Parque Regional Municipal Actún Kan — Attraction in Flores

Tikal is without doubt an incredible place to visit. The scale, setting, and history make it truly unforgettable. I highly recommend going with a guide. Without one, there's a considerable amount of knowledge and context you'll unknowingly walk past, which would be a real shame after travelling all that way.

To enter the park, you’ll first pass through a checkpoint roughly 20 minutes south of the temples. This is where tickets are either shown or purchased. You must have your passport, or at least a clear photo of it, to buy a ticket—it's just the park's policy. Thankfully, we had a copy on our phone, which was accepted without issue.

Once inside, I was surprised to find that you're allowed to climb several of the temples. This isn’t due to a lack of preservation, but rather because the park has thoughtfully built additional wooden structures to make the climbs possible without damaging the ruins.

I won’t let the on-site restaurant affect my review of the park itself, as the two shouldn’t be compared. That said, don’t expect great things from the food.

All in all, it was an amazing day out. If you're travelling from Flores, expect the whole experience to take around seven hours — and it’s absolutely worth...

I’m surprised this place doesn’t rank higher on lists of top attractions in Flores – it’s definitely a hidden gem. The caves are stunning, and while they can be intimidating for those who are claustrophobic (since there are no lights inside, unlike in many commercialized caves in Europe), you're provided with a helmet and headlamp, which is really helpful. The entry fee is 35Q, and I highly recommend wearing sturdy shoes as the caves can be quite slippery. In addition to the caves, there’s a lovely botanical garden with a butterfly house. We were lucky to have a small private tour, which was fantastic (price: 25Q per person). We learned that the venue is funded by one of the cofounders of Duolingo (who is of Guatemalan origin), and it’s planned to expand with exhibits on orchids and medicinal plants in the future. It’s a wonderful and affordable way to spend an afternoon in Flores, especially if you have a bit of extra time. P.S. We took a tuc tuc from the island to get there for 40Q, which...

This adventure is totally worth your time.

For the caves, there is the short and long round. The long one requires a guide. We went for the short one we were sent on our way alone with a helmet with a light (since inside it is totally dark). We were supposed to get to number 31 but only made it to 20 before getting a little claustrophobic. The exit is well indicated and we had an unforgettable experience.

After that we went to the mariposera (butterfly exhibition), it is still under development as they still will add a part with turtles, toads, orchids, ... But what is already there is totally worth a visit as you can explore butterflies, larves and cocoons with a guide who will tell you all about it. The tour is only in Spanish though. The fact that it is funded by the co-founder of Duolingo is a nice positive point.

All in all, lovely experience of a site that has not fully been...