Ria Celestun Biosphere Reserve
Ria Celestun Biosphere Reserve
4.5
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Duration: 1-2 hours
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- Arthur KGlasgow, United Kingdom85 contributionsBoat trip from the new Reserve visitor areaWe pitched up in the morning at the new visitor area and were met by our guide Albert who pulled in another couple to share the boat. Albert was a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide, and talked us through the beautiful wildlife on the reserve. We dipped through the mangrove swamp, and saw flamingoes (although truth be told the best view of flamingoes is from the birdwatching spot on the edge of town). A great tripVisited November 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 9 November 2023
- Karin M15 contributionsA must if you visit YucatánWe had a great time at Ria Celestun. It is well organized and the guides know their way through. It was a good time of the year to find flamingos, we saw lots of them, along with crocodiles and other beautiful birds. Loved it !!!Visited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 3 January 2024
- Joe and Amy TaylorBeaufort, South Carolina47 contributionsA Flamboyance of Flamingos---A natural treasure---Peace on EarthLike many others we came to see the flamingos. The adventure started as soon as we met 2 other couples from Europe who wanted to share the cost of renting a boat and guide to see the mangroves. There were literally thousands of flamingos. And there was so much more natural beauty to see.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 20 February 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.5
368 reviews
Excellent
263
Very good
56
Average
32
Poor
6
Terrible
11
Claire L
5 contributions
Mar 2021 • Couples
Check the times of the year where the most flamingos are out! It may not be worth the trip otherwise. Also, go early!!! We went about 3:30 pm and it was too late to be able to see the most flamingos. We still saw about 20 though. Wait for more people (6) to fill the boat to pay 300 pesos each instead of 1800 for the boat. Our tour guide sucked pretty hard and we could barely get him to answer questions. Overall the tour was overpriced for what we experienced and the ‘tour’ was underwhelming (it was a boat ride. He MAYBE said 30 words). We did let the ticket office know that he didn’t give us a tour and they are supposed to!
Could be a cool experience if all the factors and guide are right.
Could be a cool experience if all the factors and guide are right.
Written 23 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roy H
Kansas City, MO159 contributions
Jan 2020
This was a great excursion that was a blast. We booked this after the excursion the previous day was canceled due to rough seas and wind and were glad we did. Our driver, Manuel, and our tour guide, Misael, were awesome. We saw crocodiles in the wild and thousands of wild flamingos from our boat. They split the tours up into boats with only six passengers, making it much easier to see and take photos. The food wasn't bad and the beach was decent. It is a 1.5 - 2 hour bus ride each way, but the scenery was cool. Misael was a local and knew his stuff about the region. Highly recommended for bird and wildlife lovers.
Written 11 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pemex
Minneapolis, MN129 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
Started boat tour from the end of the causeway that crosses the Ría Celestún. Price was $2,400 MX pesos (today is February 27, 2023) per BOAT. Check the tides. Too low and boats cannot get as close to the birds. Too high, and birds may or may not be feeding. Our ride was just right! We had a great time observing about 6,000 to 7,000 flamingos. Amazing to see and hear. The boys were looking to find mates. Also spotted other typical species such as Roseate Spoonbill and Boat-bill Heron. Our guide was amazing wealth of information but in Spanish only. A great day on the River. Highly recommend if you depart at the right time of year and right time of day.
Written 27 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joe and Amy Taylor
Beaufort, SC47 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
Like many others we came to see the flamingos. The adventure started as soon as we met 2 other couples from Europe who wanted to share the cost of renting a boat and guide to see the mangroves. There were literally thousands of flamingos. And there was so much more natural beauty to see.
Written 20 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kami
44 contributions
Jan 2021
As of January 18th, 2021 the water is soo low you cannot get within view of the few flamingos that are way off in the distance.
We arrived and parked next to the Celestun sign in the middle of town. We were approached by a man regarding taking a private tour. It cost @ 1500 pesos for a private tour with 4 people. The beach is about two blocks from there, so easy enough to get a tour.
It definitely would have been great to get up closer to the few flamingos that were there. Bring binoculars!
