Flores, Guatemala Hotels, Vacations, Tourism

FLORES , the capital of Petén, has an easy pace and a sedate, old-world atmosphere diametrically opposed to the commerce and hustle that typify most of Petén's towns. Its genteel cobbled streets, ageing houses and twin-domed church are set on a small island in Lago de Petén Itzá, connected to the mainland by a short causeway. The frontier mentality lies just across the water in SANTA ELENA , a chaotic, featureless town which is dusty in the dry season and mud-bound during the rains. The lake was a natural choice for settlement, and its shores were heavily populated in Maya times, with the … more »