Lake Peten Itza (Lago Petén Itzá)

Lago Peten Itza offers plenty of lakeside fun. Swimming, fishing from La Lancha pier in Santa Elena, and lakeside horseback riding are popular activities.

Flores is generally safe to walk around at night, particularly along the main streets near hotels, restaurants, and the waterfront.

The vast majority of visitors head to Flores in Guatemala for one reason only: to visit the spectacular Maya ruins of Tikal. With towering ancient temples looming out of the thick jungle, and shady paths teeming with wildlife, Tikal is one of Guatemala's highlights, and should definitely be on your Guatemala itinerary.

This lake and its surroundings have more than 100 important indigenous species such as the cichlid fish Mayaheros urophthalmus, Petenia splendida and Vieja melanurus, the endemic Poecilia petenensis, crocodiles (Crocodylus moreletii and Crocodylus acutus), jaguars (Panthera onca), pumas (Puma concolor), white-tailed ...