The vast majority of visitors head to Flores in Guatemala for one reason only: to visit the spectacular Maya ruins of Tikal. With towering ancient temples looming out of the thick jungle, and shady paths teeming with wildlife, Tikal is one of Guatemala’s highlights, and should definitely be on your Guatemala itinerary.
But while most people simply fly in, do a Tikal day trip, and leave again, I think that’s a mistake. Because there are loads more things to do in Flores besides Tikal, and if you have time, it’s definitely worth staying a little longer to enjoy some of them.
About my visit to Flores Guatemala
I spent three months travelling in Guatemala and as part of my trip I spent a full week in Flores – way more than most people manage. That gave me a chance to explore the options and do many of the things that the majority of visitors to Flores don’t have time for.
So here’s what I discovered, complete with my recommendations for how to spend a few days in and around Flores, Guatemala.
Introducing Flores in Guatemala
Flores is a town in the north of Guatemala. It’s known as the gateway to the Petén, Guatemala’s vast northern rainforest region, because it’s the main transport hub. If you’re travelling to anywhere in the Petén, you’ll need to go through Flores.
Flores is made up of four areas:
- Isla de Flores: This is the historic old town: a cute, colourful area clustered onto a small island in Lake Petén Itza, and connected to the mainland via a short causeway. The old town is charming, with pastel-painted houses, cobbled streets, and plenty of hotels, souvenir shops and restaurants. As a result, it’s something of a tourist hub that can feel like a bit of a bubble, but it’s a relaxed and charming place to spend a few days, so don’t let that put you off.
- Santa Elena and San Benito: These twin suburbs are located on the mainland at the opposite end of the causeway. Most tourists don’t bother crossing over, except to go to the airport, the bus terminal, or the shopping mall – other than these, there’s no real reason to visit.
- San Miguel: This is a small suburb just across the lake from the north side of Isla de Flores. It can be reached with a short boat ride, and there are a few lakeside hotels and hostels that are worth considering if you’re on a budget. There’s also an excellent viewpoint and a small beach for swimming.
A brief history of Flores Island Guatemala
Flores goes down in history as being the second oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the Americas, and the very last Maya city to fall to the Spanish.
When the Spanish army arrived in Guatemala in 1524, they began trying to conquer the Maya people. But the Maya civilisation was divided up into dozens of independent city states, so the Spanish had to battle through the impenetrable jungle terrain in an attempt to defeat them all, one by one.
It took them nearly 200 years, but eventually there was just one left, the island town of Noj Petén (Great Island).
In 1679 the Spanish army arrived on the shores of Lake Petén Itzá. They used boats to attack Noj Petén, and slaughtered many of the town’s defenders. The rest fled into the jungle, and the conquerors then destroyed the city, and built the new city of Flores over the top.
You can still see a few Maya stelae (carved monuments) dating back to before the Spanish conquest in Flores’ main square.
What to do in Flores Guatemala
Flores ended up being one of my favourite places in the whole of Guatemala. It’s a charming, chilled out town with beautiful views (including some incredible sunsets) so it’s really worth spending a few days here to explore.
Here’s a (non-exhaustive) list of some of the many things to do in Flores Guatemala and the surrounding area.
1/ Explore Mayan ruins at Tikal
If you only do one thing around Flores, it has to be Tikal. Tikal was one of the greatest cities in the Maya civilisation, with magnificent pyramids, plazas and palaces, and at its height the city and the kingdom it controlled were home to an estimated 100,000 people.
Today Tikal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Park, a vast expanse of lush green rainforest crisscrossed by shady jungle paths and dotted with crumbling ruined temples. You can easily spend a day or more getting lost here, feeling like a Victorian explorer as you investigate hidden pathways and stumble across ruins hidden in the trees.
Read more: Tikal Guatemala: My Essential Guide To The Iconic Maya Ruins
How to get to Tikal from Flores
Most people visit Tikal on a day trip from Flores. There are sunrise, early morning, daytime and sunset tours, with transport and guide included, though note that access to the park for sunrise and sunset requires an additional ticket.
You can also get a public bus and then explore by yourself, but it’s a huge site so I think it’s better to go with a guide, so you don’t get lost and know what you’re looking at.
