The south Pacific coast where the whales come twice a year. Uvita's Marino Ballena park and its Whale's Tail sandbar, Dominical's surf, and Ojochal's international kitchens, backed by a deep expat community of trades and services.
Costa Ballena is the stretch of south Pacific coast where humpback whales come to calve, and the national park at Uvita is named for them: at low tide a sandbar called the Whale's Tail reaches out from the beach in the exact shape of a humpback's fluke. The three towns string along about 20 km of coast highway, with Dominical's surf to the north, Uvita and Marino Ballena park in the middle, and Ojochal's restaurants to the south.
The coast rewards a slower trip than the day-trippers give it. Mornings are for the beach or a waterfall hike, afternoons for the park or a whale tour in season, and evenings for Ojochal's kitchens, and a deep expat community of trades and services means you can settle in for a week without trouble. It is greener and quieter than the central Pacific resorts to the north, which is the point.
From San José it is about 4 hours by car or shuttle down Highway 34, the Costanera Sur, which is paved and runs straight through Dominical, Uvita, and Ojochal. The quicker option is a short Sansa flight to Palmar Sur, about 40 minutes south of Uvita, then a transfer. A car helps once you arrive: the towns are spread over about 20 km of highway, and the side roads to the beaches, Ojochal, and the waterfalls are steep and often need 4x4.
The coast has two humpback whale seasons. Southern-hemisphere humpbacks are here from roughly July to November, with August to October the peak and the reason the whale festival falls in September, and a shorter northern season runs December to March. The dry season is December to April; the green season from May to November is lush and quieter, with afternoon rain heaviest in September and October.
Town guides with feria days, festivals, and local listings. Full feria calendar.
A map and checklist of every beach along this coast. Beach guide.
Boutique hotels, jungle lodges, hostels, and private villas, verified and current. See all 38.
Featured
Uvita
A boutique property of five private villas, each with a personal infinity pool or jacuzzi and panoramic views of the Pacific and the Whale's Tail. The on-site restaurant focuses on plant-based and organic cuisine sourced partly from the property's own gardens. Wellness retreats, yoga, and waterfall trails are available on site.
Uvita
A boutique hotel in Uvita with an outdoor pool, garden terrace, and air-conditioned rooms, about 2 km from Uvita Beach and within walking distance of the village. Booking is available through the property's own site as well as major platforms.
Ojochal
Small boutique hotel perched in the mountains above Ojochal with five ocean-view rooms. The property markets itself as a romantic, adults-oriented getaway and takes reservations directly by phone or WhatsApp.
Fine dining, beach bars, local sodas, and cafes worth your time. See all 46.
Ojochal
Ocean-view restaurant inside El Castillo Hotel on Calle Perezoso in Ojochal, serving Mediterranean and South American cuisine. The menu ranges from bocas and ceviche to seafood paella, with a Thursday pizza night of pies cooked on the grill. The terrace is a known sunset spot.
Uvita
A gelato shop and bakery in Uvita using natural, organic ingredients, with dairy-free gelato flavors and sugar-free treats sweetened with fruit. The carrot cake is a standout item alongside a rotating gelato selection that includes vegan flavors.
Uvita
Ballena Bistro sits at kilometer 169 on the Costanera Sur, between Uvita and Ojochal, serving a modern fusion menu built on farm-to-table ingredients. Closed Mondays, it holds a 4.9 rating on TripAdvisor from nearly 300 reviews.
Park guides, catamarans, sportfishing, ziplines, rafting, and more. See all 48.
Dominical
Non-profit wildlife rescue center between Dominical and Uvita, adjacent to the Savegre Biosphere Reserve and the Paso de la Danta biological corridor connecting the coast to the Osa Peninsula. Alturas has rescued roughly 210 species of native Costa Rican wildlife and runs guided tours, internships and volunteer programs alongside its rehabilitation work.
Dominical
An ATV tour operator based in Dominical, offering a full-day guided ride to Eco Chontales Waterfall through jungle terrain. The tour includes bilingual guides, all safety equipment, and a traditional Costa Rican lunch with countryside views. Duration is 4 to 5 hours.
Uvita
A Costa Rican-owned, CST-certified marine tour operator in Bahia Ballena, running humpback whale and dolphin tours inside Marino Ballena National Park since 2007. The same team also runs Cano Island snorkeling, Terraba-Sierpe mangrove kayak and wildlife trips, offshore and inshore sportfishing, and guided night and birding walks. Two whale seasons, July to October and late December to February, bring humpbacks from both hemispheres.
