Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Flores, tel. 7926-0041/2) shuttles leave hourly between 5 A.M. and 10 A.M. with a final
bus at 2 P.M.
Colectivo
buses also depart the Mundo Maya airport when there are flights
coming in, also costing $3 one-way.
Car Rentals
You'll find several options at the airport upon your arrival. Among them are a few
local operations I can't bring myself to recommend.
Hertz
(tel. 2470-3700 Guatemala
City or 800/654-3001 U.S.,
www.hertz.com
)
and
Alamo
(tel. 800/462-5266 U.S.,
www.alamoguatemala.com
)
have offices in or near the airport.
There are a variety of attractions in and around Flores and Santa Elena that work well if
you have a day or half a day while awaiting connecting flights or onward travel. Several
of these attractions—
ARCAS, Petencito Zoo,
and
Tayazal
—are a five-minute boat ride
across the lake from Flores's north shore near the village of San Miguel. A road also goes
this way along the shoreline and is useful in this discussion for orientation only, as most
visitors find themselves catching a boat when heading out in this direction. You can take
in 2-3 of these destinations as part of a lake tour leaving from Flores, which should cost
between $15 and $20.
Colectivo
boats ($0.50) leave from a dock beside Restaurante La
Guacamaya, on the north shore of Flores, as they fill up.
Parque Natural Ixpanpajul
Covering an area of nine square kilometers and conveniently just off the highway toward
Guatemala City, the main attraction at Parque Natural Ixpanpajul (tel. 7863-1317,
www.ixpanpajul.com
,
6 A.M.-6 P.M. daily) is a series of six suspension bridges built over
the forest canopy, giving you a toucan's-eye view of the forest. The trip along the forest
trail takes a little more than an hour and includes a stop at a lookout point to take in the
astounding view from the top of the mountain. Other activities include a Tarzan Canopy
Tour (zip line), Spot Lighting (nighttime wildlife-viewing), horseback riding, mountain
biking, tractor rides, and ATV rentals. You can tour the hanging bridges (Skyway) for $30
per adult or $22 per child. You also have a choice of mountain biking, tractor rides, or
horsebackriding,rangingfrom$5to$25.PackagesallowyoutocombinetheSkywaywith
the Tarzan Canopy Tour and/or the Spot Lighting tour for a full day of adventure. You can
combine two activities for $55 or all three for $75.