2/ Have Mayan temples to yourself at Yaxha
Tikal is not the only Flores Mayan ruins, and certainly not the only one worth visiting. About 20 miles from Tikal is Yaxha, which was the third largest Maya city in Guatemala, and is now another gorgeous National Park busting with ancient ruins and abundant jungle wildlife.
Since most visitors to Flores only go to Tikal, it’s worth taking the time to visit Yaxha as well, for another incredible Mayan jungle experience but without any of the crowds.
How to get to Yaxha from Flores
The easiest way to get to Yaxha is on a day trip from Flores. You can do daytime tours or afternoon tours, where you get to climb up the tallest temple and watch the sun set over the park – a truly magical experience.
Read more: Yaxha Guatemala: The Magical Mayan Ruins You Need To Visit
3/ Dive into the Blue Crater / Crater Azul
Visit any Flores tour company and you’ll see signs advertising something called the Crater Azul (Blue Crater). It’s a popular attraction with locals, but most tourists don’t go there because they don’t stay in Flores long enough to fit it in alongside all the other things to do.
But since I was in Flores for a week, I had time, so I went!
Despite its name, the Blue Crater is not actually a crater, but a part of the river Arroyo El Pucté. Here, the depth of the river reaches up to 8 metres, and the water is incredibly blue and clear.
There are no changing facilities or shops, just a small pontoon for swimming off, and a shady patch of forest to leave your stuff. Outdoor swimming as nature intended!
It’s a lovely place to cool off in a jungle setting with almost no one else around. If you visit on a weekday you might even get the whole place to yourself, though I went on a Sunday when it was a bit more crowded with local people.
Read more: Crater Azul: Swimming In Guatemala’s Gorgeous Blue Crater
How to get to the Blue Crater from Flores Peten
The Blue Crater is about 1 hour’s drive from Flores, followed by a 30-minute boat ride along the river, making getting there part of the fun.
The easiest way to get there is on a day trip from Flores. I paid Q350 (£37.60 or $45.20) which included transport, drinks, the guide, and the chance to have your photo taken swimming in the clear water. It’s quite expensive compared to other day tours in the area, but it was a lovely day out.
Read more: Backpacking in Guatemala: All You Need To Know Before You Go
4/ Explore the colourful streets of the Isla de Flores Guatemala
Not everything there is to do around Flores needs to cost money. You can happily spend a couple of hours just exploring the island and old town.
The Isla de Flores is small, with a promenade running all the way round its perimeter. You can stroll the entire thing in about half an hour, and if you’re into jogging, it’s also a safe and pretty place to run laps (though you’d have to do quite a few to get any kind of distance).
Wander the cobbled back streets and you’ll find souvenir shops, tour operators where you can plan your next excursion, bars and cafes.
Read more: 30 Beautiful Pictures Of Guatemala And The Stories Behind Them
5/ See Flores’ history in the main square
The middle of the Isla de Flores is a hill, with steep streets leading up to the main square at the top. Here you’ll find a few old Maya stelae dating from before the Spanish conquest.
The white-painted cathedral (Catedral Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios y San Pablo Itzá) is also worth a quick visit. Rising above the rest of the old town, it’s one of the oldest churches in Guatemala and was built on the site of the original Maya temple. Stick your head inside to admire the beautiful stained-glass windows and a rare Black figure of Jesus.
Sadly, the rest of Flores’ Mayan history has either been taken away to museums, or was lost or destroyed after the Spanish conquest.
Read more: The Expert Guide To Xela Guatemala: Things To See And Do
6/ Enjoy sundowners overlooking Lake Peten Itza
One of my favourite things about Flores was the incredible sunsets. With its gorgeous lakeside setting, not only do you get beautiful colours, you also get fabulous silhouettes and reflections.
Many of the lakefront bars and restaurants take full advantage of the show, with rooftop terraces and happy hour specials. Watching the sun set over the lake with a drink in hand is one of the best ways to end a day in Guatemala.
7/ Swim in Lago Petén Itzá
If you’re a fan of freshwater swimming, then you’ll be pleased to hear that the lake is safe to swim in. As you walk around you’ll see people swimming pretty much anywhere, though for safety reasons it’s best to avoid swimming near where the boats arrive and depart.
There are a few jetties dotted around the perimeter of the island which you can use as a base for swimming, though there are no facilities and no security, so don’t take any valuables with you.
