As nothing remains of the original settlement, there is very little to see in terms of historical sights on the island. The quaint plaza contains a small church and government buildings flanked on one side by a basketball court.

Flores itself is very different from any other town in Guatemala and a leisurely stroll around the island will allow you enough time to take in the funky pastel architecture and the quiet streets. One addition to Flores’s infrastructure is the malecón, or waterfront walkway, spanning the entire island. The town’s main street has also been re-paved.

CINCAP (10 a.m.–noon and 2 p.m.–8 p.m. Mon.–Fri.), housed in the Castillo de Arismendi on the north side of the park, once served as an information center on Petén’s culture and natural history but now holds only a small gift shop.

If you’re really into caves and won’t have time to explore the areas of Southern Petén or Las Verapaces, you might want to check out Ak’tun Kan (8 a.m.–5 p.m. daily, $1.50), also known as the cueva de la serpiente for the large snake said to inhabit it. To get there, follow 7a Avenida south out of Santa Elena until you get to the power plant, turn left to get to its east side, and continue south another kilometer.

There are a variety of attractions in and around Flores and Santa Elena that work well if you have a day or half a day while awaiting connecting flights or onward travel. Several of these attractions—ARCAS, Petencito Zoo, and Tayazal—are a five-minute boat ride across the lake from Flores’s north shore near the village of San Miguel.

A road also goes this way along the shoreline and is useful in this discussion for orientation only, as most visitors find themselves catching a boat when heading out in this direction. You can take in 2–3 of these destinations as part of a lake tour leaving from Flores, which should cost between $15 and $20. Colectivo boats ($0.50) leave from a dock beside Restaurante La Guacamaya, on the north shore of Flores, as they fill up.