some of the flamingos in Celestun are bright orange
Rio Lagartos is not the only place to see flamingos. In February and March the largest concentration is in the lagunas around Celestun, a small fishing village on the northwestern tip of the Yucatan peninsula. The concept is the same: rent a small boat, and tour the water for 1,5 a 2 hours, mostly at high speed. Except that here things are much more touristic, and far better organised with a central ticket office, so the boat cost us more than twice as much.
We are early, only the third boat to leave, but soon, many more appear, all on their way to the area where the flamingos have gathered. And indeed, there are many more here than in Rio Largartos: especially when the sun comes out, another fabulous spectacle.
The flamingos is really the big thing. Lots of them, dancing, feeding, quietly enjoying themselves, it seems (see video below). As for other birds, we see a lot less of them than on our earlier lagoon trip, although a group of the pink spoonbills are a nice surprise. The best part is kept for the end, when we turn – again at high speed – into a little canal through the mangroves, where thankfully our boat driver does slow down, and we enjoy a kind of magical tour in between and just underneath the encroaching trees (see the other video, below).
the main attraction in Celestun, large flocks of flamingos
always a funny sight, with their long necks
quite nice flying, too
or like this one, showing all he or she has in full flight
once more, flamingos, against the early morning sun
these are a group of pink hornbills
quite interesting birds, as well
and there is always a fish eagle present, somewhere
the channel through the mangroves, see also the video!
and in the middle of nowhere, another cenote
paradise for cormorants
who frequent the water, so to speak
and need time to dry, afterwards
The trip ends with a visit to a cenote, deep inside the mangrove forest, where we get off the boat for a little stroll across the board walk. Altogether a nice little trip – it is always fun to be on a boat and see the world from the water.
Subsequently we spent most the day like most of people do here. We arrested a table in a beach restaurant, ate a copious fish lunch, dipped in the sea a little, and got badly burned on the beach chairs. There are worse ways to spent your Saturday, wouldn’t you think?
and the jetty, almost abandoned
except for the more fanatic fishermen
and the occasional pelican family
some in all sorts of positions to most comfortably scratch