Read more: A Perfect Guatemala Itinerary In 10 Days, 2 Weeks Or 3 Weeks
8/ Take a boat trip on the lake
Another way to spend a chilled couple of hours in Flores is by taking a ‘lancha’ (boat) ride on the lake. Lancha drivers park their boats up at several pontoons all the way round the island’s perimeter, and will take you anywhere you want to go.
Prices start typically at about Q20 (£2.15 or $2.50) for a one-way trip, up to about Q200 (£21.50 or $25.80) for a half day tour where the driver will take you to various islands and wait for you while you look around. Places worth checking out on your lake tour could include the San Miguel viewpoint, Chechenal beach, Petencito Zoo or the Santa Barbara Museum of Mayan archaeology, a small museum on an island in the lake.
9/ Chill out at Jorge’s Rope Swing
Jorge’s Rope Swing is a privately-owned lakeside hangout spot, where you can sunbathe, swim, and get a drink or some food. There’s a swimming platform and two rope swings for jumping into the lake. You can only get there by boat – any boat driver waiting at one of the main pontoons will take you – plus you’ll need to pay for entry which costs Q25 (£2.60 or $3.20) per person.
I didn’t visit as I had heard mixed reviews, with some people saying it’s a lovely place to relax and others saying it’s overpriced. I think it could be a fun way to spend an afternoon if you’re with friends, but I thought it was a bit expensive for me to go on my own.
10/ Stroll along the lakeshore at El Remate
El Remate is a small village at the opposite end of Lake Peten Itza, about 40 minutes by road from Flores. It’s a relaxed, tranquil place, with a few hotels and restaurants and a pretty lakeshore walk with gorgeous views.
You can also visit the Biotopo Cerró Cahui nature reserve, where there are hiking trails and the chance to spot bird life.
The people of El Remate are clued up to Instagram trends, so as you walk around you’ll find loads of colourfully painted jetties, angel wings or signs to pose in front of, to give your travel pics a burst of colour. And since El Remate is much quieter than Flores, it’s also said to be an excellent place to go swimming in the lake after a hot, sweaty day of exploring jungle ruins.
How to get to El Remate from Flores, Peten
Take a tuk-tuk from Flores Old Town across the causeway to the main bus terminal in Santa Elena. From there you can get any bus heading to Tikal (they go about every half hour) and ask to be dropped off in El Remate. When you want to come back, just stand on the main road where you were dropped off and flag down any bus heading back to Flores.
Read more: A Sunrise Hike Up Volcan Santa Maria In Xela, Guatemala
11/ Walk through the treetops at Skyway Ixpanpajul
Ixpanpajul is a nature reserve covering 450 hectares of Guatemalan rainforest. It has a network of six canopy walkway suspension bridges joined by jungle trails, a jungle zipline experience, and a viewpoint. The views are stunning and if you go in the morning you should be able to spot plenty of wildlife. You can also do a horseback tour, or stay overnight (there’s a campsite and some simple bungalows).
How to get from Flores to Ixpanpajul
Ixpanpajul is about 15 minutes’ drive from the Island of Flores and 10 minutes from Mundo Maya International Airport. During peak season you may be able to do a day tour from Flores or get a public shuttle, but the easiest way to get there is by taxi.
12/ Admire the views from Mirador del Rey Canek
The best views of the Isla de Flores can be had from the San Miguel Mirador, also known as the Mirador del Rey Canek. This is a viewpoint on the San Miguel side of the lake, just opposite the northwest tip of the island.
From the mirador you get a wonderful view of the whole lake, and you can really appreciate the beauty of Flores’s island location. Go just before sunset to enjoy magical views and listen to howler monkeys calling to each other as night falls.
How to get to the San Miguel Mirador from Flores
To get there, grab a lancha for the 10-minute shuttle across the lake. I paid Q20 each way for this. The driver will drop you off at a jetty on the other side, from where it’s a relatively easy walk up a couple of hundred steps to the colourfully-painted viewing platform. The path is easy to follow so you won’t get lost. At the bottom of the last staircase you may meet a warden who will ask you to sign a register – this is just so they can keep track of visitor numbers.
13/ Swim at Chechenal beach
From the mirador, you can also take a path down to the opposite side of San Miguel, where you’ll find Chechenal beach. The word ‘beach’ is possibly a little ambitious, but there is a small strip of sand and a rainbow-painted jetty for swimming off which is popular with local teens.
The water is clear and fresh here, and there are picnic benches and vendors selling drinks and snacks. You can also get here directly without going via the mirador, by asking any lancha driver to take you directly to Chechenal beach. Entry costs Q50 (£5.35 or $6.45) per person.
14/ Do the 5-day hike to El Mirador Mayan ruins
For those of you who like your Maya ruins with a dose of real adventure, El Mirador is the place for you. The largest Maya site of them all, El Mirador is a magnificent complex of temples and palaces, most of which are still lost in dense jungle and have yet to be studied or restored.
There are no roads to get here, so the only way is either by helicopter, or via a challenging trek through the thick and humid rainforest. El Mirador hikes start from Flores and take 5-6 days, but according to those that have been there, are well worth it for the chance to explore Maya ruins that have barely been seen by human eyes for over 1000 years.
15/ Explore Uaxactun Mayan ruins
If a five-day jungle hike seems like too much (and I don’t blame you!), there’s one more set of Mayan ruins that are worth considering, and that’s the complex at Uaxactun.
Uaxactun is about 12 miles from Tikal and is another, smaller Maya city with plazas and temples. Although close to Tikal, the two city states were bitter rivals and warred constantly until Tikal conquered Uaxactun in 378 AD.
Today the site is not as impressive as Tikal and Yaxha, but is still worth visiting if you like your Maya ruins without the crowds.
16/ Get close to spider monkeys at Monkey Island
Monkey Island is an island in a private nature reserve that belongs to the luxury Las Lagunas hotel. The reserve covers 200 acres and includes five lagoons, one of which is where Monkey Island is located.
However you don’t need to stay in the hotel to visit, you can can also visit the nature reserve on a day trip from Flores.
The island is home to a colony of spider monkeys. You’re not allowed to set foot on the island, but you can take a boat cruise around the shore and the monkeys will come down to be fed when they hear the sound of the boat approaching. Contact the hotel for more information about how to visit.
17/ See rescued wildlife at ARCAS
ARCAS Wildlife Rescue Centre is located on an island on Lake Petén Itza, about a 10-minute boat ride from Flores.
It was founded in 1989 to combat habitat loss and the illegal pet trade, and today is home to a rescue and rehabilitation centre for animals including spider and howler monkeys and scarlet macaws. Tourists can’t visit the rehabilitation centre, but if you’re a really keen wildlife lover you can volunteer there, or there’s a nature trail where you can do a small tour in Spanish to see animals rescued from the illegal pet trade that wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild.
18/ Take Spanish lessons
Guatemala is often recognised as being one of the best places in the world to learn Spanish. It’s one of the cheapest countries to live in and travel around, and the Spanish spoken here is much clearer and easier to understand than in many other places. So if you have time, why not combine your stay in Flores with a few Spanish lessons?
Dos Mundos Spanish School offers one-to-one or group classes, and can also help you arrange tours, homestay accommodation, or volunteering opportunities.
Flores Guatemala hotels: where to stay
Top hotels in Flores Guatemala
Hotel Isla de Flores
The fanciest hotel on the island, Isla de Flores is the sister hotel of the atmospheric Jungle Lodge at Tikal, and staff can arrange tours and transport for you there.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🏨 Booking.com rating 8.9 | 💻 Click here to see reviews
La Lancha
Located about an hour from Flores, La Lancha luxury eco retreat is owned by the film director Francis Ford Coppola.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🏨 Booking.com rating 9.3 | 💻 Click here to see reviews
Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel
Another tropical paradise retreat about 10 minutes from Flores, Las Lagunas has an infinity pool, spa, museum, and even a helipad if you want to arrive in style.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🏨 Booking.com rating 9.6 | 💻 Click here to see reviews
Budget and mid-range hotels in Flores
Los Amigos Hostel
Frequently touted as the best budget place to stay in Flores, this friendly and colourful hostel deserves all the accolades it gets. With dorms for the budget-conscious as well as clean and comfortable private rooms, Los Amigos also has a buzzing bar, a restaurant serving some of the best food in town, and a in-house travel agency. I stayed here a week in a private room, and the staff were some of the friendliest and most helpful I met in my entire time in Guatemala.
