Isla de Flores is the kind of place where travellers end up staying longer than planned. The little peninsula on Lake Petén Itzá is small, colourful and laid-back, and it’s the gateway to the Mayan city of Tikal.
There’s plenty of choice: hostels and hotels on the peninsula itself, quiet hotels around the lake and a handful of lodges right at the Tikal entrance. We stayed at Tikal ourselves, so we can also tell you why we wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. In this guide you’ll find where to stay in Flores, and which hotels and hostels are worth booking.
Where to stay in Flores at a glance
- Best for backpackers: Isla de Flores (our tip: Los Amigos Hostel)
- Best for a pool on the island: Isla de Flores (our tip: Hotel Casona de la Isla)
- Best for peace by the water: Lake Petén Itzá (our tip: Bolontiku Boutique Hotel & Spa)
- Best for beating the Tikal crowds: at the park entrance (our tip: Hotel Tikal Inn)
How to get to Flores in Guatemala
Flores sits on a small peninsula in Lake Petén Itzá, in northern Guatemala. Watch out when booking: when travellers talk about Flores, they nearly always mean Isla de Flores, the touristy peninsula with the colourful streets. The town on the shore opposite, where the bus station is, isn’t much to write home about.
Thanks to its location near Tikal, Flores is easy to reach from all over Guatemala and from Mexico and Belize. Flying into Mundo Maya International Airport is quickest but priciest. Buses are cheaper: Rio Dulce is about 4 hours away, the south of the country around 8, and there are buses to Palenque and Chetumal in Mexico and to Belize City. Stick to licensed transport companies in this region, as travel advice recommends.
From the bus station, grab an Uber or tuk-tuk to the peninsula. Booking your next bus through your hotel? The minivan to the bus station is often included, so ask about it.
Why Flores is worth visiting
Pastel facades, narrow cobbled streets and sunsets over the lake: sooner or later, every traveller in Guatemala ends up on Isla de Flores. It’s the best-known base for exploring the north, with Tikal as the most popular day trip.
Read more: best things to do in Isla de Flores.
There isn’t actually that much to Flores, and that’s exactly its charm. Wander the streets, stroll along the lakeside promenade, eat at the good restaurants, take a boat to the viewpoint over the lake or go kayaking. No wonder so many people stay longer than they meant to.
Where to stay in Flores
On the peninsula, on the lake or at Tikal?
On Isla de Flores you’re right among the restaurants and life on the water, with party hostels, budget hotels and a few comfortable hotels with a pool.
Want more peace and quiet? The hotels around the lake are prettier and more secluded, and many are close to Flores, so the peninsula is never far. Tiny San Miguel is right across the water, and a lancha gets you to Isla de Flores in a few minutes.
The third option is to stay at Tikal itself. Four places to stay sit side by side at the park entrance. We stayed here too, but wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. Rooms are pricey, and tours leave from Flores, including an early sunrise tour that still gets you into the park first. You’ll need to set an earlier alarm, but you won’t have to sort out transport or pay for an expensive room. Travel advice also recommends going to Tikal with organised transport.
Where to stay on Isla de Flores
#1 Los Amigos Hostel for the best-known backpacker hostel in Flores, with a leafy garden, a bar and a restaurant serving Thai and Middle Eastern dishes, among others. There are dorms and private rooms, a shared kitchen and even a hammam.
#2 Hotel Casona de la Isla for one of the few hotels on the island with a pool, plus a hot tub. The air-conditioned rooms look out over the lake, the pool or the patio, there’s a bar and restaurant, and the airport shuttle is free.
#3 Hotel Casa Amelia for a colourful hotel with lake views. Rooms are simple but air-conditioned, the Italian restaurant is open from early till late, and the island’s best-known restaurants are just around the corner.
#4 Hotel Isla de Flores for a hotel on the island’s central park, with a pool on the rooftop terrace. Rooms are air-conditioned, and the airport shuttle is free (book it at least eight hours in advance).
#5 Hotel Villa del Lago for a hotel right on the shore of Lake Petén Itzá. The rooms have air conditioning and a private bathroom, and from the terrace you look straight out over the water. Our favourite hotspot in Flores, Cool Beans, is within walking distance.
Where to stay at Lago Petén Itzá
#6 Bolontiku Boutique Hotel & Spa for a modern boutique hotel right on the lake, a 15-minute boat ride from Flores. Every room faces the water, and there’s a pool with a view, a spa and a private jetty for the boat to the island.
#7 Zapote Tree Inn for a hotel on the edge of the jungle in San Miguel, four minutes by boat from Isla de Flores. You’ll catch both sunrise and sunset over the lake, there’s a pool and a little private beach, and the Mayan ruins of Tayasal are an eight-minute walk away.
#8 Hotel Gringo Perdido for a waterfront hotel in El Remate, on the east side of the lake on the way to Tikal. There’s a private beach, a pool, a garden and a restaurant, and some rooms have a balcony.
#9 Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel for a luxury boutique hotel on the Exequil lagoon, next to Petén Itzá. The wood-clad suites have their own hot tub and panoramic views, there’s a pool, a spa and a restaurant, and the airport is ten minutes away.
#10 Villa Maya for a hotel on a tropical estate on the Petenchel and Monifata lagoons. Every room has a balcony overlooking the water, there are two pools and a spa, and you can go cycling and walking from the hotel.
Where to stay at Tikal
#11 Hotel Tikal Inn for palm-thatched bungalows in the jungle at the Tikal entrance. There’s a pool, a garden and a restaurant with vegetarian and vegan options. It’s often the first to fill up, so book early.
#12 Hotel Jaguar Inn Tikal for simple bungalows inside the park, a ten-minute walk from the temples. The hotel runs entirely on solar power and now has electricity and Wi-Fi around the clock. You can book tours of Tikal, Yaxhá and Uaxactún right at the hotel.
#13 Jungle Lodge Tikal Hostal for the most budget-friendly option in the national park, where we also stayed during our visit. There are tropical gardens, a swimming pool and a restaurant. Bathrooms are shared.
#14 Hotel Jungle Lodge Tikal for the more upmarket side of Jungle Lodge, with thatched suites and bungalows and a pool in the jungle. The front desk can arrange hikes and tours in the park. To protect the park, the generators don’t run all day.
