Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
To the north, across the small finger of Lake Petén Itzá in which Flores lies, are the re-
mains oftheMayansite ofTayazal. Itdates totheClassic Period,longbeforethearrival of
the Itzá.
Asnothingremainsoftheoriginalsettlement,thereisverylittletoseeintermsofhistorical
sights on the island. The quaint plaza contains a small church and government buildings
flankedononesidebyabasketballcourt.Floresitselfisverydifferentfromanyothertown
in Guatemala and a leisurely stroll around the island will allow you enough time to take in
the funky pastel architecture and the quiet streets. One addition to Flores's infrastructure is
the
malecón
,orwaterfrontwalkway,spanningtheentireisland.Thetown'smainstreethas
also been re-paved.
CINCAP
(10 A.M.-noon and 2 P.M.-8 P.M. Mon.-Fri.), housed in the Castillo de Aris-
mendionthenorthsideofthepark,onceservedasaninformationcenteronPetén'sculture
and natural history but now holds only a small gift shop.
If you're really into caves and won't have time to explore the areas of southern Petén
or Las Verapaces, you might want to check out
Ak'tun Kan
(8 A.M.-5 P.M. daily, $1.50),
also known as the
cueva de la serpiente
for the large snake said to inhabit it. To get there,
follow 7a Avenida south out of Santa Elena until you get to the power plant. Turn left to
get to its east side, and continue south another kilometer.
Don't get too excited about entertainment in Flores. Like many small towns in Guatemala,
Flores tends to shut down after dark. Though the restaurants mentioned here are perfectly
fine for stopping in for a drink, you may find yourself drinking alone. Depending on the
season, it can get very quiet here and some places may even shut their doors well before
their posted 1 A.M. closing time. On weekends, locals like to party and if you are up for it
you can certainly mingle with them at any of a number of establishments. Just follow the
sound of music.
Asidefrombeingafinerestaurant,
La Luna
(cornerofCalle30deJunioandCalle10de
Noviembre, tel. 7926-3346, Mon-Sat. until 1 A.M.) has a pretty swanky bar where you can
enjoy the very atmospheric old building in which it's housed under a whirring ceiling fan.
Café-Bar Las Puertas
(corner of Calle Central and Avenida Santa Ana, tel. 7926-1061,
11A.M.-midnightMon.-Sat.)ispopularwithtravelersforitsmargaritas,funkyatmosphere
and live music on weekends. A house across the street screens movies. Another favorite
haunt for movie-watchers is the
Mayan Princess Café
(corner of Calle 10 de Noviembre
and Avenida Reforma), showing movies at 4 P.M. and 9 P.M. daily.
