"Charming Town on Lago de Peten Itza" Flores by Hopkid

We only spent a total of 70 minutes in this small town located on an island just off the south shore of the Lago de Peten Itza. It is connected to the mainland by a causeway which originates in Santa Elena. Because of the number of lodging options here it is a popular base of operations for visitors to the area. We had thoughts of spending our nights in one of the small lakeside hotels here but eventually felt that it would be easier for all if we stayed with the large group we were traveling with who had booked rooms in mainland Santa Elena.

Determined to explore the town, we took a tuk-tuk to the main plaza and walked the streets as dusk settled in. The town had a lot of charm and character with smooth stucco buildings in a varitey of colors and winding narrow streets. Kids playing soccer on a hardtop field in the main plaza and food stalls opening up for the dinner hour were pleasant signs of local life. After walking through some of the narrow streets we took seats a a local watering hole with a lakeview toward the west to watch the sunset. With a mojito in hand, this was a nice end to a crazy but fascinating day which started well before dawn in Antigua, a bus ride to Guatemala City, plane ride to Flores, and a tour of the ruins at Tikal.

• Pros:Small, charming, logding and eating options
• Cons:None that we noticed
• In a nutshell:A good base for exploring ruins in the Peten region