PETÉN, MUNICIPALITY OF FLORES

Description: With a total area of 91820 acres, this National Park is part of the Maya Biosphere Reserve. Lately it has become a much-visited destination, since it has very important Maya monuments, most of them still under research, and archaeological excavation are still going on. Inside the National Park there are four important archaeological sites: Yaxhá, Nakum, Naranjo and Topoxté, the city of Yaxhá being a very important city for the ancient Maya culture. The forests inside are very well-preserved and the Yaxhá Lagoon is one of the most important water systems in the Maya Biosphere.

Services: Camping (in Yaxhá site with previous authorization from the park´s administration), visitors´ center and restrooms. The ecological hotel El Sombrero at the entrance of the National Park offers lodging and restaurant service.

Access: From Guatemala City taking CA-9 and CA-13 towards Flores for 303 miles, then take the road to Melchor de Mencos until you reach the community of La Máquina (Km60). Then turn to the left and drive on a dirt road for 6.8 miles until you reach the entrance of the park.

Tourist facilities: You can use the trails through the monuments inside the archaeological sites; you can climb some temples where access is permitted to use them as birdwatching posts.Fees and schedule: US$ 6.00 per person for Guatemalan residents and US$ 11.00 per person for foreigners. It is open daily between 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Some species: Crane Hawk, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher, Brown Jay, Tawny-crowned Greenlet, Blue Bunting.

| Black Catbird
(Melanoptila glabrirostris)

Other features: The Yaxhá Lagoon offers a spectacular landscape, and you can also visit the island of Topoxté. In the lagoon you can observe crocodiles (Crocodylus moreletti) and other typical fauna of the region. It is near Tikal National Park and on the way to the border with Belize.

Contact: Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CONAP, National Council for Protected Areas), telephone numbers in Petén: (502) 7952 8800. General Administration of Yaxhá-Nakum-Naranjo National Park: (502) 5308 4158;