The beach was beautiful, clean and hardly any people there. There are a few restaurants where you can get the fresh catch of the day.
We arrived and parked next to the Celestun sign in the middle of town. We were approached by a man regarding taking a private tour. It cost @ 1500 pesos for a private tour with 4 people. The beach is about two blocks from there, so easy enough to get a tour.
It definitely would have been great to get up closer to the few flamingos that were there. Bring binoculars!
The beach was beautiful, clean and hardly any people there. There are a few restaurants where you can get the fresh catch of the day.
Written 21 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bill H
San Jose, CA209 contributions
Jan 2022 • Family
The boat tour of the Biosphere Reserve was the highlight of the recent trip I took to the Yucatán peninsula with members of my family. It was a once in a lifetime experience. Well, unless you go do it again. It’s not really that hard.
Anyway, the boat tours leave from the dock just before the entrance into Celestún. They’ll take you out to see, during the winter months, 1000’s of flamingos feeding in the inlet. After that they’ll take you through a beautiful channel in the mangroves, where you can disembark and walk a short elevated walk to see burbling freshwater springs, learn how to identify the 3 main types of mangrove species, and learn low biodegraded foliage emits tannins into the water, possibly causing the Greater American Flamingo to be the rosiest pink of all the Flamingo species.
Alberto was a passionate and knowledgeable guide, his enthusiasm for the Reserve was contagious. It’s really a remarkable place, and I would say one of the best short ecological tours I have done.
Anyway, the boat tours leave from the dock just before the entrance into Celestún. They’ll take you out to see, during the winter months, 1000’s of flamingos feeding in the inlet. After that they’ll take you through a beautiful channel in the mangroves, where you can disembark and walk a short elevated walk to see burbling freshwater springs, learn how to identify the 3 main types of mangrove species, and learn low biodegraded foliage emits tannins into the water, possibly causing the Greater American Flamingo to be the rosiest pink of all the Flamingo species.
Alberto was a passionate and knowledgeable guide, his enthusiasm for the Reserve was contagious. It’s really a remarkable place, and I would say one of the best short ecological tours I have done.
Written 30 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arthur K
Glasgow, UK85 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
We pitched up in the morning at the new visitor area and were met by our guide Albert who pulled in another couple to share the boat. Albert was a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide, and talked us through the beautiful wildlife on the reserve. We dipped through the mangrove swamp, and saw flamingoes (although truth be told the best view of flamingoes is from the birdwatching spot on the edge of town). A great trip
Written 9 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adam N
9 contributions
June 2022 • Couples
You are paying for the boat, not the person. Therefore, it is worth paying for the boat together with other tourists. Cost for the boat: 1900 MXN. Make sure to take binoculars with you! Boats are far away from flamingos, binoculars are a big help. Apart from the group of flamingos, you probably won't see any other animals. But you will see beautiful mangroves. Duration of the tour: approximately 90 minutes.
Written 24 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Segev H
Mexico City, Mexico85 contributions
Dec 2019
We took a boat under the bridge (left side of the road from Merida, right after crossing the bridge). 1,800 pesos for 6 persons boat. more than 2 hours tour.
we saw 4 groups of flamingos resting and some other flying. indeed beautiful scene. total were round 500. the tunnel crossing is interesting and well as the waterhole.
best time to arrive- afternoon, when the flamingos camming back from delta. (we arrived in the morning).
after that we entered the village of celestun and stayed on the beach. mostly recommended (instead of progreso for example).
we saw 4 groups of flamingos resting and some other flying. indeed beautiful scene. total were round 500. the tunnel crossing is interesting and well as the waterhole.
best time to arrive- afternoon, when the flamingos camming back from delta. (we arrived in the morning).
after that we entered the village of celestun and stayed on the beach. mostly recommended (instead of progreso for example).
Written 1 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike G
Providence, RI5,586 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
We did the motor boat tour of the flamingos and did a poled “ecco” tour of the mangroves in a “canoe “ (there is also a kayak version). But we could not find overall information on the reserve e.g. some sort of trail map. There is no information center to provide an orientation. It is almost as if the locals prefer to keep access under their control. The place could use some good PR.
