Flores Map

Description: This map shows streets, houses, buildings, cafes, bars, restaurants, hotels, monuments, viewpoints, shops, churches, points of interest, and parks in Flores.

Flores is a small town located on an island in Lake Petén Itzá in the Petén Department of northern Guatemala. It serves as the administrative capital of the department. The island is connected to the mainland towns of Santa Elena and San Benito by a narrow causeway approximately 500 meters long.

The area has deep pre-Columbian roots. The site was originally known as Nojpetén (also spelled Noh Petén) and served as the capital of the Itza Maya kingdom. It was the last independent Maya state to resist Spanish conquest, finally falling on March 13, 1697, when the conquistador Martín de Ursúa y Arizmendi led a military campaign that ended Itza rule. Following the conquest, the Spanish established a colonial settlement on the island and renamed it Flores.

Lake Petén Itzá, on which the island sits, is the third-largest lake in Guatemala, covering approximately 101 square kilometers.

Flores functions primarily as a tourist hub and transit point. Tikal National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing one of the largest and most significant Maya archaeological complexes in the world, is located approximately 65 kilometers to the northeast. The Mundo Maya International Airport (IATA: FRS), which serves the region, is situated in Santa Elena, directly across the causeway from Flores. Most travelers visiting Tikal use Flores as a base.

The population of the island itself is a few thousand residents.

The town is characterized by colorful low-rise buildings lining narrow streets, small hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies catering to international tourism. The waterfront promenade offers views of the surrounding lake and the distant jungle canopy. Flores lies at an elevation of approximately 127 meters above sea level and has a tropical climate typical of the lowland Petén region, with a pronounced rainy season from May through October.

Main sights in Flores