A scorching hot day with an uncomfortable level of humidity lead us to seek out a nice swimming spot to cool off and relax at. We had just arrived in Flores that morning and had the perfect little beach in mind for that afternoon. Playa El Chechenal sits a little ways outside of any of the lakeside towns on Lago Petén Itzá, but it’s easily reachable. We really enjoyed hiking to the beach with the cool water as a refreshing reward. If you’re in the area, this is a swimming spot we’d recommend checking out!
Hiking to Playa El Chechenal
We hiked to Playa El Chechenal from San Miguel, so this post will focus on the details of the path we took.
Hike Overview
Hike Type: Easy out-and-back trail.
Distance: 3.9km (2.4 mi) roundtrip.
Duration: 1hr – 1.5hr roundtrip + whatever time you spend at the beach.
You can also do this as a loop or take a more direct route from by Tayasal Archaeological Site – click here to learn more.
The Excursion to Playa El Chechenal
Our hostel was in Flores, so our first step was to get a lancha to San Miguel. We just walked down to a pier area on the northern end of Flores and had people asking if we needed a ride. We confirmed the price, then hopped in and made the quick cruise across. It cost 10Q one way and took only a few minutes to reach San Miguel.
Upon reaching the shores of San Miguel, we headed up the hill and towards the western end of this little town until we reached the start of a trail. It was brutally hot, but trees luckily provided some shade along the way. After a short ways, we reached a turnoff for Mirador Rey Canek. It was a steep, but very short walk up a hill until we reached the viewpoint.
The mirador is a wooden structure covered in art with a short set of steps leading up to a small platform. There was a sign asking us to take off our shoes to help preserve the vibrant art covering the steps. Our entire time in Guatemala was plagued by smoky skies, but we were able to still see Flores and some of the distant shores through the smoke. We enjoyed the view and slight breeze before heading back to the main trail.
From here, we continued through the woods and eventually found ourselves on a very rough road. There were a few paths straying off the path we were on and we encountered another tourist telling us that she was heading to the beach but thought it was in the opposite direction we were heading, so we were a little unsure of the way. But we had Playa El Chechenal bookmarked on our map and chose to continue heading in that direction.
Soon enough, we found the entrance to the beach, which was very well marked.
Visiting Playa El Chechenal
Fees & Hours
It costs 10Q per person to access the beach.
The beach facilities are open from 8am – 5pm.
Regulations
Pets are not permitted.
Playa El Chechenal
Upon reaching the entrance to Playa El Chechenal, we paid the entrance fee and headed towards the shore. There are some simple snacks and beverages for sale and restrooms not far from the beach area. We were already wearing our swimsuits and had packed our own snacks, so we just headed to the beach.
Along the shore, there were some tables with straw umbrellas and benches. We picked one to put our stuff down at and immediately headed to the water to cool off. This is your typical lake ‘beach’ with grass and somewhat of a dirt and pebble shoreline instead of sand. We wore our Chacos into the water, but the ground seemed to be soft enough to be okay without them.
The water was shallow and therefore not super cool and refreshing as we had hoped. But it still was so nice to be able to relax in the water after the walk over. The water was pretty green and somewhat clear on this day as well, but it can be murkier here depending on the wind and recent rains. We swam for a while before heading back to our table to relax in the shade and enjoy some snacks.
On Playa El Chechenal, there’s also a pier/dock area with colorful planks and a chair for a photo op. Some local kids were having a blast diving off the dock during our visit.
After spending some of the afternoon relaxing here, we headed back the way we came to catch a lancha back to Flores.
What to Bring
Cash: To pay for lanchas, the entrance fee, and anything else you buy at the beach. Card isn’t accepted.
Water: To stay hydrated on your hike and while at the beach. You can also buy water and some other drinks there.
Food: If you’d like to enjoy some snacks or packed lunch while here.
Swimsuit & Towel: We just wore our swimsuits, but there are changing rooms here, too.
Sun Protection: Hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
Comfortable Walking Shoes: If you plan to hike to the beach. Otherwise, sandals are fine.
Camera: If you’d like to capture your excursion
Other Ways to Reach Playa El Chechenal
Lancha
If you don’t want to hike, you can take a lancha directly from Flores, San Miguel, or other town directly to the beach. This is the quickest way to get here; however, there are a few things we want to note.
First, there aren’t lanchas docked at this beach like there are around the towns. So once the driver drops you off, they’ll leave. When you want to return, you may have to wait a little while for a ride, especially on weekday mornings when there are less people visiting the beach.
And secondly, because rides aren’t as available and lancha drivers are counting on you not wanting to hike back to town, you may encounter overcharging. One of the lancha drivers at the beach quoted us 200Q to get back to Flores. We had planned to walk back anyway because we had heard lanchas from here are much more expensive than taking a lancha between Flores and San Miguel, but we were curious.
Vehicle
If coming from San Miguel, you can take a tuktuk to Playa El Chechenal. These cost around 25-30Q.
You can also drive if you have your own car. Parking is free, but note that the road to the beach is very bumpy and the beach gate closes at 5pm.
Kayak
If you want to kayak to the beach, you can rent a kayak from Flores and make your way to the beach via the water. There are a few kayak rental places in Flores, like Kayaks en Flores, and some accommodations around the lake have them for guests as well.
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