Written 6 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Todos los días organizan tours en lanchas que salen desde la playa y la reserva.
Written 6 January 2020
Hola que tal? Me gustaria saber si en Celestún hay algun sitio de camping y de ser así un costo aproximado, viajare en septiembre muchas gracias.
Written 24 August 2019
No sé si hay sitio para acampar. Hay en el pueblo varios hoteles pequeños.
Written 25 August 2019
ciao,
un'informazione: ci sono orari precisi per le escursioni?
grazie
Written 6 March 2019
Ciao, noi siamo partiti dalla spiaggia al mattino tardi (mi pare si possa partire anche dal porticciolo all' inizio paese) e organizzavano le barche in base agli arrivi delle persone Noi abbiamo optato per uscire noi 5 Ovviamente se arrivi tardi può essere he devi attendere he qualcuno rientri o accontentare di quello che rimane
Written 6 March 2019
Hola, quisiera saber que me recomiendan para conocer Celestun o Rio Lagartos? Viajo los primero días de Noviembre y la idea es pasar una noche en el lugar y todo un día, queremos ver los flamencos y manglares, pero también quiero saber hacia donde sería más provechoso el viaje, osea donde podemos conocer más cosas. De antemano gracias y si tuvieran datos de guías en ambos lugares que nos recomienden estaría de lujo! Gracias
Written 30 August 2018
Ambos sitios están opuestos. Río lagartos igual que Celestún tiene recorrido a manglares por el mar, cerca de Río Lagartos están Las Coloradas, salineras conocidas por su color rosa. Cualquiera de los dos destinos es recomendable. Si te hospedas es Mérida tu hotel puede darte opciones de agencias que te llevan y traen a ambos sitios. Si traes auto Celestún tiene mejor carretera. Hacia Río Lagartos es un poco estrecha y cansada para ir y regresar el mismo día.
Written 31 August 2018
may i ask when you where in celestun and how many flamingos did you see?
we will be there in mid-August but we are still deciding if it's better celestun or rio lagartos...
thanks!
Written 1 August 2018
Tara D
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Do people swim in the cenote? I'm not seeing any pictures... I am very interested in the birds, but would love to check "cenote" off my to-do list as well...
Written 27 February 2018
When we went last month all th holes but one had lots of swimmers and quite honestly the water looked murky. If you want to see birds do'nt bother going. There are so many humans on the paths-you can't go off path by the way - that there are very few birds. You will see more onthe adjacent mud flats.
Written 27 February 2018
rweiler
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Can anyone tell me how fast the boats go and how rough the waters are? We are four people and two that get a bit seasick if the waters choppy... thanks!
Written 13 February 2018
The water was very calm the day we were there and it is very shallow. The waters are protected which is why the wildlife congregates in this area. Let the guide know your concerns and I am sure they will accommodate you.
Written 13 February 2018
Hello! I will be travelling to Mérida next week with my family (two little kids included). Would this boat ride be appropriate for them? Is it likely we will see flamingos at this time of year?
Written 30 December 2017
I’m not sure of the date you posted this question, but yes it is a great excursion for kids. My husband and I took our 2 year old and 12 year old today (October 26, 2018) and we totally enjoyed the experience. The season to see Flamingos is from December to February. The bioreserve is beautiful. Did not see many Flamingos, but plenty of other types of birds: A variety of cranes, fishing eagles, seagulls, cormorants, storks. Also crocodiles. The boat ride was great, the water was tranquil and a smooth ride (the 1.5 round trip was in a protected inlet).
Our guide was very knowledgeable about the different variety of birds and would point them out to us along the way, as well as tell us about the habit and the mangroves.
Written 26 October 2018
maia_krsrd
Merida, Mexico
Hola!! This may be a long shot, but does anyone know if Celestun is dog friendly?? As in the boat rides to see the flamingos and the beach? Thank you!
Written 28 December 2017
I would not think so! Dogs are predators and would spook the wildlife you are going to Celestun to see. Harassing the wild flamingoes is not cool.
Written 11 February 2018
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