Los Petenes-Ría Celestún

I am quite surprised that there are no reviews about this delightful place, and only a small number of community members have explored this popular tourist spot that is easily accessible. Our visit coincided with our journey from another WHS, Campeche, to Merida. The main roads in Yucatan are modern and well-maintained. We covered two-thirds of the journey on the highway and the rest through picturesque villages, encountering only one police check. Such moments in Mexico can be nerve-wracking, given past experiences of being asked for bribes by the police for unknown and irrelevant reasons. Nevertheless, we reached the boat departure area, Parador Turístico Flamingos Boating Celestún, located just 5 minutes inland from the main beach, without any issues.

Here, the boat fee is per boat, not per person, accommodating up to 6 people despite having 8 seats. The recent increase in boat prices to 3000 pesos + tax from 2400 pesos is noteworthy. We observed groups of fewer than 4-5 people waiting by the ticket booth to form larger groups and reduce the cost per person. Joining forces with a couple from Houston, we formed a group of 4.5, including my 3-year-old daughter. We were informed of a swimming option at the end of the tour, prompting us to change into swimsuits. We even brought our daughter's floaties with us. The facility provides amenities such as toilets, showers, and a restaurant.

The 1.5-hour boat tour, including a short landing, began with sightings of crocodiles and pelicans. Surprisingly, …

I visited Los Petenes-Ría Celestún during a trip to Yucatán in November 2023. The Reserva de la Biosfera Ría Celestún and the Reserva de la Biósfera Los Petenes cover the north-western part of the Yucatán peninsula, straddling the states of Yucatán and Campeche. The easiest point of access is the village of Celestún. It is possible to stay overnight, but a day trip may be sufficient.

In addition to private cars, there are several ways to get there, with Mérida being the most convenient starting point. Most of the city's tour operators and hotels offer excursions to Celestún. In November, this package cost MXN$1,650 per person and included transport to Celestún, boat trip, guide, and dinner, departing at 8AM and returning at 4:30PM. It is also possible to reach the village by public transport. Buses supposedly depart from Terminal Oriente. Departures were posted on the wall, but no one was at the counter when we tried to get information. Most of these buses would make a detour via Hunucmá, taking over three hours to reach their destination. So we opted for a collectivo. However, we had trouble finding the stop (it's here: 20.961635140864207, -89.61616133941756) and the timetable wasn't really respected. So we waited for the van to fill up, and were at our destination in just over two hours.

Celestún's main attraction is the boat trip through the mangroves and lagoon. It is possible to start from the beach, but the boat captains then must make a detour …