El Remate is a rural village located on the eastern tip of Lake Petén Itzá in Petén, Guatemala, Central America. It has a population of approximately 2,000[1] and a tropical savanna climate.[2]
El Remate means "the end" in Spanish,[3] and likely refers to the pointed eastern end of the lake,[4] which is 32 km. (20 miles) long and 5 km (3 miles) wide.
The village is located on Ruta 3, the sole road from the town of Flores to the major Mayan archaeological site of Tikal and is a popular stop for tourists. A much less visited local Mayan ruin site is Ixlu. Businesses in El Remate include small eco-friendly hotels, small workshops that sell handmade wood carvings, and boat trips on the lake. The Biotopo Protegido Cerro Cahuí is a protected nature preserve that offers birdwatching opportunities,[5] monkey sightings, lookouts over the lake, and nature walks.[6]
Two kilometers south of El Remate village is El Cruce, the intersection where the Ruta 3 road meets CA13, the other major road in northern Guatemala. CA13 connects El Remate to Melchor de Mencos on the border of Belize.