Parks and the outdoors in Flores

8 parks, gardens, beaches and walks in and around Flores.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

See
Tayasal
El Mirador de Kan Ek
Large overgrown Maya ruin a stone's throw from Flores, on the San Miguel peninsula just across the lake about 250 m distant. Easiest way to get there is by boat. Haggle with the lancheros, who will want to take you on a full (more expensive) tour of various sights. If archaeology is your thing, insist on only seeing the Tayasal ruins, and that the lanchero guide you to the major pyramids (all overgrown) - otherwise you might miss them on the forest trails. The first pyramid, known as the Mirador ("viewpoint"), is a 5-minute walk from the lakeshore, with concrete steps up the side to reach the top, where a wooden tower has been built to give fantastic views across the lake. There is another large pyramid nearby, and the main plaza has a couple of badly damaged stelae, and a smaller pyramid.
Do Not mapped
El Mirador
Hike to the ruins of El Mirador near the Mexican border. This ancient Maya city was once home to hundreds of thousands of people and has the highest pyramid of all Mayan cities of about 70 m. The site is covered by vegetation and excavation is still going on. Prepare for a 17km hike to the ruins of Tintal on day one, 23km to El Mirador on day two, one day at the site and then all the way back through dense jungle. A tour can be organized in Flores. There is also a 6-day tour that takes an alternate return route to include the ruins of Nakbe and Florida. A minimum of 2 people is necessary and therefore there is often only one tour per week during low season (if the weather allows). Prices range from Q1300-1600 depending on the length of the tour and the season and include transport to Carmelita, food, water, tents for camping, mules to carry your stuff, 2 guides and a cook. Bring good shoes, a headlight, mosquito repellent, flipflops, and some extra cash for bucket showers and tips. No cell phone coverage at all, no electricity. Not all of the guides speak English.
Do Not mapped
Hire a small covered boat
Travel across Lake Peten Itza to visit the town of San Jose. It takes about 40 minutes while enjoying the beautiful aquatic scenery and bird life.
Do Not mapped
Ixpanpajul Natural Park
Ixpanpajul is a natural park that is a 15-minute ride away from the island of Flores in Petén. The organisation of Ixpanpajul has a pick-up service from Flores or Santa Elena that takes you quickly to the park, to experience the great activities in the great wild forests typical of Guatemala. The activities to be experienced are swinging through the forests on a Zip-Line, taking a walk on the Sky-Way and going horseback riding. Larger groups are given discount rates.
See Not mapped
Parque
The central park is a plaza on the highest point of the island. There are a number of Maya sculptures dotted around the central kiosk; these were brought from the Maya ruins of Ixlu, at the east end of the lake.
Eat Not mapped
Restaurante Capitan Tortuga
Good food for a good price. Guatemalan and international food, fish of the lake, pizza & pastas, Nice place to sit outside and watch the sunset. Has room for big groups. Special menu for groups. Q45 for chicken burritos. Happy Hour from 16:00 to 18:00. Ice creams with lake view
11:00 to 22:00
Do Not mapped
Swimming
Take a swim in the warm waters of Lake Peten Itza and refresh yourself on a hot day. There are two public piers on the west side of the island that are designated specifically for swimming (no boats allowed).
Drink Not mapped
Las Raices
A lake side restaurant near the municipal dock.
Sun-Thu??-??, Fri-Sat?-1AM

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Flores (CC BY-SA 4.0).