Celestún

Celestún is a fishing town in the far northwest corner of Yucatán, near the border with Campeche, on a narrow strip of land between the Gulf of Mexico and a long estuary, the Ría Celestún. The estuary and its surroundings form a biosphere reserve and one of the most important wetlands in Mexico, and Celestún is the main feeding ground for American flamingos in the region.

Boat trips run by local cooperatives leave from the bridge at the entrance to town and head up the estuary to where the flamingos gather in the shallows, often in flocks of hundreds, their numbers changing through the year. The boats also enter tunnels of mangroves, stop at freshwater springs such as Baldiosera where you can swim, and pass the "petrified forest," a stretch of dead, bleached trees killed by salt water that looks unreal in the sun. Around 95 resident and 75 migratory bird species have been recorded in the reserve.

The town itself has a long, wide beach lined with seafood restaurants, and it is a good place for fried fish, ceviche and crab after the boat ride.