Sayaxche and Ceibal

Though Ceibal can be reached via a dirt road that floods during the rainy season, it's best accessed by boat on the Río de la Pasión, followed by a half-hour ascent through the forest.

Down a newly paved road from Flores, this muddy frontier town on the southern bank of the Río de La Pasión is a good base for exploring the southern reaches of El Petén. This is river country, and La Pasión and Petexbatún rivers lead to a number of important yet largely unvisited ruins in various stages of excavation.