Things to Do in Flores, Guatemala

Quick facts: In the heart of Guatemala's Petén, over 4,000 structures rise across an area of 576 km², many of which are still awaiting discovery. At its peak around the year 700 AD, the city reached a population of 90,000 inhabitants and was one of the largest centers of the Maya civilization.

Highlights: From the top of Temple IV, six other pyramids emerge through the jungle canopy, a scene captured by George Lucas in 1977 during the filming of Star Wars. Morning mists flow between the limestone structures, creating an atmosphere you won't experience at any other archaeological site.

Quick facts: The largest lake in Guatemala covers an area of about 99 km² and reaches a maximum depth of nearly 160 meters. Beneath the surface lie almost ten small islands, with the historic town of Flores standing on the largest of them.

Highlights: From a bird's-eye view, the lake looks like a giant blue blotch surrounded by low forested hills, with the island of Flores and its colorful houses cutting into it like a peninsula connected to the mainland only by a narrow bridge. It is precisely at dusk that the water's surface turns into a mirror reflecting the illuminated facades of the houses, creating the illusion of a second city underwater.

Quick facts: A small island in Lake Petén Itzá is connected to the mainland by a causeway only 500 meters long. The indigenous Itza people once built their main city Tayasal here, the last independent Maya city, which fell only in 1697.

Highlights: In the evening, the entire town on the island transforms into a colorful glow as the pastel facades of the houses light up and reflect on the dark surface of the lake. From the viewpoint at the end of the island, you can see the causeway turning into a fiery line connecting the island to the mainland, exactly where Maya rituals once took place.

Quick facts: A small zoo on the shore of Lake Petén Itzá offers a glimpse of more than 50 animal species from the region and wider Latin America. Among the residents you will find tapirs, jaguars, monkeys and crocodiles, which you can observe from very close range.

Highlights: The biggest attraction is the chance to see jaguars in a space that resembles their natural jungle environment, just a few meters away. Crocodiles here live in a section with a view directly onto the lake, so you will be reminded that wild nature is truly just around the corner.

Quick facts: This cathedral stands on a small island in Lake Petén Itzá, on the site where a Maya city once stood. Its dedication to Saint Paul of Itza commemorates the last independent Maya, who surrendered to the Spanish here in 1697.

Highlights: The cathedral's bell tower has a white profile recognizable from afar, reflected in the calm surface of the lake, and the evening illumination of the facade creates a magical atmosphere. The stone used for its construction comes from dismantled Maya temples on the island, so the history of pre-Columbian builders literally sleeps within its walls.

Quick facts: This sports complex is one of the largest sports venues on the island of Flores, directly across from Lake Petén Itzá. The complex includes a football field and a covered stadium used for local league matches and sporting events.

Highlights: From the stands of the complex you can see directly onto the turquoise waters of Lake Petén Itzá, so with every goal you can enjoy a view that no other stadium in the region has. In the evening, the surroundings light up with lights reflecting on the lake surface, creating an unmistakable atmosphere.

Quick facts: The museum is housed in a five-story building on the island of Flores in Lake Petén Itzá, just a few steps from the main square. Its exhibits trace more than 3,000 years of Mayan civilization history in the Petén region.

Highlights: On the ground floor you will be greeted by an impressive replica of a stela from Tikal with original reliefs that you can examine up close without the crowds of large national museums. The biggest surprise is the ceramics collection, which includes vessels with fascinating hieroglyphic inscriptions that tell the stories of Mayan rulers.