Located in the heart of Lake Petén in northeastern Guatemala, the colorful town of Flores or Isla de Flores is the gateway to the Mayan ruins of Tikal. However, this colorful town has its own charm and character and certainly is worth a visit. This post covers how to spend one day in Flores.
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Table of Contents
How to Get to Flores
If you are coming from Antigua or Lake Atitlan, your best and fastest way to get to Flores is to fly. TAG airlines have short flights daily and throughout the day. The Flores airport is about 3 KM or a 10-minute drive from Isla de Flores. You can either get a taxi at the airport or ask your accommodation provider in advance.
Flores is very close (~1.5 hours) to the Belizian border, so if you are coming from Belize, then you can either get to Flores via public or private shuttle.
Is One Day in Flores Enough Time?
Flores is relatively small so you can easily see the highlight of Flores in one day. If you are looking to relax and take things easy, then I suggest you spend at least 2 nights in Flores. Now, this doesn’t include a day to visit Tikal. The Mayan ruins of Tikal should be its own full day, and you can certainly base yourself in Flores for your visit. I will cover Tikal in my next post.
When to Visit Flores
Flores is best visited in the dry months between November and April. This time period ensures you will have drier and clear days.
Getting Around Flores
Lanchas
The best way to get around Flores is to either walk or to take a lancha (boat) to some of the locations mentioned below. Lanchas are available next to the cafes Maracuya or Maple y Tocino. You can certainly haggle the price a bit but most have a fix price for most of the locations.
Kayaking or Paddleboarding
The water of Lake Peten is so calm and makes for ideal conditions to go kayaking or paddleboarding. You can even cross the lake over to the other side in a kayak or paddleboard if you want to (more below). There are a few companies that offer the equipment for the whole day for as low as $15! Check out some of the options below.
How to Spend One Day in Flores
Walk Around
One of the best things you can do with one day in Flores is to walk around the island and explore all of its colorful streets. As Flores is an small island, you can easily walk around the entire perimeter of the island in less than 30 minutes. The outside perimeter actually has a boardwalk along the lake but it can be underwater if it rains hard. As I mentioned, Flores is very colorful and the colonial houses are all painted in bright and pastel colors. Every doorway and wall is Instagram worthy! Just outside the perimeter (right before the bridge to the mainland) is a Yo Amo Peten sign that you can take pictures at.
Visit Mirador de Canek
Mirador de Canek is located in San Miguel, which is on the other side of the lake from Isla de Flores. You need to climb a relatively short but slightly steep hill to get to the mirador the final stretch has stairs and you may have to register your name just before this part. There is no entrance fee but they may require you to put down your name. Once at the mirador, you will see almost 360 degree views of Lake Peten, Isla de Flores and the surrounding areas.
Playa Chechenal
This beach area is ideal to relax and have a swim. Although it’s a lake, the water is clear here and the playa has a long pier out into the lake. There are also tables if you want to picnic. There is a small entry fee so take some cash with you. From the mirador above, you can either walk to the playa through the jungle or take a lancha, kayak or paddleboard.
Visit Jorges Ropes Swing
This little beach side hide-away features a swing, diving boards, hammocks, food and drinks. Such a great way to relax or jump into the water.
You will need about 6 hours for the mirador, the playa and for the Ropes Swing. If you don’t have this time, you can cut out the Ropes Swing.
Catch the Sunset
Catch the sunset over Lake Peten on the Flores side. You can either visit a bar like Sky Bar, Terrazzo Ristorante E Bar or any bar or road along the water facing the west side.
Getting to San Miguel
To get to San Miguel or the places on the other side of Flores, you can ask a lancha owner to take you across or you can rent a kayak or paddleboard for the day and do it yourself.
Lancha
Take a lancha to the mirador, then walk to Playa Chechenal and then ask the lancha to come and pick you up to take you to Jorges Ropes and set a time with them to take you back to Flores.
Kayak or Paddleboard
You can rent these for the full day and go anywhere you want across the lake as you want to.
Tips for One Day in Flores
- Try and catch an early morning flight or shuttle to Flores so that you have the entire day here
- Dress for warm weather. It can get hot in the day time
- Bring cash to pay for lanchas
Where to Eat
As small as it is, Flores has no shortages of places to eat. My favorite cafe was Maple y Tocino and I loved the water-front vibe and food at Maracuya. If you are looking for a totally unique experience, head over to Bistro Puertas del Cielo. This restaurant has no menu. The chef will come to each table and ask you some questions to determine your flavor profile and then cook you a meal based on this. The food is incredible here and the restaurant has raving reviews.
The Mango bar at Hotel Isla de Flores had the cutest and most colorful bar!
Where to Stay
There are lots of places to stay in Flores for different price points.
Budget
Mid-Range
High-End
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