Celestun

Located 60 miles southwest of Merida, Celestún is a quaint fishing village where the infrastructure is very basic. There are a few 2-star hotels, the 5-star ecological resort Xixim, a resort called Playa Maya and Hotel Manglares, several very good seafood restaurants, a few small shops and a harbor. There is also a long stretch of beach with lots of shells to explore.

Celestún is famous not only for its seafood restaurants, such as La Palapa, located on the beach, but also for its river or ría, beautiful flamingo colonies, fresh water springs, and calm beaches. You will also find a 36 foot tall lighthouse and salt fields near the town.

The most popular thing to do here is contract a boat to travel the ría and see the flamingos. These boats are located at the entrance to Celestún, where you can easily contract with a guide.

The flamingos of Celestún are a beautiful part of a fragile ecosystem. When you go to see them, we encourage you to treat the birds and their surroundings with respect so that they will be able to continue breeding and living there.

Sometimes a guide, in order to show the tourist a good time, will attempt to get too close to the flamingos. This has a very negative effect on these exotic birds and you should encourage your guide to stay at a healthy distance. And, please don't ask them to get closer if they are staying away.

Refrain from abrupt moves or noises which might scare the birds. If we don't protect this fragile ecosystem, the birds will not be able to survive. Needless to say, there is absolutely no hunting or shooting of anykind permitted in Celestún or Ría Lagartos.

The best time of the year to see these beautiful pink flamingos is between March and August, the time of the year when they leave their nests to eat the rich plankton of Ría Largartos. Part of the boat excursion includes a visit to the fresh water springs "Valdiosera" and "Venecia" where the water is sweet, transparent and ideal for swimming.

You will also visit the "petrified forest" Tampeten, a strange place where you can see just the trunks of these trees with their roots in the water.

And there is a small organization of fisherman trying to get an eco-venture going, to boost their other diminishing income, "Manglares de Dzinitun". In the words of a reader: "For a modest sum I had a most enjoyable private canoe trip, poled through the shallow waters of a fascinating mangrove jungle, and on to the open water of the Ria. I've seen a lot of vegetation types, but never anything like this. And there were birds ... real gems were the tiny and colorful Pygmy Kingfishers. Francisco was his group's most accomplished speaker of English, and we had a good time. He knew his birds, and their English names, too; we managed to make ourselves semi-understood with a modest percentage of the words between." (zinitun@gmail.com).

How to get there:
To get to Celestún by car, take the Periférico out of Mérida to Uman. Continue on to Kinchil and then Celestún. There are signs along the way. The map included in this guide is also helpful.
To reach Celestún by bus, go to the terminal on Calle 71 by 64 and 66. There are buses every hour from 5 AM that cost 31 pesos. The trip takes two hours.

Recommended reading:
- Celestun Day Trip

Hotels in Celestun:
- EcoParaiso Xixim
- Hotel Manglares
- Playa Maya Resort

Restaurants in Celestun:
- La Palapa

Maps:
- Map of the Yucatan Peninsula