People do swim in Lake Petén Itzá near Flores, at places such as Jorge’s Rope Swing and Playa El Chechenal, but the MARN, AGN and Petén government pages about the lake authority AMPI read on 10 November 2026 carry no swimming rating for the lake, and a University of San Carlos study says surrounding towns discharge their wastewater into it, with contamination seen mainly in the southern basin.
In short: Jorge’s Rope Swing (Q25.00 per person, open daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., reached only by lancha) and Playa El Chechenal (Q5 foreigners, Q2 nationals, lancha Q10 from the island) are described by secondary travel sites. USAC’s 2023 report found microplastics in the lake’s water, sediments and most fish analysed, but could not run laboratory tests such as bacteria counts. CECON calls the Cerro Cahuí shore, on the forested north side, one of the lake’s least contaminated points.
Where people swim near Flores
Prices and hours as each source prints them, read 10 November 2026. Both public spots are described by secondary travel sites, not by their operators, so confirm the fee on arrival.
| Spot | Who describes it (date) | Entry as published | Hours | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jorge’s Rope Swing | Guatemala.com article, 1 August 2025 | Q25.00 per person, paid on arrival; no reservation needed | Every day, 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. | By lancha only; private or public boats from Isla de Flores, price depends on group size and boat type |
| Playa El Chechenal | GuateValley listing (undated) | Q5.00 foreigners, Q2.00 nationals | Todo el día (all day) | Lancha from Isla de Flores Q10.00; listing phone 5770-0068 |
| Hotel Gringo Perdido private beach | The hotel’s own website | Private beach advertised; no day-pass offer on its page | Not stated | Km 3 on the road to Jobompiche from El Remate, beside the Cerro Cahuí biotope |
Jorge’s Rope Swing. Guatemala.com describes a rope swing hung from a wooden structure on the shore, a springboard and wooden docks for sunbathing, with tables, benches and short trails through the forest, a few minutes from Isla de Flores. The article describes the water there as very clear. It recommends a swimsuit, towel, sunscreen and water shoes, because parts of the dock and the trails are stony. Its Q25.00 fee and hours date from August 2025.
Playa El Chechenal. GuateValley describes a turquoise-water, white-sand beach whose main draw is the Mirador del Rey Canek viewpoint, reached by the main trail, with views over the lake and Isla de Flores. It says San Miguel residents rebuilt the site with local materials, and that a cenote can be glimpsed from some of the trees near the Tayasal archaeological site. The listing carries no date; call ahead before relying on its Q5 and Q10 figures.
El Remate side. Hotel Gringo Perdido describes itself as being on the shore of the lake inside the jungle of the Cerro Cahuí biotope, and advertises its private beach and kayak trips; its page offers no day pass. The Biotopo Cerro Cahuí page covers the reserve’s trails and entry.
The zoo on the lake shore near Flores has its own rules for going into the water; they are on our Petencito zoo page.
What the water studies say
One public study is a research report by the University of San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC), Informe final proyecto de investigación 2022, dated 13 March 2023 and published in USAC’s DIGI library.
| Finding | What the report says |
|---|---|
| Source of contamination | The lake has been contaminated for decades by growing towns around it that discharge their wastewater into it |
| Where | Contamination is seen mainly in the southern basin, caused by wastewater and solid-waste discharge, deforestation, soil erosion and cattle ranching |
| Sampling dates | April, August and October 2022, and January 2023, per the summary and results; the methods section lists September instead of August |
| What it could measure | Only field parameters (pH, conductivity, temperature and dissolved oxygen), because of limited laboratory access; these were within the range of earlier studies |
| Surface water | Microplastics in all three transects sampled in April 2022, including the Santa Elena and Petencito areas: 61,904.8 to 83,333.3 items per km² |
| Fish | 81.25% of fish analysed, mainly Petenia splendida, had microplastics in the digestive tract, an average of 5.88 per fish |
| Sediments | Microplastics in every sediment sample, 1.09 to 3.53 items per gram |
The report concludes that microplastics in the lake’s water and fish are a risk to the ecosystem and the population and need the attention of the environmental authorities. It does not measure bacteria, rate any beach, or say whether swimming is safe or unsafe.
For orientation, the same report places San Benito on the lake’s southwest shore, the municipality of Flores around the south and northeast, and the island of Flores, the department capital, in the lake.
Who is responsible for the lake
The basin authority is AMPI, the Autoridad para el Manejo y Desarrollo Sostenible de la Cuenca del Lago Petén Itzá. On 11 December 2025 the Environment Ministry (MARN) reported that two regulations needed for AMPI to operate had been completed, a step to formalise its structure. The government notices about AMPI on this page (MARN, December 2025; the Petén governor’s office, 14 May 2025; AGN, 4 February 2026) cover governance and coordination; none publishes a water result or a swimming advisory.
Cerro Cahuí: the least contaminated shore, and the crocodile name
CECON, the University of San Carlos’s conservation-studies centre, has administered the Biotopo Cerro Cahuí since 24 October 1981. It says the biotope has high tourism potential partly because it sits at one of the lake’s least contaminated points, and describes it as an island of forest among the woods around the northern part of the lake. CECON gives no sample date or test result for that comparison.
CECON also explains the name: Cahuí means giant lizard or crocodile, given to the hill because of the shape it shows from the opposite shore. That is a place name, not a wildlife record; none of the sources on this page reports crocodiles in the lake.
Related
- Things to do in Flores
- Where to stay in Flores
- Biotopo Cerro Cahuí
- Can you swim in Lake Atitlán?
- Water safety in Guatemala
Sources
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, DIGI/PUIRNA, research report INF-2022-62 on microplastics and water quality in Lake Petén Itzá (dated 13 March 2023): https://digi.usac.edu.gt/bvirtual/informes/puirna/INF-2022-62.pdf — read 10 November 2026.
- CECON (USAC), Biotopo Cerro Cahuí: https://cecon-ccqqfar.usac.edu.gt/biotopo-cerro-cahui/ — read 10 November 2026.
- Guatemala.com, Jorge’s Rope Swing (1 August 2025, secondary): https://www.guatemala.com/guias/aventura/jorges-rope-swing-lugar-turistico-con-un-columpio-gigante-sobre-el-agua-en-peten — read 10 November 2026.
- GuateValley, Playa El Chechenal (undated, secondary): https://www.guatevalley.com/que-visitar/playa-el-chechenal-flores-peten — read 10 November 2026.
- Hotel Gringo Perdido, home page: https://www.hotelgringoperdido.com/ — read 10 November 2026.
- MARN, AMPI regulations (11 December 2025): https://marn.gob.gt/2025/12/11/concluyen-reglamentos-clave-para-la-ampi-y-avanzan-mesas-tecnicas-de-cuenca-en-peten/ — read 10 November 2026.
- AGN, AMPI coordination and planning (4 February 2026): https://agn.gt/ampi-avanza-en-coordinacion-y-planificacion-para-la-gestion-sostenible-del-lago-peten-itza/ — read 10 November 2026.
- Gobernación Departamental de Petén, AMPI coordination meeting (14 May 2025): https://goberpeten.gob.gt/autoridades-se-reunen-para-coordinar-esfuerzos-en-la-proteccion-de-la-cuenca-del-lago-peten-itza/ — read 10 November 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you swim in Lake Petén Itzá at Flores, and where?
Swim spots are described a short lancha ride from the island: Jorge’s Rope Swing (Q25 per person, daily 9 a.m.-7 p.m., per Guatemala.com, 1 August 2025) and Playa El Chechenal (Q5 for foreigners, Q2 for nationals, per an undated GuateValley listing). None of the authorities on this page publishes a bathing rating for the lake.
Is Lake Petén Itzá polluted?
A University of San Carlos (USAC) research report dated 13 March 2023 says the lake has been contaminated for decades by growing towns that discharge their wastewater into it, and that contamination is seen mainly in the southern basin. It found microplastics in the surface water, in sediments and in 81.25% of the fish analysed.
Did the USAC study test the water for bacteria?
No. The report says that because of limited laboratory access it could measure only field parameters: pH, conductivity, temperature and dissolved oxygen. It gives no bacteria counts and no swimming verdict.
Where is the cleanest part of the lake?
CECON, the University of San Carlos centre that has run the Biotopo Cerro Cahuí since 24 October 1981, says the biotope sits at one of the lake’s least contaminated points, on the forested north side of the lake. It attaches no sample date or result to that statement.
Are there crocodiles in Lake Petén Itzá?
None of the sources on this page reports crocodiles in the lake. CECON explains only that Cahuí means giant lizard or crocodile, a name given to the hill for its shape as seen from the opposite shore.
