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

*Ballena Tales* is a digital and interactive guide highlighting the wonders of Costa Ballena, in Costa Rica's South Pacific. This magazine offers in-depth coverage of activities, services, natural attractions, wildlife, dining options, accommodations, and events in the region.

With an innovative approach, it combines print and digital publications within an ecosystem that includes a blog, business directory, and links to social media profiles and advertiser websites. The digital edition has a global reach, with thousands of readers, while the print version reaches over 8,000 readers in the region.

According to studies, each print copy is read by an average of 2.3 residents and 18 visitors, resulting in approximately 142,000 readers per year, with a print run of 7,000 copies.

In addition to its informative and engaging content, *Ballena Tales* supports community and environmental initiatives, contributing pro bono to positive projects for the sustainable and cultural development of the South Pacific. Its editorial mission is to satisfy readers while boosting the value of advertiser brands and promoting the overall growth of the region.

Patrons VIP Club Dominical puravida costaballenalovers events bar restaurant beauty girls debi nova 3 4342

Put On Your Red Dress, Baby, We’re Going Out Tonight

By Dagmar Reinhard Crystal and her husband Michael are entrepreneurs from California; they are the owners of Patrón’s Bar and Restaurant in Dominical. In a very short time, they accomplished big changes in the recently […]

A new path… Casa de Yoga

Playa Dominical has long been known as a surf and party town and the gateway to Costa Rica’s Southern Pacific. Though this reputation will surely carry for years to come, long time local resident and […]

Costa Ballena Lifeguards, 36 lives saved

By Perry Gladstone, first lifeguard volunteer Help! Over 30 km long and with more than 10 beaches, Costa Ballena has only one active tower and two paid lifeguards at Playa Hermosa, sponsored by a small […]

Getting to the Other Side of the Road… animal crossing on Hacienda Barú

By Jack Ewing Years ago, our water flowed down the mountain and over the road through a plastic hose. Taking the water over the road saved us the trouble of digging a trench through the […]

Bocaraca Eyelash viper

Bocaraca Eyelash Viper, In Costa Ballena these snakes are not as common, as they are in other places (the Caribbean coast, for example); however…

Come to Portasol for a weekend or stay forever!

By Shannon Farley Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living” is a sustainable residential community located in the coastal mountains of the Central Pacific, minutes away from the beaches of Manuel Antonio and Dominical in the […]

Pineapple Tours, Kayak & SUP team

All of our guides are Local (from the Costa Ballena Area), Certified by ICT (Costa Rican Tourism Board), along with hundreds of hours of other certifications and extremely passionate about what they do. MANUEL MORA […]

Pineapple Rio Uvita/Morete Tour

Duration: 4 hours $75 per person 2 person minimum Tour Leaves 1 hour before High Tide LEVEL – BEGINNER (All Ages) *THIS TOUR IS ONLY AVAILABLE FROM JANUARY – JULY* CHANCE TO SEE: Herons, Hawks, […]

Pineapple, Dominicalito Ocean Paddle and Kayak Tour

Duration: 3 hours $55 per person 2 person minimum Tour departure time is better at low tide but can leave any time LEVEL – BEGINNER (All Ages) CHANCE TO SEE: Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Pelicans, Frigate […]

Kayak & SUP, Baru River

This tour can be done with or without a guide on a kayak or Stand-up Paddle Board, as it is super mellow and easy.

Pineapple Tours Kayak & SUP, Mangrove Tour

Pineapple Tours Kayak & SUP, Mangrove TourMangrove tour duration: 3-4 hours, $65 per person 2 person minimumTour departure time is based off the high tideLEVEL – BEGINNER (All Ages)CHANCE TO SEE: Herons, Hawks, Ospreys, Falcons, […]

Piedras Blancas National Park

Piedras Blancas National Park has a surface of 143 km2; it is located in southern Costa Rica, and it belongs to the Osa Conservation Area.

Not even in a million years

Food containers that endanger your health By Leonie Ruhland A bunch of kids is innocently enjoying yummy fruits out of a Styrofoam box under the shade of a palm tree. What they don’t know is […]

Playa Ventanas opened its windows again

By Dagmar Reinhard The public access to one of the most beautiful beaches along the South Pacific coast was interrupted two years ago, when a bridge was washed away by the heavy rain, leaving a deep […]

Welcome to Surf in the South Pacific

Pacífico Sur-F By Cheme In recent years, national surfing has been booming, especially because in 2014 our local surfers have placed our country Costa Rica at a high-level in the international ranking. Surfers from all […]

Osa SUP Paradise

By Cheme Stand up paddle SUP, is a sport that can be practiced in calm waters and at sea. Costa Ballena and the South Pacific region offers a lot of beautiful places for this sport. There […]

Bi-cantonal Commission Osa-Golfito

By Carlos Leon The last board meeting of the Chamber of Tourism of Osa (CATUOSA) took place in the new Hostal del Mar in Golfito. Among the numerous participants, was Golfito’s Chamber of Tourism, represented by Elberth […]

Ongoing events in Sierpe

By Claudia Langguth Edition number 40 of Ballena Tales Magazine is dedicated to the events in the South Pacific of Costa Rica, and we have events in Sierpe de Osa every single day. Scarlett macaws, […]

Playa Cativo Lodge osa hotels costarica ballenatales lodge beach 36

Captivated by Playa Cativo Lodge

By Dagmar Reinhard The boat was waiting for us at Golfito’s dock where we boarded Captain Alan’s boat to cross the serene waters of Golfo Dulce to a large bay surrounded by tall palm trees. […]

The Ojoche trail along Ojochal

By Leo and Leonie German volunteers But why Ojoche? The (Brosimum Ojochealicastrum)is a tree that gave its name to the village of Ojochal, a place where this species was abundant; however, today there are very few of […]

Aha! + Adventure = Freedom

By Perry Gladstone This is my Freedom Fighting Formula, and it works like crazy. Adventure is the bridge that takes you from your old story of who you were to a great, new story. Aha! is […]

A Living Concept in Uvita

By Michael Ratzan The concept of Villa del Sol residential neighborhood begins with a beautiful beach,a tropical landscape, and easy access. Add the comfort of private ownership, and you have the most affordable neighborhood experience in Costa […]

Tolomuco Tayra

By Dr. Fernando Riera This peculiar mammal, a “cousin” of theweasels, is a diurnal predator; it is hard to pindown because we don’t see it often here. The Tayra (Eira barbara) or tolomuco, as it […]

Welcome New Neighbors!

By Dagmar Reinhard Steven and Rachel are the proud owners of Casitas Del Rio. This is a beautifully designed and relaxing river front development of luxury homes. The “casitas” are surrounded by lush gardens where wildlife makes frequent appearances. The […]

DISCOVER THE SOUTH PACIFIC

Costa Ballena, located in the Osa Canton, is a region where the tropical forest meets the South Pacific Ocean, offering a unique natural environment. This area stretches from the Barú River in Dominical to the mouth of the Térraba River in Coronado, encompassing communities such as Dominical, Dominicalito, Uvita, Bahía, Ojochal, and Coronado.

One of its main attractions is Uvita Beach, located within the Marino Ballena National Park. This park stands out for the impressive natural formation known as the "Whale's Tail," a sandbank that stretches 2,296 meters in length and 2,800 meters in width, making it the third-largest in the world. At low tide, visitors can walk to the edge of this formation, enjoying spectacular views and an unforgettable experience.

Costa Ballena combines natural beauty, biodiversity, and picturesque communities, establishing itself as a prominent tourist destination in Costa Rica.