PLAYA UVITA
Aerial View of Whale's Tail - Uvita - Costa Rica
Playa Uvita, also known as Marino Ballena National Park is located in Bahía Uvita, two miles east of the South Coast. It is among the most beautiful idyllic beaches on Costa Rica’s southern Pacific coast, the beach rimmed with palm trees. It is an excellent surfing spot for beginner surfers, as it has relatively calm waters.
The entry fee to the Marino Ballena National Park is $ 6 for foreigners and $ 2 if you are national or resident. Keep your ticket; it allows you to access Playa Uvita, Playa Colonia, Playa Ballena, and Playa Piñuela that same day. The Park is open from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm every day.
At low tide, the beach stretches out and you can walk along the legendary sandbar and rocky reef resembling a whale’s tail. At high tide, the beach is eaten up by the tide and you can watch from the beach's edge as local surfers meet up for an after-work surf session.
If you want to walk on the plunger or Paso de Moisés you should do it at low tide.
Find here the information about South Pacific Costa Rica tides chart >>>
Punta Uvita - Costa Rica - Photo by Dagmar Reinhard - Click to enlarge
You can also walk along the road behind the tree edges and find many diversities, such as the Eucalyptus Forest, now regenerated.
You can also sight monkeys, such as the Capuchin, and birds, such as the Scarlet Macaw. There are many trees, perfect for a hammock set-up, so bring a good book and get ready to relax. Don't forget to look up before setting up, many palm trees have coconuts, so be sure to place yourself not directly underneath the palm trees.
Remember, it is not allowed to take any kind of shells or plants within the Marine Park.
Basilisk
Most probably, you have seen a creature crossing a stream with high speed on his hind legs. This runner is a basilisk, also called Jesus Christ lizard. Basilisks can do this because of their large feet and specialized flattened toe fringes. These fold out when the foot presses down on the water surface.
The Secret Life of the Sharks
After four years of research, the first results of the project The Secret Life of Sharks of Costa Rica are published in the Scientific Reports journal of Nature Research, a journal with a high impact worldwide.
The Slow Cooker – Making Life Easier
Enter the idea of food prep and a slow cooker. This contraption is a game-changer in my life. Instead of just throwing together a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a banana and calling it lunch, I am eating heartier, more satisfying meals now. I am spending so much less time at the stove and cleaning up after. I make large portions at a time and freeze whatever I don’t eat.
