We did enjoy our visit to the quaint island town of Flores, Guatemala which lies in Lake Peten Itza.
But we thought one full day here was plenty of time unless it’s being used jumping off point to visit nearby Tikal. The town is gorgeous; there are some decent restaurants and a few fun bars. We just didn’t find much to do in the way of recreation or attractions to make it worthy of a multiday stay. It is, however, a good place to simply relax on the waterfront and enjoy some fresh Guatemalan coffee.
We also enjoyed just roaming around the town. It’s a very walkable island with few cars. Narrow cobblestone streets cut through the town.
A road wraps around the perimeter, which is short enough to stroll along in thirty minutes or so. But during the time of our visit, the road along the northern edge of the was blocked off because it was being swallowed up by Lake Peten due to the unseasonable rains its been receiving this year. Yikes! It was hard to tell where the lake ends and the road began.
Along the side of the island there are guys in small boats offering to take tourists on tours of the lake. So in the late afternoon we grabbed a couple of cold beers and accepted one of their offers. It was a nice cruise, first over to a lookout, where we unexpectedly hiked a very steep trail overlooking the picturesque city.
We later went by grassy beaches, by mountain vistas, and in between small islands that dotted the lake; all the while our patient tour guide explained these sites to us in very clear and slow Spanish, to which we were able to pick up on a few sentences here and there.
On our way back to Flores a storm began to roll in over the town. Then out of nowhere, a faint ray of light began to shine directly on to the church at the center of the island. Within seconds the ray slowly moved across the town and then vanished altogether. Amazing!
In our opinion, Flores is definitely worth a day visit, but no need to linger around here with all the other wonders that Guatemala has to offer.
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