Flores is a small town on a small island in Lake Peten Itza. Flores is a beautiful town with cobblestone streets and brightly painted storefronts and houses. The accommodations here are more than comfortable and quite affordable. The hostels are nice and friendly, but if you are a couple or group, don’t forget about hotels. There are beautiful views and lake breezes to be enjoyed, especially if you can share the price of a double room.
If you choose, there are also some budget options within the park of Tikal. You’ll have to be arriving into the area early enough to catch the last bus or colectivo bound for the park, generally before 5pm. Ask to be dropped at el cruce and you can catch a bus headed to Tikal. The Jaguar Inn has some tents available with shared bathroom facilities. There are also hammock areas if you have your own, and cheap (around a dollar US) options to guard your bags while you’re out — just ask at the restaurants or hotels in the area.
Flores is a stopover for visiting Tikal for most travelers, but if you stay a couple days it’s easy to save some money and get to know the town and it’s people in a short time.
The island is connected by a short causeway to Santa Elena, a larger a much less maintained town, but a good option for grocery shopping and checking out the market there.
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