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
Materials La Costa
by Dagmar Reinhard On July 1, 2015 Materials La Costa opened the doors to its new hardware store close to Ojochal. The new branch is one of six of the Materials Group founded in 1998, which […]
Hotel El Castillo
The Evolution of a Legend… by Scott Dinsmore Live the luxury evolution of El Castillo! The boutique hotel, satisfying its well-travelled clientele’s wishes, has made important renovations, posit-ioning it on the luxury hotel market. The […]
Tourist & Business Center
By Lani Colucci Leon and Lani Rome were looking for the perfect tropical place to semi retire and open a business. They explored many countries in Central America but could not agree on one. Costa Rica […]
The Lookout Hotel Coming to Life
By John Dinsmore Ojochal is a small village by the sea and has all the elements you would find in a touristy area. Fast becoming a year round gastronomical mecca, Ojochal is a welcoming, open-minded, […]
Bar & Restaurant Jolly Roger
The Jolly Roger Bar recently underwent a comprehensive reform: They added a 40m2 terrace and built a new bar of wood, metal and stainless steel.
There are more TV screens to watch sports events and more benches around the deck overlooking the forest and ocean. In Jolly Roger, where intentionally there is no WiFi, you can enjoy the conversations between friends and the stunning sunsets.
Apart from the list of delicious crunchy wings, the specialty of the place, they expanded the offer with draft beer and an exclusive line of Chilean wine.
Las Rocas de Amancio
By Dagmar Reinhard Photos Isidro Obando Vargas Don Amancio Vargas Obando was born in Guápiles (Limón) and raised in Quepos. He worked with the Banana company, where he also met his future wife, Zaida. He was 26 […]
The Sounds of Nature…
Our workshop for women is enhancing. WE are going to sing together to heal, enjoy, and harmonize our life with nature.
We will learn to listen to the earth, look at nature with new eyes, and discover how Mother Earth creates health and well-being through her sounds.
The Alma de Ojochal Hotel and the Bamboo Room, Ojochal Hotels
The Alma de Ojochal Hotel: One Amazing Venue, Two Kinds of Fun! The mantra at The Alma de Ojochal Hotel and the new Bamboo Room is ‘Ama la Vida’ or ‘Love Life’, in sync with […]
Sibu Good Coffee and Kifli Bread Shop
As lovers of good coffee they saw the need for a cozy place in the area and when the fortunate opportunity of buying and renovating the Sibu coffee shop arose, they made their dream come true. Now in the heart of Uvita, Sibu & Kifli Pan Artesanal offers their specialties-organic coffees, teas and more.
Surfing with the Big Fish
by Trevor Brown In Costa Rica, animals surround us during almost every activity we do. Sometimes they are obvious and sometimes they’re hidden. Surfing is not different. You may not see them, but I assure […]
Mind The Gap!
By Perry Gladstone As the Costa Ballena grows, it attracts people from all walks of life, each of us with his or her own ideas and beliefs of how things work. This is both an opportunity […]
Glass Frogs in Costa Ballena
By César Barrio Amorós A type of frog not very well known is the glass frog. Glass frogs are small and very beautiful; they are an important addition to my night tours, mainly because they […]
Beautiful Products
Simple Tools By Susie Atkinson Basic, crude, primitive – these are all words that may come to mind when one thinks of the humble backstrap loom – a description that obscures the fact that some […]
The Dominical Farmers’ Market
By Trevor Brown The availability of fresh fruits and vegetables is an important aspect of healthy living in Costa Ballena where we are very lucky to have such a wide variety of fresh food. Although […]
Remembering Roger Watson
Roger Watson rode up to Escaleras on horseback 12 years ago, long before the Costanera highway existed, and landed his opportunistic eye on a plot of land. Shortly after, Watson became one of the first […]
What to do, Where to eat and Where to stay…
South Pacific Costa Rica Beaches, Marino Ballena National Park
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Need help planning your Costa Rica vacations? We look forward to helping you!
Email: carlos@ballenatales.com
Phone: +(506) 8946 7134
