Celestun, Mexico | Ultimate Guide (+Things to Do!)

Looking to travel to Celestun Mexico?

This small beach town in the Yucatan province is a great place to relax on the beach, explore the Ria Celestun mangroves, and potentially see thousands of flamingos all in the same day (an amazing experience that makes our list of the best things to do in Mexico).

In just five minutes, this quick guide to Celestun will give you all the information you need to make the most of your trip!

I’ll first go over all the awesome things to do in Celestun, from visiting Celestun beach, to taking a boat tour of the Ria Celestun Biosphere (where you can watch flamingos).

I’ll also show you a quick video I made of my first trip to Celestun, so you can get a sense of what it looks like there. Lastly, this guide will cover practicalities like how to get to Celestun, where to stay if you need a Celestun hotel, and when to visit Celestun.

Oh, and before you go be sure to check out my 17 Best Mexico Travel Tips! And if you are headed to Mexico, be sure to check out my article on whether you really need travel insurance for Mexico.

Playa Celestun (Celestun Beach)

Let’s manage expectations up front: Yucatan state doesn’t have the most spectacular beaches in Mexico. You won’t find the same blue water and white sand in Celestun Mexico that you would in, say, Tulum (I mean, just check out these aerial photos of the Tulum beaches).

With that said, there are a lot of reasons to visit playa Celestun, which I actually prefer to Progresso, the more popular beach option for those doing a day trip from Merida.

Celestun beach is nice and wide, so there is plenty of space to find your own little patch of sand.

Playa Celestun is also westward facing, which means that you can watch the sun set over the water here (not possible in most other Yucatan beaches).

Moreover, the town is small enough that there are plenty of free parking spaces near the beach. Plus Celestun offers a sizeable but not overwhelming number of beach restaurants and shacks serving up freshly caught seafood.

So, sure, the beach in itself isn’t going to win any awards for the most gorgeous beach in the world, but its a quality and relatively crowd-free option if you’re in the area.

Plus, you can combine a trip to the beach with a tour of Celestun’s biosphere!

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The Ria Celestun Biosphere Reserve

The beach isn’t the only reason to visit Celestun! In fact, the most popular thing to do in Celestun is to visit the excellent Ria Celestun biosphere reserve, where you can explore mangroves, look for crocodiles, and visit enormous concentrations of flamingos!

What can you expect to see on a Celestun tour? I’ll go over that in detail below, but if you’re a visual creature you can instead watch this quick three minutes video that I put together about my first trip there:

Looks like a fun time right?

Here’s how to do it yourself:

How to Take a Tour of the Ria Celestun Biosphere

Visiting the flamingos of Celestun requires taking a boat out into the mangroves that dot the tidal estuary of the Ria Celestun.

If you prefer to have everything arranged for you, you can sign up for a tour of Celestun from Merida here.

While touts on the beach sometimes offer boat tours that leave directly from Playa Celestun, the faster option is to drive or catch a taxi back out to the entrance of the town.

The dock where you can catch the boats is located just south of the bridge between the mainland and Celestun, on the town side. You’ll see large signs for the tourist information center. There are bathrooms and a few little shops where you can pick up supplies.

There is also a ticket window where you can arrange for your boat tour.

You have a couple options here:

• A private boat costs around 1,500 pesos (about $75), and can fit 6-8 people. Join a public boat and split the cost with others (but you may have to wait awhile for it to fill).

Though the boats rides are annoyingly expensive by Mexican standards, I do think they are worth it. For more information about visiting the Celestun biosphere, see here.

The Incredible Flamingos in Celestun Mexico

Flamingos in Celestun Yucatan Mexico

The top attraction in Celestun Mexico is definitely flamingos!

But it’s important to remember that the flamingos that live in the Ria Celestun migrate between here and Rio Lagartos (another popular day trip from Merida, Mexico).

So the best time to see flamingos in Ria Celestun is when they are in season, roughly between November and March, with January and February being the best months.

There are flamingos scattered about the estuary, but your boat driver should know where to find the largest concentrations of them. We were taken to an inlet housing probably close to a thousand flamingos!

Flamingos aren’t the only birds in the biosphere reserve though. You’ll like see egrets, frigates, and array of different avian life. There is even a stop at “Bird Island,” which is filled with hundreds of what I think were either egrets or pelicans (watch the above video to see for yourself!).

The Enchanting Mangroves of Celestun

While the flamingos are of course the highlight of a boat tour through the Celestun biosphere, the surrounding shallow mangroves are worth exploring in their own right.

Your boat will take you on a brief tour of the mangroves. Pay close attention and you might just spot a crocodile or two!

You will then will likely stop at Ojo de Agua Baldiosera, where you can get out and walk around a short boardwalk fronting a little swimming hole (bring a swimsuit if you want to take a dip).

Pro tip: apply insect repellent before taking the tour, as there are TONS of mosquito in the mangroves!

✈️ Forgot travel insurance? You can get a quote with World Nomads (my favorite provider) here:

Practical Information for Traveling to Celestun Mexico

A dock in Celestun’s mangroves

If you go to Celestun Mexico, here’s some quick practical information to make the most of your trip:

How to Go from Merida to Celestun

There are numerous tours to Celestun on offer from central Merida. Here’s one option for a tour of Celestun that you can book online.

If you prefer to organize your own transport, you can really take some time to soak in Celestun beach and the town.

If you have a car (which can usually be rented for about $40 USD for the day from Merida), it’s a straight shot along a decent highway to drive to Celestun. Plus, that will allow you to take some stops along the way to check out some of the many cenotes in the Yucatan. Plus, there is plenty of parking both near the beach and at the entrance to the preserve.

Or if you prefer public transportation, you can take a public bus from the corner of Calle 67 and Calle 50 in Merida (leaving on the hour from 6 am to 4 pm). The cost is 70 pesos each way and the trip will take 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

When to Visit Celestun Mexico

The best time to view the flamingos is between November and March (especially January and February).

But Celestun playa can be visited year round, and the beach can make for a good break from the hot summer Yucatan sun!

Where to Stay in Celestun

If you have an extra night or two, you can stay on the beach to watch the sunset, then overnight in town.

Here are a couple of the best hotels in Celestun:

• Castilito Kin Nah – One of the better reviewed hotels in the town itself (rooms from $75 US/night). Please click the links below to check the prices.
• Hotel San Julio – A budget option just one minute by foot from Celestun beach (from $25/night). Please click the links below to check the prices.

Note that Celestun Mexico doesn’t have much in the way of hostels, so if that’s your scene I suggest staying in Merida at the excellent Nomadas Hostel.

And as long as you are in Merida, I highly suggest taking a trip to check out the wonderful colonial city of Vallalodid, Mexico! From there, you can take a tour of Chichen Itza, explore cenotes, and enjoy my favorite little town in Mexico.

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That’s it for this quick guide to Celestun!

I hope you enjoy the beaches and get to see lots of flamingos. If you have any questions, or just want to share your experience in Celestun, Mexico, then scroll down and please leave a comment!

Here are some other useful articles to help you plan your trip to Mexico’s Yucatan: 

• 16 Best Day Trips from Playa del Carmen
• Packing List for Mexico (What to Pack)
• Guide to the Tulum Ruins

Oh, and if you’re on Pinterest, you can pin this here: