Boat tour through the mangroves of Celestún and Playa from Merida

Overview

Available languages

English

Spanish

9 hours

Mobile ticket

Birdwatching includes binoculars for close-up viewing. The best season to see many flamingos in Celestún is between December and March; the rest of the months there are few, however, other types of local birds can be observed.

Discover this incredible reserve of mangroves on board a boat, which has a capacity for up to 8 people, visit:

1. Bird Island is the resting area of a wide variety of local and migratory birds.

2. The union of the sea with the estuary.

3. Horseshoe Ruins.

4. Sighting area of pink flamingos.

5. We went through a mangrove tunnel.

6. Mayan bath with clay.

The boat tour takes a maximum of 2 hours.

Enjoy eating at a beachfront restaurant where you can also relax and swim. Celestun is the most beautiful beach in the state with crystal clear waters all year round.

This tour lasts 9 hours (8am to 5pm).

This tour takes place in both languages (Spanish and English).

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Certified nature guide

Round trip transportation from Mérida

Refrigerator on board the vehicle

Binoculars for bird watching

Delicious beachfront food at the restaurant La Ramada de la Tía Candi, choose a dish from the menu that provides the guide (there are vegetarian options)

Drinks in the restaurant are not included

What To Expect

This is the first meeting point where we pick up travelers for this tour. Departure from here is punctual at 08:00 am (with a maximum tolerance time of 10 minutes). Later we go to the next meeting point which is the Santa Ana park and we finish at the third meeting point which is the Fiesta Americana hotel. Before leaving Mérida we stop at a store to buy water and snacks for the road. Once we have everyone on board and after making the stop at the store, we begin our journey to the first point of this incredible tour. The time to get to the Celestún mangrove reserve is 1 hour and a half on the road.

2 hours•Admission Not Applicable

Celestan Biosphere Reserve

Discover this incredible reserve of mangroves on board a boat, which has a capacity for up to 8 people, visit: 1. Bird Island is the resting area of a wide variety of local and migratory birds. 2. The union of the sea with the estuary. 3. Horseshoe Ruins. 4. Sighting area of pink flamingos. 5. We went through a mangrove tunnel. 6. Mayan bath with clay. The tour lasts maximum 2 hours. Here in the jetty there are bathrooms (it is recommended to wear the swimsuit if you want to do the activity of the Mayan bath).

2 hours•Admission Included

Options

Boat tour through the mangroves of Celestún and Playa from Merida

Reviews

4.77

53 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Don’t miss this experience !
Nakul S,
Jun 14, 2025
- Viator
5.00
A superb day trip from Merida ! Very enjoyable boat tour through the mangrove’s to see the flamingos followed by a relaxed lunch and rest right beside the beautiful beaches of Celestún. Plenty of time to swim, explore, relax.
Great day in Celestun! Highly recommend
jennifer l,
Jun 7, 2025
- Viator
5.00
Great day trip to Celestun! Excellent communication beforehand regarding pickup and what to bring. The van was comfortable w AC and not overcrowded. Pablo was friendly and a great driver. Anel was a wonderful guide, very kind and knowledgeable! We saw at least 100 flamingos, lunch was very good and in the best location right on the beach! My 7 year old loved everything too!
Flamingos a plenty
Tamara d,
May 12, 2025
- Viator
5.00
A fantastic day trip that exceeded our expectations. We saw about 100 flamingos. We were expecting to see a few as the season is Dec to March. We were very lucky. Saw lots of other birds including Osprey & pelicans. The guide was lovely and explained a lot about feeding of flamingos, nest sites etc. We stopped at Mayan bath site and had a face & body scrub using the clay soil from the ocean. A lot of fun. We also saw coati by the roadside. Seafood lunch at a nearby beach front restaurant and had 3 hours to relax and swim before heading back to Merida. Highly recommended.
Even late in the season...
Donna W,
May 3, 2025
- Viator
5.00
Even late in the season we saw flamingos! We also enjoyed seeing the other birds in the area and our stop at the Mayan bath. Jair, our guide, shared his photos of us and also some close up photos of the flamingos. The time at the beach afterwards was relaxing. Thanks, Jair!
What a day..
Maike M,
Apr 10, 2025
- Viator
5.00
The day was amazing! Our driver Tony made sure that we arrived and came back safely. And our guide Raul made this trip very special. Two lovely people! The highlight was of course seeing the flamingos. The food in the restaurant was also great. The time in the mangroves could have been a bit longer though but all in all a memorable day!