Tikal National Park
The greatest Maya city ever built — Tikal's Temple IV stands 65 meters tall, emerging from a sea of jungle. Private guided dawn or dusk expeditions with exclusive access to restricted areas.
FRS · MGMM · Guatemala
Flores Mundo Maya International Airport
Flores / Santa Elena — Petén — Tikal. 30 min to Tikal / 10 min to Flores island.
Runway
2660m
Surface
Asphalt
Elevation
123m
Hours
6am-8pm
Book your private flight to Flores
Airport at a glance
Flores / Santa Elena — Guatemala
Tikal is the reason this airport exists. The Maya city rises out of the Petén rainforest with temple summits pushing above a closed canopy in every direction, and it is the only place inscribed by UNESCO for both its cultural and its natural value in this part of the world — Tikal National Park was listed in 1979.
Mundo Maya International, also called Anacleto Mazá Castellanos or simply Flores Airport, sits at Santa Elena beside Lake Petén Itzá, 488 kilometres from Guatemala City and about 50 minutes from the ruins. It is the second busiest airport in Guatemala, handling 186,324 passengers in 2022, and it is a focus city for TAG Airlines.
At 118 metres (387 ft) elevation, in the Petén lowlands. ICAO: MGMM. Coordinates: 16°54′50″N, 89°51′59″W. A joint military/public field administered by the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil. Full port of entry, which matters for the Belize and Mexico connections.
This is a medium-capacity runway: it takes regional jets and turboprops on scheduled service, with no payload constraint for charter.
Getting there
Flores Mundo Maya International Airport — Getting there
The Belize connection deserves attention. Flores to Belize City is a short hop, and it makes a combined Tikal–Belize cayes itinerary practical without the Melchor de Mencos land crossing. Both fields are ports of entry.
| Guatemala City | ~55 min | ~8–9 h |
| Belize City | ~40 min | ~4 h + border |
| San José | ~208 min | — |
| Puerto Barrios | ~50 min | ~6 h |
Nearby
Things to do near Flores / Santa Elena
Fifty minutes north by road. Six great temple-pyramids, the Great Plaza, the North Acropolis, and a site core that occupies 16 square kilometres inside a national park of 576. The city was occupied for well over a thousand years and at its height in the eighth century held tens of thousands of people.
The two things worth planning around: sunrise at Temple IV, which puts you above the canopy in the dark while howler monkeys start up across the forest, requires a permit and an early departure; and the wildlife is genuinely part of the visit — coatis, ocellated turkeys, toucans and spider monkeys are routine.
The rest of the Petén. Yaxhá, an hour and a half east, sits between two lakes and has almost nobody at it. The sunset from Structure 216 over Lake Yaxhá is, for many visitors, the better experience.
El Mirador, deep in the northern Petén near the Mexican border, holds La Danta — by volume one of the largest pyramids on earth — and a Preclassic city that predates Tikal's rise. Access is a multi-day jungle trek from Carmelita or a helicopter charter; there is no road, and there is unlikely to be one.
Uaxactún, north of Tikal, has the oldest known Maya astronomical complex. Ceibal and Aguateca lie south along the Pasión river.
Flores itself is an island in Lake Petén Itzá connected by causeway — a red-roofed grid of streets you can walk in twenty minutes, and the last stronghold of the Itzá Maya, which held out against the Spanish until 1697, over 150 years after the rest of the region fell.
Santa Elena and San Benito, on the mainland shore opposite Flores, are where most of the region's population actually lives and where the airport sits. The lake between them, Petén Itzá, is deep, clean and warm, and swimming off the causeway or from the western shore at San José is the standard way to end a day at the ruins.
Yaxhá Archaeological Site
Guatemala's second-largest Maya site — Yaxhá overlooks a sacred lake and offers spectacular sunset views from Temple 216, with far fewer visitors than Tikal and exclusive private access.
Private Helicopter — Petén Jungle
Exclusive helicopter flights over the Petén rainforest — aerial views of Tikal's temple tops emerging from the jungle canopy, remote Maya sites and the Guatemalan-Mexican border wilderness.
Private Navigation — Lago Petén Itzá
Exclusive private boat tours on Guatemala's second-largest lake — sunset cruises, fishing expeditions and visits to the charming island city of Flores on the shores of Petén Itzá.
VIP Archaeological Expeditions
Dawn and dusk private expeditions to Tikal, Yaxhá and remote Petén sites — expert archaeologist guides, exclusive access to restricted temple zones and overnight jungle camp experiences.
Helicopter — Yaxhá & Tikal Sunrise
The ultimate Petén helicopter experience — private circuit from Flores over the jungle canopy to Yaxhá (sunrise over Lake Yaxhá and two pyramid temples) and Tikal (birds-eye view of the five temple complex).
Night Kayak — Lake Petén Itzá
Private night kayak on Lake Petén Itzá — bioluminescence, night herons, crocodiles on the bank and the lights of Flores reflected in the lake. A completely different experience from the day tour crowds.
Helicopter — El Mirador Ruins
El Mirador is the largest Maya city ever built — accessible only by helicopter or a 5-day jungle trek. Private flight from Flores to the massive La Danta pyramid, the largest pyramid by volume on Earth, rising above the Petén canopy.
When to fly
When to fly
Petén lowland: hot and humid, with a dry season from roughly December to April and a wet season from May to November, heaviest from June to October. Tikal is more pleasant in the dry months, though the forest is quieter and the wildlife less active.
Morning operations are the standard, and morning is also when Tikal is at its best.
FAQ
Flores Mundo Maya International Airport — Frequently asked questions
Where is Flores Airport?
At Santa Elena, beside Lake Petén Itzá in the Petén department, at 118 m elevation, 488 km from Guatemala City. ICAO: MGMM.
How far is Tikal from the airport?
About 50 minutes by road north.
How long is the flight from Guatemala City to Flores?
Roughly 55 minutes, against an eight- to nine-hour drive.
Is FRS a port of entry?
Yes, which makes direct connections to Belize and Mexico practical.
What is El Mirador?
A Preclassic Maya city in the northern Petén containing La Danta, among the largest pyramids on earth by volume. Access is by multi-day trek or helicopter — there is no road.
Why is Flores historically significant?
It was the last independent Maya kingdom, holding out against the Spanish until 1697.