#city #beach #kids #visited #5stars
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## Background
[Celestún](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celest%C3%BAn) (Celestun for search purposes) is a beach town located on an isthmus, about a 1.5 hour drive directly west of [[Mérida]]. It is situated within the *Celestún Biosphere Reserve*, a 815-km² protected natural area featuring extensive mangrove wetlands and diverse flora and fauna.
Most visitors to Celestún come for the massive number of flamingos that come feed in the Celestún Biosphere Reserve's lagoons from December to February each year, and for its beautiful beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. Numerous types of birds, crocodiles and iguanas, spiders, raccoons, and more also reside in the Biosphere.
To go on a flamingo and birdwatching tour, stop at the [Parador Turístico Celestún](https://maps.app.goo.gl/1yVTb1ZtC776meMT6) (📍<span style="color:white;background:#d7503f;padding:1px 4px;border-radius:4px;">A</span> on map) which is a sharp left immediately after crossing the final bridge to the isthmus. If you've arrived in the city of Celestún, you've gone too far.
It costs about $3120 pesos (cash only) to rent a boat and captain for 1.5 hours. Make sure to bring mosquito repellent as one of the stops on the tour is a jungle area with a spring (named *Ojo de Agua Baldiosera*) and typically a lot of mosquitoes.
After a flamingo tour, we often go eat lunch on the beach at [[La Ramada de la Tía Candi]].
[[Parque Ecoturistico Jaltun]] is located close to the flamingo tour launch point, and offers a flora- and fauna-focused guided walking tour through the mangrove forest.
## Best time to visit
To see the maximum number of flamingos, go during the best time of the year at the best time of day.
Celestún has the most flamingos from December to February – the rest of the year, especially April to July, they are in [[Rio Lagartos]] for breeding season.
Flamingos are most active during low tide, when they are able to stand on the lagoon floor to feed. This means it's best to go during the morning; by mid-afternoon most of the flamingos will have begun to go home to nest.
We've recorded our past trips and the number of flamingos we saw below. Note the time specified is the time we reached the flamingos in the lagoon – we would have arrived in Celestún about an hour before, which means we left Mérida about 2.5 hours before the stated time.
* December 2, 2023 @ 3:30pm: 🦩🦩 Too late in the day to see flamingos, though around sunset we saw a nice-sized cluster at a [secret flamingo spot](https://maps.app.goo.gl/5ptJXw3CyHRdAuqE8) along the main road entering Celestun.
* February 21, 2024 @ 12pm: 🦩🦩🦩🦩🦩 There was a massive number of flamingos – more than we've ever seen.
* March 2, 2024 @ 2:30pm: 🦩 Flamingos had already begun migrating back to [[Rio Lagartos]] by this time, and the ones that were still here would have gone back to their nests.
* November 16, 2024 @ 12:30pm: 🦩 Too early in the season for flamingos.
* December 8, 2024 @ 11:30pm: 🦩🦩 About 200 flamingos today; still too early in the season for peak flamingos. We did see two crocodiles and several other interesting birds, however.
* December 23, 2024 @ 10:15am: 🦩🦩🦩 A few hundred flamingos today. Was told that the water level was still too high today, but that in February-March there would be 30-40k flamingos.