Rating: N/A | 🏨 Booking.com rating 8.0 | 💻 Click here to see reviews
Mayan Spirit Hotel, San Miguel
I visited this one on a day trip to see some friends who were staying here. Hotels on the San Miguel side are much cheaper as they’re not on the island proper, so you get more bang for your buck. To compensate for the location, your room rate at Mayan Spirit includes 2 return boat trips to Flores island between 6 am and 9 pm daily.
Rating: N/A | 🏨 Booking.com rating 8.7 | 💻 Click here to see reviews
Zapote Tree Inn
Also on San Miguel, Zapote Tree has a garden full of colourful birds, a tiny pool, and gorgeous views of Flores. One return boat trip a day is included in your room rate.
Rating: N/A | 🏨 Booking.com rating 9.2 | 💻 Click here to see reviews
Hotel Casazul
Back on the main island, Hotel Casazul (the blue house) has an excellent location, offering stunning views of Lake Petén Itzá from shared terraces. The rooms are clean and spacious, decorated in attractive shades of blue (azúl in Spanish, hence the name) and the staff are helpful and accommodating. There’s no pool.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🏨 Booking.com rating 8.5 | 💻 Click here to see reviews
Flores Guatemala restaurants and bars: where to eat
During my week in Flores I tried to eat in a different place for every meal, so I ended up trying quite a lot of different cafés, bars and restaurants! Here are some of my favourite places – all have great views and good food, though note that service was slow almost everywhere – but that seems to be Guatemala for you!
- Maple y Tocino: Home of the best brunch in Flores. Try the Four Seasons waffle with four different toppings including bacon and egg and banana caramel for heaven on a plate.
- Secret Garden at Los Amigos: The leafy space inside Amigos hostel is chilled out eatery by day, and buzzing bar and restaurant by night. Huge portions, all delicious, and caters well to vegans and vegetarians. I’m not veggie but their spicy vegan bowl was so good I ate it twice.
- Maracuya: Secret Garden’s sister restaurant, they serve the same menu but with the addition of an airy terrace and lake views.
- Terrazzo: Probably Flores’ most popular restaurant, serving a huge range of dishes including steak, pasta and interesting salads, with fabulous lake views. The brownies and home-made gelato are legendary.
- La Casa de Enrico: Another lakeside restaurant, this time serving a modern take on some traditional Maya dishes. Worth a visit to try something authentically Guatemalan.
- Delirio Bakery: A cute-as-pie bakery with candy pink décor. Great for a light lunch, or to buy breakfast pastries for the road if you have an early start the next day.
- Casa Blanca: Located right on the water’s edge, a perfect spot for brunch or a sunset drink.
- Cool Beans Café: Budget café with a wide-ranging menu that caters well to vegans and veggies.
- Sky Bar: Rooftop bar perfect for watching the sunset with a cocktail.
- Mango’s Bar: Located in the centre of the island, with fabulous 360 degree views and plenty of choices on the menu.
How to get to Flores de Guatemala
Getting to Flores by air
The quickest and easiest way to get to Flores is to fly from Guatemala City. There are usually 4-5 flights a day from La Aurora Airport in Guatemala City to Flores’ Mundo Maya international Airport. Flights take 45 minutes and typically cost roughly US100 for a single trip.
Note that it’s a small plane and the luggage allowance is only 20 lb (about 9 kg), but excess baggage charges aren’t too extortionate. My backpack weighed 17 kg so I had to pay a $17 excess fee which I didn’t think was so bad.
Be aware that the overhead lockers are also tiny (my camera bag had to go on an empty seat as it wouldn’t fit either in the bin or under the seat), so if you’re travelling hand luggage only with a bigger backpack, you may need to check it in.
From Flores Mundo Maya airport, it’s just a short taxi ride to Flores itself.
Getting to Flores Guatemala by public bus
It’s easy to travel to Flores by public bus from Guatemala City.
Buses from Guatemala City to Santa Elena (where the Flores bus terminal is) take about 10 hours and depart a few times day. There are three different bus companies you can use: FDN (Fuente del Norte), ADN (Autobuses del Norte) or Linea Dorada. FDN also offer the ‘Maya de Oro’ 1st class night bus service which is the most comfortable way to travel.
If you’re coming from Antigua or Lake Atitlan, it’s probably best to get a shuttle back to the city and then get the 1st class night bus.
Getting to Flores by tourist shuttle
Another easy way to get to Flores is by tourist shuttle, which are smaller minibuses that cater to tourists only. They are safe, quick and reliable, can be booked directly through your hotel or hostel and will usually pick you up and drop you off door to door.
