Celestun Biosphere Reserve Review

We just returned from the Voyager of the Seas 1/13 sailing, and we did a wonderful excursion from Progreso. We booked the Celestun Biosphere Reserve and Flamingo Nursery excursion thru the ship. It lasted about 7 hours.

We were met at the pier by Arturro, our guide for the day. There were 10 in our group, and we got into a large passenger van for the trip to the Celestun area. The ride to Celestun is about 1.50 hours, which is the only drawback of this tour; however, as we made our way past Merida and several small villages, our guide spoke about the history of the area which made the time go by quickly.

After arriving at the Celestun biosphere, we had a break for drinks, then onto the small 6 passenger boats that took us out onto the waterways. We saw hundreds of birds, mostly migratory birds that make their winter home here. We were provided with binoculars and a laminated card to identify the primary species of birds. Our guide pointed out all sorts of birds to us, not only on the water, but flying, as well as nesting in the trees along the water front.

The flamingos are the focal point of the tour! There are thousands of them! It really was a sight to see them, especially when they take off and fly.

On our way back to the dock area, the guide took us through the mangroves. There were lots of fish and birds in this area, as well as huge termite mounds. We even saw a large manta ray in the mangroves.

After the mangroves, you stop at a freshwater spring area, that you can swim in if you like. It is clear fresh water, with two underground springs. There were some small, pretty fish in the pools here, as well as many birds.

After about an hour and a half in the boats, we went back to the dock, where we were met by Arturro again. From here, we proceeded into the village where we had a wonderful seafood lunch at a beach front restaurant. The food was very fresh, with seafood soup and a delicious fish entree. Afterwards we walked down the beach and splashed in the ocean collecting shells. The water was very clear, and although it is on the gulf and not as clear as somewhere like Cozumel, it was definitely not dark and murky.

Then we headed back to the ship in the van. It was a wonderful day and I feel we got our $$ worth. We are not huge bird watchers or anything, but we do enjoy being outdoors. I would recommend this tour for nature lovers or anyone who wants an alternative to the typical ruins and beach break days that are offered at this port.

Thanks for taking time to post your review! We're considering this tour and found your review very helpful.

Thanks!

Paula - thanks for your detailed review!

Can you answer a few questions? Was it buggy on the boat tour? and do you have to have seafood at the lunch? We are considering this tour but two of our kids would much rather have a hamburger etc.

Thanks for your help.