Costa Ballena Guide, Osa, Costa Rica Free Digital Magazine and Travel Guide

Costa Ballena is 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 to the mouth of the Térraba River in Coronado.

The area includes the following small towns: Dominical, Dominicalito, Hermosa Beach, San Josecito, Uvita, Bahía, Ballena, Ojochal, and Coronado.

Visit Uvita Beach at Marino Ballena National Park, the famous Whale’s Tail, with a length of about 2296 feet and a width of 820 feet; it is the world’s third-largest sandbank. During the low tide, you can walk to its very end.

Discover the wonders of Costa Ballena, and keep browsing to learn all you need to know about Costa Rica vacations in the South Pacific Region.

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Ballena Tales is a digital and interactive magazine and travel guide covering Costa Ballena in the Osa Canton and the South Pacific region of Costa Rica. On this site, you will find helpful information such as what to do, services, experiences, natural attractions, wildlife, tide charts, events, restaurants, and hotels in Costa Ballena, Osa, and the South Pacific of Costa Rica.

Our editorial priority is to satisfy our readers by publishing attractive content and highlighting the value of our advertisers' brands. The magazine, available in digital and print formats, highlights the local community. We collaborate free of charge with positive community initiatives and environmental organizations. It also includes interviews with pioneers, writers, and artists from the South Pacific region of Costa Rica.

The magazine goes beyond traditional print publications. Each issue, whether print or digital, is part of a robust digital ecosystem. Issues are accessible online, advertorials are featured on our blog, and brands are listed in the business directory on our website. The ads also include links to the advertising companies' websites and social media profiles.

The digital version has a worldwide reach with tens of thousands of opens. The print edition has a dedicated readership of more than 8,000 readers in the South Pacific Costa Ballena region. According to a study conducted in hotels, restaurants, pharmacies, offices, rental houses, supermarkets, and other places, the average readership for the print version was 2.3 local readers and 18 visitors per issue, totaling approximately 142,000 readers. This result corresponds to the printing of seven thousand copies per year.

EVENTS

SERVICES

TIDE CHARTS

FLYING MAMMALS ~ Biodiversity Among Bats

~ by Jack EwingAs a kid growing up in Colorado I remember catching glimpses of dark forms darting back and forth across the summer sky. “Those are bats,” commented my dad. “They eat insects.” Many years later, living at […]

The Gentle Giants of Parque Reptilandia

~ by Roel de PleckerParque Reptilandia is home to a big variety of native and exotic species. One of these exotic species is our African spurred tortoises (Centrochelys sulcata). They are Africa’s largest mainland tortoises with a carapace length […]

The Talamanca Range: a wall and a protective sanctuary

~ by Luis Gutiérrez Galera Christened with a Spanish name, the Talamanca Range was praised as a highly religious site by Costa Rican indigenous people such as the Bribri and Cabécar, who had lived there for a […]

The Golden Tennis Ball

The Silky Anteater, the golden tennis ball at Hacienda Baru By Jack Ewing Photos by Jack Ewing We started a list of species for Hacienda Barú and the surrounding areas in 1987. By 1994, all […]

Alexander Skutch, birds and much more

~ by Susana GarcíaAlexander Skutch was the most famous Neotropical ornithologist of the 20th century. After traveling to many Central and South American countries, he settled on a farm in Santa Elena de General that he called Los Cusingos. Here […]

Interview with a Biologist Specialized in Birds

~ by Dagmar ReinhardWhat’s your occupation, Susana? — “I’m a biologist specialized in zoology.” Are you a specialist in birds? — “Yes. I carry out censuses and monitoring; I develop workshops for specialized guides and others for the public, and […]

Chamber of Tourism Meeting

~ by Dagmar Reinhard In February, the 49th Business Meeting, organized by CATUOSA (Osa Chamber of Tourism) and chaired by Mr. Luis Centeno, was held at the PZ Country Club Hotel in San Isidro. Right in the heart of Pérez Zeledón […]

Duo Aurélie Riant & Anthony Gómez

~ by Dagmar Reinhard Aurélie is a young girl from Nova Scotia (Canada) with a remarkable voice. She received her first classical singing lessons when she was eight years old, followed by guitar and keyboard classes. When she […]

Have Fun and Be Safe on the beach!

