Flamingo tours from Mérida: Celestún, Sisal or Río Lagartos
The Yucatán coast has mangroves and estuaries where pink flamingos live, and you can visit them on a day trip from Mérida.
Compare the three flamingo tours in the Mary Tours catalogue below. They are wildlife: ask on WhatsApp how the season looks for your date.
Compare the tours
| Tour | Duration | Schedule | Website price | Owl coupon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sisal: kayak, flamingos and beach | 8 h | 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM · daily | $1,500 MXN | — |
| Celestún and the pink flamingos | 9 h | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM · daily | $1,600 MXN | — |
| Las Coloradas and Río Lagartos | 12 h | 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM · daily | $1,400 MXN | — |
Information taken from the current Mary Tours catalogue. Times and availability are confirmed on WhatsApp.
Celestún, Sisal or Río Lagartos
Celestún lies west of Mérida; so does Sisal, with kayaking and beach; Las Coloradas and Río Lagartos are to the east and make the longest day of the three. Check each one's duration and itinerary.
What to bring for birdwatching
Hat, sunglasses and biodegradable sunscreen. Bring a camera with zoom if you have one.
Sisal: kayak, flamingos and beach
Kayaking through the coastal wetlands with flamingo watching, a dip in a freshwater spring and the whole afternoon on the beach.
Sisal was the port henequen left the country through, and what remains of that is the old houses and the feel of a town that never became a hotel strip. The morning is spent kayaking the wetlands: paddling through mangrove, watching birds — pink flamingos among them — and taking a dip in a freshwater spring. Then the beach until four: white sand, turquoise water and very few people.
- Location: Sisal, Yucatán
- Schedule: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM · daily
- Duration: 8 h approx.
- Included: Transport, Kayaking in the coastal wetlands, Free time on the beach
- Not included: Food, Drinks, Palapa rental
Highlights
- Coastal wetlands
- American pink flamingo
- Freshwater spring
- Sisal beach
What to bring
- Swimsuit on already
- Reef-safe sunscreen
- Cap and sunglasses
- Cash for lunch and the palapa
- A waterproof pouch for your phone
Meeting point: Our office at Calle 61 #518-B, Centro Histórico. If your accommodation is on the way to the tour or near the centre, we can pick you up there — agreed over WhatsApp
Celestún and the pink flamingos
A boat ride through the estuary, flamingo watching, a Maya bath on the sandbar and a free afternoon on the beach.
Celestún is a biosphere reserve: nearly sixty thousand hectares of mangrove, estuary and coast. The boat threads through the channels to wherever the flock is, which depending on the season may be dozens or thousands of flamingos. On the way you pass the freshwater spring and take the Maya bath out on the sandbar. Then lunch facing the sea and the rest of the afternoon on the beach.
- Location: Celestún, Yucatán
- Schedule: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM · daily
- Duration: 9 h approx.
- Included: Transport, Guide, Boat ride, Lunch from a set menu
- Not included: Drinks
Highlights
- Celestún estuary
- American pink flamingo
- Mangrove tunnel
- Celestún beach
What to bring
- Reef-safe sunscreen
- Hat or cap
- Sunglasses
- Swimsuit on already
- A camera with zoom if you have one
Meeting point: Our office at Calle 61 #518-B, Centro Histórico. If your accommodation is on the way to the tour or near the centre, we can pick you up there — agreed over WhatsApp
Las Coloradas and Río Lagartos
The pink salt flats, Cancunito beach and a boat trip through the estuary among mangroves, flamingos and crocodiles.
The pink at Las Coloradas is not a filter: it is concentrated salt and microorganisms pigmenting the water, and the intensity shifts with the sun. You cannot swim there — it is a working salt operation inside a protected area — but you walk it from outside, which is where the photos are anyway. Then Cancunito beach, almost empty, and the boat ride through the estuary, which is where the flamingos, herons and the occasional crocodile turn up.
- Location: Las Coloradas and Río Lagartos, Yucatán
- Schedule: 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM · daily
- Duration: 12 h approx.
- Included: Transport, Guide, Boat ride, Lunch from a set menu
- Not included: Las Coloradas entrance, Drinks
Highlights
- The pink lagoons of Las Coloradas
- Cancunito beach
- Río Lagartos estuary
- Maya mud bath
What to bring
- Reef-safe sunscreen
- Hat or cap
- Sunglasses
- Clothes you do not mind getting muddy
- Cash for the entrance fee
Meeting point: Our office at Calle 61 #518-B, Centro Histórico. If your accommodation is on the way to the tour or near the centre, we can pick you up there — agreed over WhatsApp
Frequently asked questions
Are there always flamingos?
They are wild birds and their numbers change through the year. Ask on WhatsApp before booking and check the questions on each tour page.
Which flamingo tour from Mérida is the shortest?
Compare each tour's duration in the table; all of them leave from Mérida and return the same day.
How long is the Sisal: kayak, flamingos and beach tour?
About 8 hours, scheduled 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM · daily, according to the current catalogue.
How long is the Celestún and the pink flamingos tour?
About 9 hours, scheduled 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM · daily, according to the current catalogue.
How long is the Las Coloradas and Río Lagartos tour?
About 12 hours, scheduled 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM · daily, according to the current catalogue.