouble room, a night, per roomGTQ 900

A day, not counting the bed: Budget GTQ 250 · Mid GTQ 500 · High GTQ 1,000

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Gateway to TikalLago Petén ItzáTayasal ruins on the San Miguel peninsulaLast independent Maya kingdom (Noh Petén)
Airports
FRS Mundo Maya International (Santa Elena) (About 2 km from the causeway; taxi to the island Q20 or Q10 per person, whichever is more. Shuttles to Tikal meet flights.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Flores: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

29°C

18°C

8 rd

Feb

31°C

18°C

6 rd

Mar

33°C

20°C

5 rd

Apr

35°C

22°C

5 rd

May

35°C

23°C

10 rd

Jun

33°C

23°C

17 rd

Jul

32°C

22°C

17 rd

Aug

33°C

22°C

16 rd

Sep

32°C

22°C

18 rd

Oct

31°C

22°C

16 rd

Nov

30°C

20°C

11 rd

Dec

29°C

19°C

9 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Walk: the island takes about 15 minutes to circle, and the causeway to Santa Elena is a 10-minute walk. Tuk-tuks cost Q10–15 in town. Vans and buses to San José and San Andrés leave from the Santa Elena market when full, about 30 minutes. Boats to San Miguel (Q10) leave from the north pier; tourist boats for lake trips and Petencito moor behind Hotel Santana and prices are negotiable.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Tikal

go

Door to door: About 4–8 h

Shuttle from Flores agencies, about 1.5 h each way; buses leave 03:00–12:00 and return 11:00–18:45

Shuttle Q80 return without guide, Q100 with; Tikal entry Q150, sunrise Q250. Go at opening: it is hot from 10:00.

Tayasal (San Miguel peninsula)

go

Door to door: About 1–2 h

Boat across the lake, about 250 m

Overgrown pyramids; the first has a wooden viewing tower. Fix the price and route with the boatman first.

Petencito Zoo and ARCAS

go

Door to door: About 2 h

10-minute boat from behind Hotel Santana; ARCAS runs its own boat at 08:00 and 15:00

Small zoo with rescued wildlife; combine with a swim.

Ixpanpajul Natural Park

caution

Door to door: About 3 h

Park pick-up from Flores or Santa Elena, about 15 min

Zip-line, sky-walk and horseback; book the pick-up ahead.

Yaxhá

go

Door to door: About 5 h

Shuttle or taxi from Flores, about 1.5 h

Quieter ruins between two lakes; arrange the return before you leave.

El Mirador

overnight

Door to door: 5–6 days

Organised trek from Flores via Carmelita

Q1,300–1,600 including food, water, tents, mules and guides; no phone signal or electricity.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Flores island

Walkable, lake views, restaurants on the water; quietest and safest. Book ahead Dec–Apr.

Santa Elena and San Benito

Cheaper, near the bus terminals and market; more traffic and litter, more caution after dark.

El Remate

Lakeside village 30 min toward Tikal; quieter and cheaper, but you need transport for everything.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
Q250–400 excl. bed
Mid
Q400–800 excl. bed
High
Q800+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room1 × 2 nights × GTQ 400GTQ 800
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × GTQ 500GTQ 2,000
Tikal shuttle, return2 × GTQ 80 · checkGTQ 160
Tikal entry2 × GTQ 150 · checkGTQ 300
eSIM, about a week of data2 × GTQ 100GTQ 200
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeGTQ 346
Trip total≈ GTQ 952 per person per day, bed includedGTQ 3,806

2026 estimate in quetzales; flights and Tikal entry excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeQ15–30
Set lunch (comida corriente)Q40–70
Beer: bottle at a bar / shopQ20–35 / Q12–18
Tuk-tuk in townQ10–15
Boat to San MiguelQ10
ATM withdrawalabout Q50 plus 7.5% at 5B machines

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Flores island is one of the safer places in Petén; Santa Elena and San Benito need more care after dark. The real risks are cash (ATM fees and failures), heat at Tikal, and unlicensed boats or shuttles with no fixed price.
  • ATMs in the Flores area are mostly the 5B brand, which charges high fees plus a percentage; the BI machine is cheaper but has failed to dispense cash before. BAC Bank in Santa Elena does counter withdrawals with your passport.
  • Tikal shuttles leave as early as 03:00; confirm your return time and bus number before you get off.
  • Tayasal is unmarked forest: agree the price and the pyramids with the boatman before boarding.
  • Lake water is warm but not treated; the two public swimming piers on the west side are the designated spots.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Tourist assistance (INGUAT)
1500

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

FloresFlores

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Tourist assistance (INGUAT)1500

Embassy

No embassies in Flores; the US, UK and most others are in Guatemala City. Consular help for Petén is arranged from there.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Airport → Flores island, taxi: Q20, or Q10 per person, whichever is more
  • New bus terminal → island, tuk-tuk: Q15 per person
  • Flores → Tikal shuttle: Q80 return without guide, Q100 with

Say or show

  • ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much is it? (KWAN-to KWES-ta)
  • A Tikal, por favor — To Tikal, please (a ti-KAL por fa-VOR)
  • ¿Dónde está el lancha? — Where is the boat? (DON-de es-TA el LAN-cha)
  • Gracias — Thank you (GRA-syas)
  • ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? — Can I pay by card? (PWE-do pa-GAR kon tar-HE-ta)
  • Necesito un médico — I need a doctor (ne-se-SI-to un ME-di-ko)

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Flores. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Dec–Apr (dry season) · avoid Sep–Oct (wettest), Easter week · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for FRS: taxi and shuttle rates field-checked, late-arrival fallback.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: island plaza, causeway, Santa Elena market, north pier.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Tikal, Tayasal, Petencito, Ixpanpajul) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. ATM and cash fixture so the money section goes green.

Meanwhile

Back to Guatemala

Sources