Cuevas de Ak'tun Kan

Flores & Santa Elena

Try spelunking at the impressive limestone caverns of Ak'tun Kan, which translates from Q'eqchi' Maya as 'Cave of the Serpent.' The cave-keeper provides the authorized interpretation of the weirdly shaped stalagmite and stalactite formations, including the Frozen Falls, the Whale's Tail and the Gate of Heaven, the last within a great hall where bats flutter in the crevices.

The provided helmets have a small light inside them. Explorations take 30 to 45 minutes. It's 2km south of Flores; take a tuk-tuk there (Q15).

Suggest an edit to this attraction

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Templo I
28.39 MILES
Templo I, the Templo del Gran Jaguar (Temple of the Grand Jaguar), was built to honor – and bury – Ah Cacao. The king may have worked out the plans for…
Templo IV
28.2 MILES
Templo IV, at 65m, is the highest building at Tikal and the second-highest pre-Columbian building known in the western hemisphere, after La Danta at El…
Tikal
28.23 MILES
The most striking feature of Tikal is its towering, steep-sided temples, rising to heights of more than 44m, but what distinguishes it is its jungle…
Ceibal
27.9 MILES
With its strategic position on the west bank of the Río de la Pasión, the independent kingdom of Ceibal amassed considerable power controlling commerce…
San Miguel & Tayazal
2.24 MILES
Covering the western end of the San Miguel peninsula are the remains of Tayazal, among the last of the Maya capitals. The chiefly Classic-era mounds are…
El Mundo Perdido
28.09 MILES
About 400m southwest of the Gran Plaza is El Mundo Perdido (Lost World), a complex of 38 structures with a huge pyramid in its midst, thought to be…
Acrópolis del Norte
28.42 MILES
The Acropolis del Norte predates the nearby temples significantly. Archaeologists have uncovered about 100 different structures, the oldest of which dates…
Museo Sylvanus G Morley
29.04 MILES
This museum exhibits a number of superb ceramic pieces from excavations, including incense burners and vases, with descriptions of their uses and…

View more attractions

Nearby Flores & Santa Elena attractions

1. Municipalidad

1.86 MILES

Flores' stately town hall, just below the Parque Central, is the place where citizens go to conduct official business.

2. Nuestra Señora de los Remedios

1.9 MILES

The double-domed Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (the Spaniards' original name for the isle of Flores) stands at the isle's summit, anchoring the Parque…

3. Museo Santa Bárbara

1.95 MILES

On an islet to the west of Flores, this little museum holds a grab bag of Maya artifacts from nearby archaeological sites, plus some old broadcasting…

4. San Miguel & Tayazal

2.24 MILES

Covering the western end of the San Miguel peninsula are the remains of Tayazal, among the last of the Maya capitals. The chiefly Classic-era mounds are…

5. Parque Natural Ixpanpajul

5.71 MILES

At Parque Natural Ixpanpajul you can ride horses, mountain bikes or tractors, or zip line your way through the jungle canopy. The big attraction is the…

6. Ceibal

27.9 MILES

With its strategic position on the west bank of the Río de la Pasión, the independent kingdom of Ceibal amassed considerable power controlling commerce…

7. El Mundo Perdido

28.09 MILES

About 400m southwest of the Gran Plaza is El Mundo Perdido (Lost World), a complex of 38 structures with a huge pyramid in its midst, thought to be…

8. Talud-Tablero temple

28.12 MILES

A smaller temple to the western side of El Mundo Perdido, dates from the Early Classic Period, and demonstrates Teotihuacán's influence, with its talud…

View more attractions