Celestún is a town in Yucatán. It is located in the northwest corner of the state, just north of the border with the state of Campeche, on the Gulf of Mexico. In 2000, it had a population of just under 6,000 people; however, the population swells to 10,000 during the octopus hunting season.

Celestun means "painted stone". It is a picturesque coastal traffic port, with a revolving reflector lighthouse, 12 meters high, signaling 4 intermittent flashes. Its inhabitants, about 4,600, still preserve the traditions and folklore of the Mayan fisher folk.

On July 19th, 1979, the Federal Government decreed the Celestun Wildlife Refuge. Because of its importance as the main feeding area for the American Flamingo and countless species of waterfowl and shorebirds its status was upgraded to that of a Special Biosphere Reserve in 1989. 

Celestun's ecosystem is unique because of a combination of fresh water from the estuary and salt water from Gulf of Mexico.