Lake Petén Itzá

Lake Petén Itzá, lake, northern Guatemala, 160 miles (260 km) northeast of Guatemala City. A depression in the low limestone plateau at an elevation of 262 feet (80 metres) above sea level, it measures about 22 miles (35 km) from east to west and 10 miles (16 km) from north to south and is 165 feet (50 metres) deep; its area is 40 square miles (100 square km). It has no visible outlet, because its drainage is underground. Once the stronghold of the Itzá Maya, who were not conquered by the Spanish until 1697, the shores of the lake are now dotted with modern towns: Flores, which lies on an island in the southwestern portion of the lake; San Benito, in the southwest; and San Andrés, on the northwestern shore. Much of the surrounding land is covered by dense tropical rainforest, but there is some cultivation of cacao (the source of cocoa beans), sugarcane, grains, and tropical fruits around Flores.