Peter & Karen Pecksen

Celestún Day Trip

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peterpecksen
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Once we had settled in Mérida we had the good fortune to meet up with two other slow travelling couples and do a day trip to the coast to visit the town of Celestún.

Celestún does have decent beaches, but is probably best known for its flamingo population.
The locals have gotten together and run a cooperative tour company. They load groups of 6 into their repurposed fishing boats and take you on a 60 minute tour of the brackish lake on the edge of town.
I have to say, I think it is money well spent. We have been to see flamingos in a number of places but this is the closest we have ever gotten in the wild. These were very healthy looking and brilliantly coloured birds.
You have to forgive me the inflight photos. These birds just insisted on flying right by our boat repeatedly.
There was more than flamingos though. We stopped for a short walk on a boardwalk to see one of the springs that feed the lake. On the walk you couldn’t help but feel you were being watched. This Tiger Heron kept a close watch on us.
There were also Roseate Spoonbills.
Snowy Egrets
As well as plenty of Cormorants to keep us entertained.
The boat captain also took us through a tunnel in the mangrove which entirely surrounds this lake. The importance of these mangrove ecosystems simply cannot be overstated.
I always feel in awe when I get to be this close to the heartbeat of nature. Mangroves are just awesome.
These little fellows just add to their allure in my opinion.
After the boat ride we headed to the beach and enjoyed a tasty lunch with a view that is pretty hard to beat.
We wandered around the Celestún town plaza for a bit to do a bit of shopping before heading back to Mérida.
Can’t help myself. One last flamingo shot.

If you are ever in Mérida for more than a couple of days I would say the trip to Celestún is worth it. The beach and town are ok, but the tour around the lake is world class.

Comments

One response to “Celestún Day Trip”

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    Anonymous

    Great photos, you can never have enough flamingo shots!

    Reply

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