Celestun, Merida: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

Celestun is a small fishing town on the Yucatán Peninsula's Gulf coast, roughly 90 kilometers west of Mérida. The main draw is the Ría Celestún Biosphere Reserve, a 59,000-hectare coastal lagoon system that hosts one of Mexico's largest resident colonies of American flamingos—numbering between 15,000 and 30,000 depending on season. Boat tours from the town dock run about 90 minutes through mangrove channels to the flamingo feeding grounds, where the birds gather in shallow saline water rich in brine shrimp. The reserve also shelters over 300 other bird species, including roseate spoonbills, jabiru storks, and frigatebirds. is just one of many options in Merida. Major attractions worth considering include Kabah, Merida Cathedral (Catedral de San Ildefonso), and Paseo de Montejo.