Before you go

Your trip to Celestún.

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

Celestún – Yucatán Destination Mérida and Uxmal about 95 km from Mérida

How to get there

Aeropuerto Internacional de Mérida (MID) Mérida · 100 km
Parada de ônibus de Celestún 1 km

Approximate road distances. Check flights and bus schedules before you travel.

From Mérida it is about 95 km, an hour and a half by car, along the highway that crosses the plain and crosses the estuary by a bridge. There are regular buses from Mérida's station and organized tours.

How many days

One day, on a round-trip from Mérida: a boat tour in the morning and the beach in the afternoon.

When to go

Flamingos are usually more numerous from November to March. From June to October there is more rain and more mosquitoes. Mornings tend to have less wind and calmer seas.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

Do you need a car?

It is not required. The village is explored on foot, and boats depart from the bridge and the beach. A car helps to go back and forth to Mérida at the time you prefer.

Suggested itinerary

An order that works

Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.

One day in Celestún

Morning
Estuary boat trip
Leave early by boat along the Celestún estuary to see the flamingos, herons and the mangrove.
Afternoon
Mangrove and freshwater spring
On the same trip, enter the mangrove tunnel and stop at a freshwater spring in the middle of the mangrove.
Late afternoon
Celestún beach
In the late afternoon, walk along the village's calm-water beach and watch the fishing boats return.
Evening
Seafood
Dine at one of the beach restaurants, with fish, ceviche and crab, before returning to Mérida.

Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.

Before you go

Frequently asked questions

When to see flamingos in Celestún?

They are in the estuary year-round, but tend to be more numerous from November to March.

How to see the flamingos of Celestún?

On boat trips along the estuary, with guides from local cooperatives, departing from the bridge and the beach.

Is Celestún far from Mérida?

About 95 km to the west, an hour and a half by car.

Do the boats get close to the flamingos?

Guides usually keep a distance so as not to scare the birds. Binoculars or a zoom lens helps.

Back to Celestún