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Voykit pocket guide · 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.
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.
- Country
- Guatemala
- Best months
- Dec–Apr (dry season)
- Avoid
- Sep–Oct (wettest), Easter week
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GTQ
- Money
- Currency is the Guatemalan quetzal (GTQ, Q). Cards work in Antigua hotels and restaurants; markets, lake villages and shuttles often need cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget Q250–400 excl. bed · Mid Q400–800 excl. bed · High Q800+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Tigo and Claro sell SIMs at the airport and shops; bring your passport.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Tourist assistance (INGUAT) 1500
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · US plugs fit; power cuts in storms.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10% — check if 'propina' is already on the bill.; Guides (Tikal, volcanoes): Q50–100 per person per day.; Shuttle drivers: Q10–20.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; refill stations in Antigua and lake hotels.
- Toilets
- Paper in the bin; public toilets charge Q1–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | Q15–30 |
| Set lunch (comida corriente) | Q40–70 |
| Beer: bottle at a bar / shop | Q20–35 / Q12–18 |
| Tuk-tuk in town | Q10–15 |
| Boat to San Miguel | Q10 |
| ATM withdrawal | about Q50 plus 7.5% at 5B machines |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- 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.About 1.2 mi from the causeway; taxi to the island Q20 or Q10 per person, whichever is more. Shuttles to Tikal meet flights.
Typical fares
- 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
Get 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 and do
Known for
- Gateway to Tikal
- Lago Petén Itzá
- Tayasal ruins on the San Miguel peninsula
- Last independent Maya kingdom (Noh Petén)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tikal | Shuttle from Flores agencies, about 1.5 h each way; buses leave 03:00–12:00 and return 11:00–18:45Shuttle from Flores agencies, about 1.5 h each way; buses leave 3:00 AM–12:00 PM and return 11:00 AM–6:45 PM | About 4–8 h |
| Tayasal (San Miguel peninsula) | Boat across the lake, about 250 m | About 1–2 h |
| Petencito Zoo and ARCAS | 10-minute boat from behind Hotel Santana; ARCAS runs its own boat at 08:00 and 15:0010-minute boat from behind Hotel Santana; ARCAS runs its own boat at 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM | About 2 h |
| Ixpanpajul Natural Park | Park pick-up from Flores or Santa Elena, about 15 min | About 3 h |
| Yaxhá | Shuttle or taxi from Flores, about 1.5 h | About 5 h |
| El Mirador | Organised trek from Flores via Carmelita | 5–6 days |
Sleep
- 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.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-ta |
| To Tikal, please | A Tikal, por favora ti-KAL por fa-VOR |
| Where is the boat? | ¿Dónde está el lancha?DON-de es-TA el LAN-cha |
| Thank you | GraciasGRA-syas |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWE-do pa-GAR kon tar-HE-ta |
| I need a doctor | Necesito un médicone-se-SI-to un ME-di-ko |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'buenos días'; in villages a softer handshake; avoid: Rushing straight to business
- Photography: Ask first and accept a no; avoid: Photographing children
- Churches: Covered shoulders, quiet; avoid: Flash during ceremonies
- Bargaining: Smile, make an offer, walk away politely; avoid: Haggling over a few quetzales with weavers
Scams and watch-outs
- 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.
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.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Flores yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Gateway to Tikal
- Lago Petén Itzá
- Tayasal ruins on the San Miguel peninsula
- Last independent Maya kingdom (Noh Petén)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- INGUAT — Guatemala tourism board: inguat.gob.gt/
- Fuente del Norte: transportesfuentedelnorte.com/en/
- Wikivoyage: Flores (Guatemala), revision 5311087 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5311087
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/flores-guatemala). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.