Shuttles to Flores run from Semuc Champey (Lanquín or Cobán), Antigua, and Rio Dulce, and typically take between 7-9 hours depending on where you’re coming from.
Adrenalina Tours offer a range of shared tourist shuttles to and from Flores, including to places in Mexico and Belize. Shuttles need to be reserved 48-72 hours in advance.
Read more: Is Guatemala Safe? 60+ Practical Tips For Safe Travel In Guatemala
How to get to Flores from Belize
If you’re coming to Guatemala from Belize, your first stop will be Flores. In fact after Guatemala City, Flores is the most popular point of arrival for visitors entering Guatemala.
To get to Flores from Belize you can either take a short flight from Belize City, take a public bus, or a tourist shuttle.
Public buses are run by Autobuses FDN and depart once a day.
Adrenalina Tours can arrange tourist shuttles from several destinations in Belize including Belize City, Caye Caulker or Belmopan.
Visiting Flores in Guatemala: FAQs
Weather in Flores Guatemala
Flores is in the Peten region of northern Guatemala, which is a hot, tropical region. It’s hot pretty much all the time, but the humidity and rainfall may vary. When I went, in early May, it was about 35 degrees C and extremely hot and sweaty.
In Guatemala the rainy season is between May and October and the dry season is between November and April. If you visit Flores during the rainy season, you should expect cloudy mornings and rainy afternoons, while in the dry season you can expect it to be much drier, though still with some rain – this is the ‘rainforest’, after all!
In extreme cases during the rainy season the roads and trails around the archaeological sites may become flooded or even impassable.
Since you’ll probably be doing a lot of outdoorsy stuff while you’re in Flores, the best time to visit is definitely during the dry season, if you can.
Is Flores Guatemala safe?
Before I went to Flores, I heard a few disturbing stories about people getting ripped off. There’s even a section in the Rough Guide about Flores ‘coyotes’ (ticket touts) who will try to sell you tickets at inflated prices or to tours that don’t exist. Others may try to convince you that your bus or tour has been cancelled in order to sell you a new, fake ticket.
The easiest way to avoid being ripped off is not to engage with or give money to anyone random, and don’t buy tickets from touts on the buses. Always buy your tickets and tours from your hotel or hostel, or from one of the proper tour agencies with offices in town. And if someone you don’t know tells you something is shut or cancelled, double check before trusting this information.
I bought all my tickets either from the travel agency inside Amigos Hostel, or from Getaway Travels which has an office in the centre of the old town.
In terms of personal safety, the Isla de Flores is pretty safe. I walked around during the day with my camera out, took photos at sunset, and walked back from bars after dark by myself with no problems. Of course, you should be sensible, don’t get too drunk, and don’t walk back alone if it’s very late or you are under the influence, but as long as you are careful, you’ll be fine.
Other suburbs like Santa Elena are considered less safe, so avoid going there after dark, especially if you’re alone.
Want to see more of my photography or travel writing? Have comments or questions? Come follow me on Instagram, Threads or Bluesky and share your thoughts!
What to do if something bad happens in flores
Travelling through remote towns like Flores is an adventure of a lifetime, but ensuring you’re covered for any unexpected hiccups is essential. This is where travel insurance comes into play, providing peace of mind so you can fully enjoy the experience.
While there are many travel insurance policies available, if you’re planning to do a longer trip round Guatemala or Central America, SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance could be a good option for you.
Designed specifically for longer-term travellers and digital nomads, it offers comprehensive coverage at an affordable price. Whether you’re exploring the ancient ruins of Tikal, taking a boat ride on Lake Peten Itza, or indulging in the local cuisine, SafetyWing has your back. Their policy includes medical coverage for sudden illnesses and injuries, travel delays, lost checked luggage, and even emergency medical evacuation.
What makes SafetyWing particularly useful is its flexibility. You can purchase and renew your policy while already abroad, making it perfect for spontaneous adventurers. Plus their user-friendly online platform makes managing your insurance super easy.
Traveling is about creating unforgettable memories, not worrying about what might go wrong. No matter which policy you go for, you should never travel without it. That way you can focus on the thrill of discovery, knowing you’re protected every step of the way.
Is Flores Guatemala worth visiting?
