Flores is a man-made island in northern Guatemala that boasts vibrant colors, stunning scenery, and a tropical atmosphere. The island is quite popular among backpackers as it’s frequently used as a base for visiting the nearby Mayan ruins of Tikal. While these ruins are incredible, Flores should be treated as more than just a means of getting there.
For one, the island is immensely beautiful. You can walk along cobblestone streets and admire the colorful Spanish architecture that saturates this small utopia. You’ll see that many buildings are made up of rich colors such as tangerine orange, crimson red, and cobalt blue.
Additionally, there are numerous bars and restaurants that line the streets of Flores, many of which offer fantastic views of Lake Peten Itza and the surrounding area.
If you get bored of the island itself you can find various activities on the mainland encircling Flores. It’s incredibly easy to hire a lancha (a small boat) and tour these diverse mainland locations in just a couple of hours. I’ll even go so far as to say that you’d be crazy not to do this.
Now that I’ve introduced this beautiful island, let’s take a closer look at what makes Flores, Guatemala so unique.
Flores Island Overview
Flores is the capital of Guatemala’s Peten Department, which comprises approximately one third of the country’s total surface area. As of a 2002 consensus, the island had a population of 13,700 people. This is actually quite shocking seeing as though Flores is so small.
The lake island was originally constructed during the 13th century by an ancient Maya tribe known as the Itza. This indigenous group migrated south from Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and began construction on the island that we now call Flores. The Itza named this location Nojpeten, which meant “great island” in their native language.
Nojpeten —> Peten
While most of Guatemala was conquered by the Spaniards in the early 1500s, the Maya that populated Nojpeten (Flores) maintained their freedom up until 1697.
After finally conquering the island at the end of the 17th century, the Spaniards began a reconstruction project that ultimately lead to the formation of the Flores that we know today. This is why the island, and indeed most of Latin America, is full of Spanish architecture and influences.
Interestingly enough, Flores is considered to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the Americas. Not just North, South, or Central America, we’re talking about all of the Americas.
Things To Do In Flores, Guatemala
I hope you enjoyed the short history lesson from above! Now it’s time to get into the bread and butter of this article.
What is there to do in and around Flores, Guatemala?
Tour The Tikal Mayan Ruins
You probably already know to do this but that doesn’t mean that I can leave it out of the article.
Tikal is a National Park that was home to one of the largest and most powerful settlements in the entire Maya civilization. Unlike the Aztec and the Inca Empires, the Maya were a civilization of numerous kingdoms that often fought wars with one another in an effort to obtain valuable resources.
The ancient city dates as far back as the 4th century BC but its population peaked from approximately 200 to 900 AD. Tikal wielded an enormous amount of political, economic, and military power for hundreds of years before falling into decline during the 10th century.
As with many ancient Maya kingdoms, Tikal was eventually abandoned during the beginning of the Postclassic Period. This term refers to the period from 900 to 1521 AD in Mesoamerican chronology.
Today visitors can tour the National Park and see the ruins of this ancient city in all of its grandeur. The thing that makes Tikal so unique is that the ruins are situated within a dense jungle and visitors must traverse this jungle in order to reach the various structures.
There’s also a variety of wildlife that can be seen within the park such as Coatis, Spider Monkeys, Howler Monkeys, Pumas (if you’re lucky), and much more.
Visit The ARCAS Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Center
Speaking of wildlife, you should definitely make a trip over to the mainland to visit the ARCAS animal rescue center. This non-profit organization works to rehabilitate animals that have been rescued from the exotic pet trade, among other environmental projects.
Their mission statement reads: “To improve the chances of survival and conservation of endangered species and their habitat, as well as assist in the rational management of natural resources.”
Most if not all of the animals found within ARCAS have been rescued from the illegal pet trade. They are often sent to the shelter by the Guatemalan government after being confiscated on the black market. The shelter will then attempt to rehabilitate each animal and, if all goes well, release it back into the wild.
You can directly contribute to this great cause just by visiting and touring the rescue center. Skip the zoo (yes there’s actually a zoo on the mainland) and visit ARCAS instead.
Enjoy The Panoramic Views From El Mirador
Since El Mirador roughly translates to lookout point in Spanish, there are tons of El Miradors across Latin America. Literally any hill in any Latin American country could potentially be called El Mirador. However, the one near Flores is special.
To reach El Mirador, you’ll be dropped off at a dock and will then need to hike uphill for about ten minutes. Eventually you’ll stumble upon a wooden platform that will provide you with insane views of both the lake and the island below.
There’s not much more I can say except that the view is stunning and you’ll likely catch a nice breeze, which is very welcome in the region’s tropical climate.
Relax At Gecko Restaurant
The nice thing about the Gecko restaurant is that it’s actually located at the very same dock that you stop at to reach El Mirador. With this being said, you should absolutely spend time at both El Mirador and Gecko restaurant within this one stop. My recommendation would be to hike up to El Mirador first and then come back down to Gecko afterwards for food, drinks, swimming, and relaxation.
Spending time at Gecko was actually one of my favorite experiences while visiting in Flores. My friend and I were the only people there and we felt as if we had a Caribbean island all to ourselves. For context, this isn’t actually anywhere near the Caribbean but it sure feels like it is.
Let me tell you something. Flores is hot, I mean really hot. You’ll probably be sweating 100% of the time that you’re outdoors. With this being said, why not take some time to lazily swing in a shaded hammock or jump into the lake to cool yourself off?
That’s exactly what the Gecko restaurant has to offer. Let’s just say that you certainly won’t regret spending a leisurely afternoon here.
