Accounting for approximately a third of Guatemala’s land area, the northern province of Peten is largely flat, covered in dense jungle and home to a huge number of fascinating Mayan sites.

The most famous of these sites is undoubtedly Tikal, one of the world’s great ancient archaeological sites. To the east of Tikal, almost as impressive, but with a fraction of the visitor numbers, is beautiful Yaxha.

In the south of Peten, and accessible only by boat, are smaller sites such as Ceibal and Aguateca. To the north, close to the border with Mexico, and accessible only by a lengthy trek, is mighty Mirador, home to the largest of all Mayan pyramids.

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Still a sparsely populated region, the capital of Peten is Flores, a beautiful little town on a man-made island on Lake Peten. As well as being a picturesque and charming destination in its own right, Flores is also the main base for visitors wishing to explore the region’s key Mayan sites as well as being home to the only airport with regular flights to Guatemala City as well as to Belize.

Away from Flores, the shores of Lake Peten are dotted with numerous small towns and villages, such as El Remate, and many visitors to the area choose to stay here, not just as a base from which to visit the key Mayan sites but as somewhere to enjoy the beautiful lake setting and surrounding countryside.

Aside from Mayan sites, there are several other attractions close to Flores which are worth visiting such as Monkey Island and Ixpanpajul Natural Park.

Although all our holidays are tailor made to clients’ requirements, examples of itineraries that include Flores & Lake Peten are Guatemala Highlights, Classic Guatemala & Complete Guatemala.