Flores is a cute and colourful little town with some really great restaurants and bars, and loads to see and do. It’s the heart of the Maya world and it’s pretty well set up for tourism, with plenty of hotels and tour agencies. I found it the perfect balance between touristy enough to have everything you need and plenty of choice of tours, and not so touristy that everything felt fake and crowded.
I found it pretty easy to meet people to hang out with on my tours and in hostels, and I loved my time in Flores. So if you’re going to Guatemala, I 100% recommend you add it to your Guatemala itinerary.
How many days should I spend in Flores Guatemala?
Most people only stay a couple of days in Flores. They fly in, head straight to Tikal for a day, and then leave. Personally, I think this is too short, but if you’re pushed for time and that’s all you can manage, fair enough.
Realistically you’re unlikely to have an entire week to spare like I did – if you do then great! But if you can, I think three to five days would be a good amount of time to spend in Flores.
A suggested itinerary for Flores Guatemala
With so many things to choose from, there’s any number of ways you could spend a few days in Flores. Below is my suggested itinerary for a 4-day stay, though of course you could substitute these activities with others from the list above if they sound more up your street.
- Day 1: Arrival. If you’re coming on an overnight bus or a flight, try to arrive in the morning. Spend the afternoon booking your tours and exploring the town, and in the evening watch sunset over the lake.
- Day 2: Day trip to Tikal. Possibly spend the night in the jungle at Tikal and return to Flores the next morning.
- Day 3: A chilled out day around the town. Have a lazy brunch at Maple Y Tocino, spend a couple of hours in El Remate, go swimming in the lake, take a boat ride, hike up to the mirador, or visit Chechenal beach.
- Day 4: Another day tour – possibly to Yaxha, the Blue Crater, or Ixpanpajul.
- Day 5: Leave
Buy me a coffee
Did you enjoy this website or find it useful? If you did and fancy showing your appreciation, that would be amazing!
A small token of support helps keep Passport & Pixels going, so I can carry on creating free content for travellers like you. Also, it makes my day! Thank you!
My favourite travel tools and brands
To help you organise your trip, here’s a short list of some of the brands and tools I use over and over again when I’m planning my travels. You can see more on my Travel Resources page.
- Booking.com: A huge range of hotels to choose from, often with free cancellation. If you book hotels regularly you can earn discounts. I’m on Genius Level 3 which gets me 20% off!
- Expedia: Another great place to find hotels and Expedia also sell flights, car hire, and loads more all in one place.
- Skyscanner: The only place I ever go to search for flights and compare prices.
- Flight Centre: Booking a more complicated route? Let Flight Centre organise it for you (and deal with the drama when something goes wrong).
- Priority Pass: I love having access to 1600+ airport lounges when I fly, allowing me to enjoy my time at the airport. Buy through my link and you get up to 20% off!
- Airalo: Say goodbye to ridiculous mobile roaming charges. Did you know you can now buy ane-SIM, install it in your phone before you leave home, and then use data abroad at local prices? Game changer. Get US$3 credit with code BELLA5735.
- TourRadar: If you prefer group travel and organised tours, TourRadar has a huge range of fantastic tours from respected operators. They’re very helpful and have 4.5 stars on TrustPilot.
- Viator: Part of the TripAdvisor brand, Viator is another great place to search for group adventures and day trips.
- GetYourGuide: A great place to find local tours and day trips in your destination.
- Wex Photo Video: The UK’s best camera gear store.
- Ellis Brigham: Looking for good quality backpacks, travel clothes and other gear? Ellis Brigham is where I buy almost all of mine.
- Rentalcars.com: Part of the Booking.com family and the world’s largest online car rental service, with 24/7 customer service.
- World Nomads Travel Insurance: I never ever travel without travel insurance and nor should you!
Where to next?
If you liked this post, why not check out some of my other Guatemala posts?
- Chichicastenango Market in Guatemala: A Photo Guide
- The Expert Guide To Xela Guatemala: Things To See And Do
- The Colourful Market In Solola Guatemala: A Photo Guide
- The Thrilling Volcan De Acatenango Hike In Antigua Guatemala
- A Sunrise Hike Up Volcan Santa Maria In Xela, Guatemala
Liked this Island of Flores post?
Social shares help support my hard work! You can share via the buttons at the bottom, or pin this handy Pinterest Pin. Thank you!
