Here at Barrio Vivo we absolutely love sunsets. But let’s be honest, who doesn’t love staring at the colorful sky getting on fire and waiting for the sun to disappear under the horizon?
Someone once said: “never waste any amount of time doing anything important when there is a sunset outside that you should be sitting under”. Although it’s of course not always possible to stop doing whatever you are doing and enjoy every sunset, we always try to take the time to look at the sky when the sun goes down.
There are many beautiful sunset spots around Mérida. In general, all the coast is great to watch the sunset but we have 5 spots we always love to go to enjoy our favorite part of the day. Every place is the perfect destination for a day trip, easy to reach and not too far from the city.
1. San Crisanto
San Crisanto is a little beach town located 80 kilometers North-East from Mérida. It’s the perfect destination for relaxing and appreciating nature. It offers white-sand beaches, an infinity of picture-perfect palm trees, mangrove swamps and pretty water holes. Before getting to the town, on your left-hand side, you will find a camping site called Zac-Ha. Here you can decide to spend the night camping ($100 MXN) or to just spend the day ($50 MXN). The place has bathrooms and showers. The sand here is incredibly white, the water is clear and the palm trees make everything looks like a postcard. There is a little Baywatch tower that offers a great view and makes it a great spot to enjoy the sunset and take amazing pictures.
2. El Playón de Chuburná
50 kilometers North-West from Mérida, you will find a place called El Playón de Chuburná. It’s where the road ends and allows the ocean to enter the surrounding mangrove swamps. It’s a popular place for sunset and there is no need to explain why. The landscape is unbelievable and the fact that you are surrounded by water makes it very special. From here you can visit waterholes and explore the mangroves by boat. Just ask the fishermen on the beach and they are gonna be more than happy to take you around for a small amount of money. A little adventure before enjoying a beautiful sunset. This definitely sounds like a perfect plan.
3. Sisal
Sisal is a small fishing port located 55 kilometers North-West from Mérida. It is known for its white-sand beaches, blue waters, beautiful reef and mangroves. Here you can enjoy many different activities, from kayaking through the mangrove to diving and snorkeling on the reef (there are also sunken ships and cannons). Birdwatching and horse riding are other popular activities in Sisal, not to mention the great seafood restaurants right on the beach. After a great day of adventure, head to the pier and get ready to enjoy a beautiful sunset. This is a perfect spot to feel the breeze coming from the ocean and appreciate the beauty of the place.
4. Celestún
Celestún is a remote fishing village located 90 kilometers West from Mérida. The place is home to secluded beaches and it’s the gateway to the Celestún Biosphere Reserve, which has large flocks of flamingos and other birds like herons and pelicans. The main activity here is to take a boat tour into the reserve to appreciate the beautiful flora and fauna and get closer to the flamingos. The beauty of these animals will leave you speechless! Celestún is a special place and the perfect destination for a day trip surrounded by nature. It gets even better at sunset, when the sun puts on its show before disappearing.
5. Telchac Puerto
Telchac Puerto is another little beach town located right before getting to San Crisanto (only 10 minutes by car before the camping spot). It’s a very relaxing place where you can lay on the beach and read your favorite book. There are a lot of good seafood restaurants right on the beach where you can taste amazing ceviches, tasty fish fillets, prawns and yummy octopus. After a delicious meal, walk to the pier and relax in front of a beautiful sunset.
Sunsets are a great way to end the day. Make sure you stay enough time to appreciate where you are. Don’t rush and stay until the sun is gone, sunsets are too pretty to be missed!
