Celestún and the pink flamingos
The largest flamingo colony in North America
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.
Schedule: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM · daily
Celestún, Yucatán
What is included
- Transport
- Guide
- Boat ride
- Lunch from a set menu
Not included
- Drinks
Itinerary
- Departure from the office — An hour and a half west, out to the port.
- Boat ride — Flamingo and bird watching, the mangrove tunnel, the freshwater spring and the Maya bath on the sandbar.
- Lunch by the beach — Fish, octopus or shrimp from the gulf, at a table facing the sea.
- Free time on the beach — Almost three hours to swim, walk the shore or do nothing at all.
- Back to Mérida — Arriving around five.
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
Questions
Are there always flamingos?
Almost always, but numbers change. November to March is when the biggest flocks are there; in summer they are fewer and more scattered.
What is the Maya bath?
Getting into the shallow sandbar, where the water carries sediment and salt. It feels cool and it is entirely optional.
Is the boat bumpy?
Not much: the estuary is calm water. Only the open-sea stretch can get choppy if it is windy.