Other Activities Near Flores
Those are all of the activities that I personally experienced but there are many more. The lancha tours usually work like this: the operator will describe six or seven different locations to you and you’ll select which three you’d like to visit. Then you’ll spend somewhere in the range of three to four hours visiting these three locations.
We chose ARCAS, El Mirador, and Gecko restaurant/private beach but there are also options such as a museum, a rope swing (Gecko has one of these too), a different private beach with no restaurant, a zoo, and a small town that you can walk around.
In terms of longer tours, there’s another ancient Maya city that you can visit called Yaxha. These ruins are smaller than Tikal but they’re also less crowded.
How To Get To Flores
There are two ways to get to Flores from Guatemala City: by bus and by plane. If your budget will allow, I would highly recommend flying there. The reason for this is that the flight takes about 45 minutes as opposed to a 8-12 hour bus ride. Sure it’s more expensive but you’ll save half a day in travel time and will feel more rested upon your arrival.
The flight can be reserved on the airline’s website, which is called TAG. If you’d like to reserve a bus, I would recommend doing so through your hostel or hotel. Just email the front desk and they will help you reserve a bus from Guatemala City.
If you’re coming from Belize then you’ll need to cross the border on foot and catch a colectivo over to the Santa Elena bus station. The colectivo station is located directly to the left once you cross the white bridge on the Guatemalan side of the border (in Melchor de Mencos). However, you can certainly ask any of the Belizean or Guatemalan migration officials exactly where the station is if you’re unsure.
Once you arrive to the Santa Elena bus station, you’ll need to hire a Tuk Tuk (a small taxi) to take you to Flores. It’s only about ten minutes away and the ride shouldn’t cost you any more than $3.
Where To Stay In Flores
My friend and I stayed in a youth hostel called Los Amigos while visiting Flores, which I thought was a great option. We opted for a dorm with AC for about $15 per night.
If you really want to stretch your budget, you can save some money by selecting a room with no AC. However, it’s very possible that you might toss and turn all night because of the humidity.
Overall the hostel is clean, comfy, and quite social. They have a soundproof night lounge where you can go to meet locals and fellow travelers late at night. The hostel also arranges numerous tours, including the fabled Tikal tour, which is offered for a very reasonable price.
It should be noted that there are tons of hotels and hostels in Flores so you really shouldn’t have a difficult time finding one that matches your personal preferences.
The Man-Made Island
While Flores is often synonymous with Tikal, it is in fact a destination in and of itself. The man-made island is a myriad of vibrant colors, magnificent sights, friendly people, and exciting activities.
If that isn’t enough reason to spend time there, what is?
Plan Your Trip To Guatemala
Accommodations: We recommend using Booking.com and Hostelworld for reserving accommodations. Both of these booking sites are easy to use and they feature a wide range of options. You can compare prices, view photos, and read reviews to help you find the perfect accommodation.
Flights: We recommend using Kiwi to find cheap flights. Their interface is user friendly and they help you find the best deals on flights to any destination.
The closest airport is the Flores Mundo Maya International Airport:
Travel Insurance: We recommend purchasing travel insurance from World Nomads. They’re one of the most trusted travel insurance providers and their plans cover a wide range of claims from overseas medical care to emergency evacuation. World Nomads will even allow you to purchase a plan if you’re already traveling abroad.
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Wow, Flores looks absolutely gorgeous! I don’t know much about this part of the world but there are more and more places cropping up that I’d like to go!
Yes Flores is beautiful and I’m glad to hear that you’re interested in going!
This looks like a relaxing place to be in. I love how you’ve depicted it through these pictures and shared your experience in writing 🙂
It’s very relaxing! Thanks for the comment!
Oh my gosh the island looks absolutely stunning and I love all the cultural stops you’ve mentioned. The ruins would be something I’d have too see x
Kayleigh Zara 🎃✨ http://www.kayleighzaraa.com
I’m happy to hear that it all caught your attention! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
Great post! I loved learning about the history and of ARCAS! The pictures are stunning too! Hopefully I’ll get to see it one day!
Thank you so much for reading and leaving a comment! I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed it all.
I think I’ve fallen in love with the colours of all those buildings! Super handy the info about how Gecko actually has things like a rope swing that is offered as an entirely different activity too
It’s hard not to fall in love with those vibrant colors! Thanks for the comment and I’m glad that you think the info is useful!
What a cool place!!! I would love to visit! Thanks for introducing me to a new place 🙂
You’re very welcome! Thanks for stopping by.
What an enjoyable, detailed post with great photos! It is wonderful to read about a place I never even knew existed. It is good that you are at the age where these hostels are still an option. That seems to free up the possibilities for unique finds!
Very happy that you enjoyed it Kevin. Yes staying in hostels while traveling definitely opens up a lot of options!
Looks like an amazing place to visit- both interesting from a historical perspective and beautiful (stunning views and the hot weather sounds pretty lovely!).
I wouldn’t mind a trip to that restaurant either 🙂
I’m glad that you think so Hannah! And yes relaxing at that restaurant on a hot day (which is every day) is really a dream come true.
Sounds amazing! Would love to visit Guatemala. Did you feel safe travelling around there?
Great question! I actually did feel very safe traveling throughout Guatemala but it all depends on the region/city that you’re in. For example, I wouldn’t feel safe in most areas of Guatemala City. The areas that attract tourism are generally pretty safe on the other hand.
A man-made island that looks gorgeous! Man-made usually means ‘soulless’ to me so this one attracts me particularly. I know my feet will lead me to Guatemala one day. All your posts prepare me well for that trip. Beautiful pictures too!
Thanks so much Anthony! Yes this island certainly isn’t “soulless” as the man-made aspect might suggest haha. I hope you enjoy the country when you have the chance to visit.