Transport, property management, concierge, chefs, spas, and practical help. See all 93.
Featured
Manuel Antonio
Private chef service from Chef Eddie Cambronero, cooking world cuisine rooted in Costa Rican tradition for villa stays, celebrations, and family dinners. He serves the Manuel Antonio, Esterillos, Dominical, Uvita, and Ojochal corridor, and also hosts intimate dinners at his own home in Portasol. Signature plates run from an elevated casado to tom kha pasta and chicken piccata, built on fresh local ingredients.
Dominical
A public and private accounting firm in Dominical, run by Lic. Mauro Esquivel at the main entrance to Dominical next to Cafe Delicias. Services include general and hospitality accounting, outsourced bookkeeping, tax and financial advisory, external audits, cash flow analysis, and financial statements.
Uvita
The Uvita branch of Costa Rica's largest locally owned rental company, across from Supermercado BM on the main road, open daily 8 am to 5 pm. The fleet runs from compacts to 4x4s, and a US and Canada toll-free line handles advance reservations.
Yoga studios, spas, and wellness in Costa Ballena.
Uvita
Yoga shala 380 meters west of the BCR bank in central Uvita, offering daily drop-in Hatha classes and RYT200 yoga teacher training retreats. Owner Katherine leads classes with a focus on inclusion and holistic wellbeing alongside a yoga therapy and psychotherapy practice.
Uvita
Two-story open-air yoga studio at the Bodhi Surf + Yoga lodge in Bahia Ballena, offering daily Vinyasa Flow classes for guests and drop-ins alongside combined surf-and-yoga camps. The platform seats up to 15 students and looks out over the property's pool and creek.
Dominical
A full-service day spa in Dominical at Plaza Pacifica, offering deep tissue, hot stone, lomi lomi, bamboo, couples, and pregnancy massage alongside facials, body scrubs, manicures, and pedicures. Package days combine multiple treatments over three hours or more.
Uvita
A long-established spa in Uvita offering massage, facial, and aesthetic treatments with in-office and in-home options. It has operated for over 20 years, making it one of the oldest dedicated wellness businesses in the area. Massage sessions start around 50 dollars.
Ojochal
A therapeutic massage studio in Ojochal with a certified therapist offering deep tissue, volcanic stone, bamboo, and cocoa body wraps. Sessions run 60 to 95 minutes, and mobile sessions and couples massage are available on request.
Uvita
In-home massage service based in Uvita de Osa that sends certified therapists to hotels, villas and rentals across Uvita, Ojochal and Dominical. Founded by Gabriela Villegas, the company offers Swedish, deep tissue, Lomi Lomi and hot stone massage along with facials and wedding or bachelorette group packages.
September 4, 2026 to September 6, 2026 · Marino Ballena National Park, Uvita
Coastal festival in Marino Ballena National Park during humpback whale season, pairing whale-watching boat tours with live music, food, and crafts.
Annual, late February into early March · Uvita
A multi-day music, art, and sustainability festival on the jungle coast near Uvita. The 2027 dates are not yet announced.
More on the Costa Rica events page.
Banks, ATMs, and medical help in Costa Ballena, checked against live sources.
State bank with an ATM dispensing dollars and colones; the main full-service branch on the coast.
State bank branch with on-site ATMs. Phone is the national call center, not a direct branch line.
Savings-and-credit cooperative with ATMs. Phone is the cooperative's main line in San Isidro.
Standalone Banco de Costa Rica ATM; the main cash point in Dominical, which has no full bank branch.
Public CCSS hospital for the Osa canton; the nearest hospital and where Red Cross 911 ambulances bring patients from the Costa Ballena coast.
English-speaking private urgent care with on-site doctors and both land and air ambulance service. WhatsApp +506 8732 5555.
Private clinic with X-ray, ultrasound, medical specialties, and a 24/7 4x4 ambulance. Phone is the central hotline and WhatsApp line.
Full-service pharmacy that can advise on and prescribe for minor issues. WhatsApp +506 8612 8000.
Pharmacy open seven days a week, including Sunday afternoons.
In an emergency, dial 911. See the full emergency numbers page.