Arriving by bus from Guatemala City or Belize, you'll be dropped a block or two from the causeway to Flores. The airport is 3km east of the causeway, a US$2 taxi-ride into town. Local buses cover the route but entail a time-consuming change halfway. They cross the causeway about every ten minutes. Returning to the airport, local buses leave from the Flores end of the causeway every twenty minutes or so.

The staff at the Inguat desk in the arrivals hall at the airport (daily 7am-noon & 3-6pm; tel 926 0533), can give you reasonable maps and information in English. There's another office on the plaza in Flores (Mon-Sat 8am-4.30pm; tel 926 0669), where the helpful staff will most likely direct you across the plaza to the resource centre, CINCAP (Mon-Fri 9am-1pm & 2-6pm; tel 926 0718), a very useful resource centre with more detailed maps, books and leaflets, and exhibitions on historical and contemporary life in Petén. This is also the production office of Destination Petén , a free monthly listings and information magazine , available at most of the town's hotels and travel agencies. If you're planning to go on a trip to remote parts of the Maya Biosphere Reserve, check with ProPetén on C Central (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; tel 926 1370, fax 926 0495, propeten@guate.net ) for current information on route conditions, accommodation and guides. They also run organized trips , including the "Scarlet Macaw Trail", a five-day expedition by truck, horse and boat along rivers and through primary forest, taking in the remote ruins of El Perú and the largest concentration of scarlet macaws in northern Central America.

If you're interested in doing some voluntary work , the wildlife conservation and rescue association ARCAS (Asociación de Rescate y Conservación de Vida Silvestre; tel 926 0946, arcaspeten@intelnet.net.gt ), based next to the Petencito zoo, 4km east of Santa Elena, runs a rescue service for animals taken illegally as pets from the forests and always needs volunteers. The work, while rewarding, can be quite demanding and you'll need to sign up for at least a week (US$80 per person including all food and lodging).