Celestun
Full day Birding Tour
For attendees who wish to enjoy a short-distance birding experience with opportunities to observe a wide variety of representative regional species, we offer three full-day tour options: Chichén Itzá and its surroundings, Celestún, or the Puuc Route and Uxmal. These tours can be scheduled either before or after the congress, depending on each attendee’s arrival or departure date..
Celestun
Celestún, located about an hour from Mérida, is known for its beautiful landscapes, boat tours, and proximity to the Biosphere Reserve, which hosts an impressive diversity of bird species.
Celestun is a Biosphere Reserve located on the west coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. This is one of the most popular birding destinations for a single day departing from Merida. The mix of habitats and landscapes in the Celestun area promotes a great diversity of birds. Its mangrove ria is full of herons, cormorants, gulls, terns and of course the American Flamingo, we will explore this in a boat tour. Also, there is a lowland forest area and coastal dune where we can find other Yucatan Peninsula endemics and specialties.
We will depart from Merida one hour before sunrise. The first stop is great for many birds that aren't usually seen around Celestun town or the mangrove area. It is a road surrounded by a mix of habitats of grassland, secondary forest, and lowland forest with open areas, making it a place for several forest birds like the endemic Yucatan Jay, Yucatan Woodpecker, Yucatan Flycatcher, and the Orange Oriole; there are also great chances to see the Canivet's Emerald, Crested Caracara, Scrub Euphonia, and more.
We will then visit Celestun Town's surroundings. The main habitat of this area is coastal sand dune vegetation, with a mix of shrubs, agaves, cactus, and mangroves. This is the habitat of the endemic Yucatan Wren, Mexican Sheartail, and the Yucatan Gnatcatcher but we have chances to find other species from this type of habitat.
Price and Reservation
Includes:
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Guiding services
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Boat ride
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Transportation from hotel/congress venue to all spots and Drop-Off at Mérida hotel
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Box lunch and Water