Costa Ballena. Osa, South Pacific, Costa Rica
A World of Light and Color!
Costa Ballena is the place where the forest meets the South Pacific Ocean in the Osa Canton. It comprises the area from the Barú River, crossing the bridge at Dominical all the way to the mouth of Térraba River in Coronado. The following small towns belong to the area: Dominical – Dominicalito – Hermosa Beach – San Josecito – Uvita - Bahía – La Union – Ballena – Ojochal – Punta Mala and Coronado.

Costa Ballena Map
How to get to Costa Ballena?
From San José, take Route 27 towards Orotina, pay attention to the exit to Jaco – Tárcoles, carry on to Parrita and Quepos, and follow the new Coastal Highway (Route 34) to Dominical. Travel time: about 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Alternatively, from San José, take Cerro de la Muerte (Route 2), to San Isidro and then take route 234 to Dominical. Travel time: about 4 hours and 30 minutes.
From Palmar go North on the Coastal Highway.
Nearest airports: Quepos and Palmar Sur.
TRACOPA buses, on their way from San José to the Panamanian border, make a stop in Uvita. Travel time: about 3 hours 30 minutes.
Visit Marino Ballena,National Park. The famous Whale’s Tail is located at Playa Uvita with a length of about 2296 feet and a width of 820 feet, it is the world’s largest sandbank. During the low tide, you can walk to its very end.
The Park is open from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm every day, the entrance fee is CRC 1000 for nationals or residents and $ 6 for foreigners. THIS ENTRANCE ALLOWS YOU TO VISIT ALL PARK BEACHES ON THE SAME DAY.
The park is fortunate to receive two annual migrations of whales, the Humpback Whale of the North visits the South Pacific Coast from December to March and the humpback whale of the South begins migration in July which ends in October.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A WHALE-WATCHING TOUR? Please check >>>
Find here the information about South Pacific Costa Rica tides chart >>>

Costa Ballena
Tara: A Sirena Saving Lives
Tara had just finished surfing at Dominical and was watching the waves and the sunset. It was after 5 p.m. and the lifeguards had already headed home for the day. Suddenly she noticed two people […]
Beth Sylver: The Lifeguards’ Ambassador
Costa Ballena has come to greatly appreciate Beth Sylver´s dedicated input to improving the circumstances of the Guardavidas Costa Ballena Lifeguards. Beth and her husband, Gene, are from California where they used to produce fine […]
The Safest place in Costa Rica
Costa Ballena is growing and with that comes a need for greater community security and essential services. Because development and infrastructure take time, it falls on the community itself to meet the most urgent needs. […]
Surf: 8th Annual Dominical Semana Santa Classic
Once you have crossed the bridge of the Barú River, you have arrived at Dominical, a small coastal city where three regions are coming together: the Central Pacific, Pérez Zeledón and the South Pacific. Every […]
El Camino de Costa Rica
What began as a personal challenge recently became a record setting milestone for Lagunas resident Caryn Steele. After hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain last year, Caryn decided to attempt the recently established El […]
DAWG: The Legacy Continues
Many who have lived in the Costa Ballena area knew Shawnell Parker as the “visible face” of DAWG for over 11 years and her tireless efforts made DAWG an important part of the Costa Ballena […]
Environment: Shark Secrets
The Isla del Caño Biological Reserve is one of the most biodiverse environments in the South Pacific of Costa Rica. it offers refuge to sharks and rays such as the white tip shark (Triaenodon obesus), […]
Botanica Landscape Service: “Your Garden, Our Passion”
Brimming with plant life, the Ballena Coast of Costa Rica is where you come to restore and refresh. You’ll find it easy to get lost in the moment when surrounded by this much beauty. Your […]
“OUT OF THE BLUE” Sings your Favorite Song!
When Scott Stephens founded Liquid Blue in 1996, his first hire was guitarist Michael Vangerov, who had recently departed from Elektra recording artist Chain Reaction. What started as a four-piece San Diego bar band grew […]
Vitamin C Megadosis
The hypothesis of the use of vitamin C for cancer treatment arose for the first time in the 50s. This therapy with high doses of intravenous vitamin C, came to be revealed at the end […]
Sanctuary Playa Tortuga
It is perhaps the most emblematic beach of the southern communities of Costa Ballena. It has a most dramatic appearance due to the particular mouth of the Térraba, Tortuga and Balsa rivers in its frontal […]
Plaza Tangara: A Place to Enjoy in Ojochal
Plaza Tangara, at the entrance of Ojochal, was built with passion. It is a small gem with its green courtyard and colorful benches, hinting for you to stay.
Birdwatching Cotingas Species: From White to Blue
Among the beautiful birds in Costa Rica, the cotingas deserve the name of South Pacific jewels. Their name derives from the term tupí-guaraní Catingá which was used to refer to the birds that by their […]
Envision Experience: Four Unforgettable Days
Six months ago I left my home country, Germany, to discover Central America. My journey started in Costa Rica with an internship at the Ballena Tales Magazine where I worked for 3 months. After that […]
Art and Culture: La casa del Artista
For me, art is the way to get to know oneself, by self observation to access a higher level of consciousness where being no longer occurs, nor is it carried from here to there by […]
What to do, Where to eat and Where to stay…
South Pacific Costa Rica Beaches, Marino Ballena National Park
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Email: carlos@ballenatales.com
Phone: +(506) 8946 7134
