Just about the only reason anyone visits the small island town of Flores in the central north of Guatemala is to see Tikal, possibly the best example of surviving Mayan ruins anywhere. Some crazy people actually do it as a day trip from Guatemala City or Antigua, catching an overnight bus to Flores, then jumping directly on the shuttle to Tikal, returning to Flores to catch the overnight bus back from whence they came from. Madness. I was certainly not going to be doing that. From memory I was in Flores for three or four nights, probably a day too long as I was a bit disappointed with the food offerings in town.
* Tikal is an impressive sight and a huge site. It is in the middle of the jungle.... hot, humid, steamy but thankfully largely shaded. Within about 10 minutes of walking, I had lost my way walking, somehow. The maps are rather average but there are sufficient markings to always know roughly where you are once you come to a landmark. I managed to see every set of ruins except one, which is more than most people. By far the most impressive view is that from Temple IV where you can look over the jungle canopy atop the temple and see all the other temples in the distance. Hopefully you don't get a bunch of annoying old French people and an inconsiderate guide that chose to talk loudly at the top of the temple so nobody could enjoy the serenity. Contemplated pushing them all off the edge and re-enacting the toppling of sacrificed heads down the steep steps but that would probably created unwanted paper work.
One of the great sounds of the jungle is the howler monkey. It makes a noise not dissimilar to a lion/tiger that would scare the pants off of you if you couldn't see it and didn't know what the hell it was. Never got to see them though. Saw a few other monkeys though. Plenty of them in the park vicinity.
Getting there - Every shop in town seems to be a tour agency. Tourists are pushed towards doing the sunrise tour (which is just a shuttle service to Tikal) to arrive for sunrise unsurprisingly at an additional cost of around Q60. The problem is that this shuttle does not arrive in time for sunrise. There is the possibility of doing an extra early tour at 3am for a further additional cost that does in fact arrive for sunrise. I opted for neither. I departed at 8am which meant I spent a little more time in the heat of the day but it was nothing too unbearable. Just take plenty of water and something to eat. A standard shuttle service should cost no more than Q60 return.
* Only a handful of tourists make it the two minutes across the lake to the nearby village of San Miguel. From here it is a 15 minute walk to the west and beyond the village limits to wooden lookout built in a tree at the top of the hill with great views of Flores. Continue another 10-15 minutes along the path around the peninsula and take the road to the left to Playita, a small picnic ground with a 'beach' and pier where you can go swimming. It's a pleasant place to hang out for a few hours. There is a small entrance fee.
The food in Flores was for the most part was overpriced and over-rated. Didn't have anything memorable. There is a couple stands at the point of the island where locals sell tostada and cakes in the evening. Super cheap. Q5 for three tostadas. Bargain.
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| A cloudy misty morning over the lake |
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| Flores from the Tree House |
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| An abandoned car in the middle of Flores....which can be circumnavigated in only 15 minutes |
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| The booze cruise boat.... |
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| San Miguel |
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| Playita |
TIKAL
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| View from Temple IV |
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