Aelfgifu Travels

Hi Aelf Crew,

Following on from the journey from hell, I finally arrived in Flores, Guatemala. Check out the previous post on this site to read about this journey.

Having hastily booked my hostel somewhere between exhaustion and delirium, I assumed it was located on the island of Flores. For context, Flores sits in the middle of Lake Petén Itzá, connected to the mainland town of Santa Elena by a bridge. It turns out, however, that Adra Hostel Petén is actually on the opposite shore – a short boat ride away.

Getting to Adra Hostel Petén

The hostel provides free boat transfers for check-in and check-out, but any other crossing costs GTQ 20 per journey (roughly £2) – and you’ll definitely need to haggle. Make sure to carry cash, as there are no nearby ATMs – the closest is on Flores Island itself.

When you’re trying to reach the hostel, head to Union Port by Hotel La Unión. This isn’t advertised anywhere on their website and you’ll need to call the hostel to send their boat over, so make sure you have a local SIM card rather than relying on Wi-Fi!

The hostel sits right on Lake Petén Itzá, with beautiful views of the island, and despite the logistical hurdles, it’s a peaceful base once you’re there. It seemed I was the only person in the hostel when there due to the low tourist season.

Flores Island from across the shore:

Here is a handy map I have created to demonstrate the island and hostel location:

Tikal National Park

I booked a tour to Tikal National Park through my hostel. Tikal is a vast Mayan archaeological site spanning 575 square kilometres with over 3,000 structures, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Unfortunately, my tour was entirely Spanish-speaking and despite me paying extra for an English-speaking guide, he spoke very little English. At the beginning he would give large amounts of details in Spanish and then a few words in English for me, but by the end he gave up translating to me completely. I would recommend specifically booking an English-only tour if you don’t speak Spanish to avoid this. 

There was an English-speaking group wandering nearby, and I shamefully hovered near them for a bit to catch snippets of explanation. Annoyingly due to this language barrier, I am not going to be able to fill you in with much information or insight learnt here.

Language frustrations aside, Tikal itself is stunning – dense jungle, echoing wildlife, and the towering remains of an ancient civilisation. Even without understanding every word, it’s hard not to be awed by the scale of it all.

Tips to Learn from Aelfgifu:

• If booking a tour at Tikal, confirm language availability before paying.
• Withdraw cash in advance and bring small change for boats and entry fees.
• Start early – Tikal can be humid and crowded by mid-morning.
• Bring bug spray and water, and wear light, breathable clothing.

Did you have a different experience to me at Tikal? Let me know in the comments!

If this saved you a headache (or at least made you feel prepared), you can subscribe using the yellow button at the top or bottom of the page.

Lost in translation,
Aelfgifu