Flores, Guatemala
The capital of the jungle-covered north-eastern department of El Petén, Flores is built on an island on Lago de Petén Itzá, and is connected by a 500m (1640ft) causeway to the service town of Santa Elena on the lakeshore. Flores is a dignified capital, with its church and government building arranged around the main plaza which crests the hill in the center of the island. The city was founded by the Itzaes, and at the time of conquest was perhaps the last still-functioning Mayan ceremonial center in the country. The pyramids, temples and idols were crushed under the foundations of the Spanish city, and the dispersal of the Mayan citizens into the jungle gave rise to the myth of a `lost' Mayan city. Modern sights include boat rides stopping at various lagoon settlements and a visit to the limestone caves of Actun-Can.