## Photos
*(December 23, 2024) Flamingo landing in the Celestún Biosphere Reserve.*
<small><a href="Photography/Canon/EOS R3.md" class="internal-link">Canon EOS R3</a>, <a href="Photography/Canon/RF100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM.md" class="internal-link">RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM</a> @ 500mm, f/7.1, 1/1600s</small>
*(December 23, 2024) Roseate spoonbill in the Celestún Biosphere Reserve.*
<small><a href="Photography/Canon/EOS R3.md" class="internal-link">Canon EOS R3</a>, <a href="Photography/Canon/RF100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM.md" class="internal-link">RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM</a> @ 500mm, f/8, 1/1600s</small>
*(December 23, 2024) Bare-throated tiger-heron in the Celestún Biosphere Reserve.*
<small><a href="Photography/Canon/EOS R3.md" class="internal-link">Canon EOS R3</a>, <a href="Photography/Canon/RF100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM.md" class="internal-link">RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM</a> @ 472mm, f/7.1, 1/100s</small>
*(December 23, 2024) Reddish egret atop mangroves in the Celestún Biosphere Reserve.*
<small><a href="Photography/Canon/EOS R3.md" class="internal-link">Canon EOS R3</a>, <a href="Photography/Canon/RF100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM.md" class="internal-link">RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM</a> @ 324mm, f/7.1, 1/1600s</small>
*(March 2, 2024) Seagulls preparing to consume fish scraps that a beach restaurant in Celestún throws out at the end of the day.*
<small><a href="Photography/Canon/EOS R3.md" class="internal-link">Canon EOS R3</a>, <a href="Photography/Canon/EF24-70mm f2.8L II USM.md" class="internal-link">EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM</a> @ 28mm, f/7.1, 1/320s</small>
*(February 21, 2024) Flamingos enjoying the abundance of food in the Celestún Biosphere Reserve.*
<small><a href="Photography/Canon/EOS R3.md" class="internal-link">Canon EOS R3</a>, <a href="Photography/Canon/RF100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM.md" class="internal-link">RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM</a> @ 428mm, f/11, 1/1250s</small>
*(December 8, 2024) Juvenile white ibis in the mangroves of the Celestún Biosphere.*
<small><a href="Photography/Canon/EOS R3.md" class="internal-link">Canon EOS R3</a>, <a href="Photography/Canon/RF100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM.md" class="internal-link">RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM</a> @ 400mm, f/6.3, 1/250s</small>
*(December 8, 2024) American crocodile lying in wait in the Celestún Biosphere.*
<small><a href="Photography/Canon/EOS R3.md" class="internal-link">Canon EOS R3</a>, <a href="Photography/Canon/RF100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM.md" class="internal-link">RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM</a> @ 270mm, f/6.3, 1/320s</small>
*(December 8, 2024) Neotropic cormorant drying its feathers in the Celestún Biosphere.*
<small><a href="Photography/Canon/EOS R3.md" class="internal-link">Canon EOS R3</a>, <a href="Photography/Canon/RF100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM.md" class="internal-link">RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM</a> @ 200mm, f/5, 1/500s</small>
*(December 8, 2024) Brown pelican LOLing in the Celestún Biosphere.*
<small><a href="Photography/Canon/EOS R3.md" class="internal-link">Canon EOS R3</a>, <a href="Photography/Canon/RF100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM.md" class="internal-link">RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM</a> @ 500mm, f/7.1, 1/1600s</small>
*(December 2, 2023) Flamingos having a late evening snack at the Secret Flamingo Spot in Celestún.*
<small><a href="Photography/Canon/EOS R3.md" class="internal-link">Canon EOS R3</a>, <a href="Photography/Canon/RF100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM.md" class="internal-link">RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM</a> @ 500mm, f/8, 1/320s</small>
*(December 2, 2023) Brown pelican at Celestún.*
<small><a href="Photography/Canon/EOS R3.md" class="internal-link">Canon EOS R3</a>, <a href="Photography/Canon/RF100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM.md" class="internal-link">RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM</a> @ 363mm, f/10, 1/800s</small>
*(December 2, 2023) Black-necked stilt wandering amid flamingos at the Secret Flamingo Spot in Celestún.*
<small><a href="Photography/Canon/EOS R3.md" class="internal-link">Canon EOS R3</a>, <a href="Photography/Canon/RF100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM.md" class="internal-link">RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM</a> @ 254mm, f/8, 1/320s</small>
*(December 2, 2023) Intertwined flamingo couple at the Secret Flamingo Spot in Celestún.*
<small><a href="Photography/Canon/EOS R3.md" class="internal-link">Canon EOS R3</a>, <a href="Photography/Canon/RF100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM.md" class="internal-link">RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM</a> @ 270mm, f/8, 1/320s</small>
*(December 8, 2024) Cormorants skipping across the surface of the lagoon in the Celestún Biosphere.*
<small><a href="Photography/Canon/EOS R3.md" class="internal-link">Canon EOS R3</a>, <a href="Photography/Canon/RF100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM.md" class="internal-link">RF100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM</a> @ 100mm, f/7.1, 1/1600s</small>
## Further Reading
> [!tip] 365 Días en Yucatán: [#6 Celestún en rosa](https://yucatan.travel/experiencia/006-celestun-en-rosa/)
> [!tip] 365 Días en Yucatán: [#51 Celestún: túnel de manglares en canoa](https://yucatan.travel/experiencia/051-celestun-tunel-de-manglares-en-canoa/)
> [!tip] 365 Días en Yucatán: [#308 Observación de aves en Celestún](https://yucatan.travel/experiencia/no-308-observacion-de-aves-en-celestun/)