The twin cities of Flores and Santa Elena are the most common launching point for excursions into Guatemala’s Petén region. Flores itself is the smaller city on an island in Lago Petén Itzá; Santa Elena is larger and on the shore. The two are linked by a causeway. Both towns are often collectively referred to as Flores, although the airport is in Santa Elena.
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The main reason to take this tour is to get to stay in the park up until sunset, so don't expect to be overloaded by information from your guide. Beginning at either the car park or the site of
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This tour begins at the ugly hour of 4.30am and the guide leads you by torchlight (bring your own) past a few interesting spots for information and up to Temple IV, which you climb in the early
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Boats can be hired for any length of time from a half-hour to all day. The rate is $15 for 30 minutes per boat (up to 9 people) or $25 for an hour trip. But prices are negotiable, so bargain hard.
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Not far down the shore from the village of San Miguel is the Petencito Zoo. It gives visitors the chance to see a collection of local animals like jaguars, monkeys and macaws. In addition, the
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The Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Association runs an animal habilitation center close to San Miguel. They take care of animals rescued from smugglers and illegal pet traders, like jaguars,
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If you don’t have time to visit the caves in Alta Verapaz or south of Petén, you might want to visit the Ak’Tun Kan Caves, two kilometers north of Flores. You’ll crawl yourself through the
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Flores is a good starting point for your exploration of Petén, and the jumping-off point for Guatemala's greatest tourist attraction, the ruins of Tikal. But once you've seen Tikal, then what?
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