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CELESTUN |
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CELESTÚN , at the end of a sandbar on the peninsula's northwest
coast, would be little more than a one-boat fishing village were it not
for its amazing bird-filled lagoon that boasts a large flock of
flamingos. To see them - as well as the blue-winged teals and shovellers
that migrate here in the winter to take advantage of the plentiful fish
in these warm, shallow waters - rent one of the boats from the bridge on
the main road into Celestún. Get the bus driver to drop you off, as it's
a twenty-minute walk from the main square. The landing and docking stage
for the boats out to the lagoon, situated just below the bridge, is now
run by Cultur and you'll need to purchase a group ticket (US$36) from
the ticket booth and then individual tickets (US$2, max six people per
boat) for a 75-minute tour. Bring your bathers with you as you may get
the chance to swim in the rich red waters among the mangroves.
Alternatively you could take a longer trip, which takes in seven
different ecological sites of interest (2hr 30min-3hr 30 min; US$15 per
person) from Celestún's beach with local guide Filiberto Couoh Cavich (known
as Ruso) - ask at the Restaurant Celestun .
Nominally protected by inclusion in the 600-square-mile Celestún Natural
Park , the flamingos are nevertheless harassed by boats approaching too
close in order to give visitors a spectacular flying display, disturbing
the birds' feeding. Try to make it clear to your boatman that you don't
wish to interrupt the birds' natural behaviour; you will still get good
photos from a respectable distance.
There are first-class buses from Mérida for Celestún every two hours
from the Came. Second-class services, which also stop at Sisal, leave
from the terminal on C 50, corner of C 67. There are half a dozen places
to stay in the village: the Hotel Gutiérrez , C 12 no. 107 (tel
9/916-0419; US$15-25), which has some a/c rooms; the Hotel Maria Carmen
, C 12 no. 111 (tel 9/916-2043; US$15-25); and Hospedaje Sofia (no phone;
US$10-15), are all fine. Seven kilometres north of the town is a remote
ecolodge, Eco Paraiso (tel 9/916-2100, fax 916-2111,
www.differentworld.com ; more than US$100) with elegant cabañas and
miles of deserted beach.
Several seafood restaurants can be found on the dusty main street and on
the beach - the ceviche in Celestún is invariably good - and there's
also a market, a bakery, a bank and a filling station.
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