~ by Nate Bright The Costa Ballena region is famous for its beautiful beaches, and we hope you take full advantage of them! Here are some great safety tips to keep in mind as you play in […]

Yoga Philosophy ~ Part VI

~ by Pilar Salazar The 8 Limbs of Ashtanga The Niyamas The second limb of Ashtanga Yoga is the “Niyamas”; they represent guidelines to be aware of in our daily lives. The first one is “Sauca”, which […]

Boruca Gallery Gift Shop

Boruca Gallery Gift Shop~ by Susie AtkinsonLooking for a unique souvenir of your trip to Costa Rica – something that is a true representation of the local folklore and does not have that “Made in China” stamp on […]

Our senior pets

When our beloved pets become geriatric, they require special attention since their bones and muscles are not strong anymore.

And Who’s Peter?

~ by Dagmar Reinhard Peter Marschall, the son of a German father and a Hungarian mother, who also speaks English and Spanish, came to Costa Ballena in the South Pacific of Costa Rica, for the first time […]

An Unfortunate but Happy Scarlet Macaw

~ by Mike Graeber Meet Ruby, one of our two scarlet macaws here at Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary (AWS). This beautiful, young bird has had a very painful life because of things done to him by heartless human beings. Ruby […]

Fresh from the Feria: Papaya, semillas, seeds

Uvita, Fresh from the Feria: Papaya

~ by Luba NikolayevPapaya is a well-known, healthy, tropical fruit that is both delicious and full of advantages. In Costa Rica, papayas are easy to grow and abundant year round. When ripe, the fruit has sun-kissed, […]

Wine lovers rejoice! Your favorite wine at Hotel Villas Río Mar

~ by Dagmar Reinhard In Costa Rica, wine at restaurants can be very expensive, and to make it affordable, mostly lowquality wines or consummation per glass are offered to the guests. Christian Vijselaar, owner of Hotel Villas Río Mar, […]

Observación de aves en el área de influencia del Parque Nacional Marino Ballena.

Once You Start Making Lists You’ll Know You’re Hooked

~ by Jack Ewing Non addicts scratch their heads wondering why us bird watchers get so excited about something so simple as observing our feathered friends. On the surface it seems like a boring pastime, but nothing […]

The Massif of Life

~ by Luis Humberto Galera – Photo Mario Wong Cold and strong winds blow on the plains at Buena Vista Hill, the official name of the feared massif better known as “Death Hill”; this is ironic, since its hillsides […]

Dental Health for Dogs

Bad breath in pets have several causes; it’s necessary to discard infected teeth, foreign objects stuck between the teeth (pieces of wooden sticks or bones), abscesses, plaque, etc.

Yoga Philosophy ~ Part V

by Pilar Salazar The Eight Limbs Yoga was never meant to be a one-hour workout. It was – and is – a path; it’s a 24-hour practice and a way to experience life. The space we take […]

Celebrating Costa Rica

~ by Jeane Brennan Those who live in or near Sierpe work hard. Whether it’s fishing to supply the restaurants or for sport; farming various crops or raising and nurturing farm animals, or retail businesses; daily life is challenging. When it’s […]

Playa Ventanas de Osa, Pacífico Sur de Costa Rica

Ventanas Beach gets Lifeguards!

~ by Nate Bright On Saturday, October 1, 2016, another beach in the Costa Ballena region became safer! In partnership with the ADI of Ojochal, the Guardavidas Costa Ballena Lifeguard program opened a new tower at Playa Ventanas. Playa Ventanas, located […]

Arte y Música Local en el Pacífico Sur y Costa Rica, Local Events Art & Music in Costa Ballena, Osa, South Pacific Costa Rica

Afro Flow Yoga at the Hart Center

~ by Dagmar ReinhardWould you believe that yoga has been in Africa for thousands of years? Leslie Salmon Jones, Afro Flow Yoga® founder, told us this fact during her week-long yoga workshop at the Hart Center, at the Vista Ballena […]

“You Might be an Animal Lover If… ”

~ by Shawnell Parker You are over 40 and you speak perfect baby talk. Your spouse has half the bed, and you and five dogs share the other half. Your pets have more toys than […]