Ventanas Beach, Osa, Costa Rica

Caves opening to the ocean are like windows  

Author: Dagmar Reinhard

Locals love it, and visitors very soon become enraptured by this secluded bay off the beaten track, only a few km North of Ojochal. The name derives from the caves on the north side that look like windows (ventanas in Spanish). Ventanas Beach is an excellent spot to mingle with the Ticos and experience a typical South Pacific beach.

What a beautiful spot Ventanas Beach is. You will now understand why people love this secluded beach, surrounded by lush rainforest and lined with palm trees. It mostly has calm waves. The shallow waters are safe for children (always under their parents’ observation and paying attention to the lifeguards’ alerts)

The beach has dark, compact sand, and the waters can be dark blue or green, depending on the sun and clouds, typical characteristics of beaches in the South Pacific of Costa Rica.

Relax lying on the warm sand or sitting on a fallen tree trunk, ¡or hire shades and loungers! 

Looking up at the mountainside, you can watch the scarlet macaws noisily disputing the nuts on an almond tree or observe monkeys swinging through the treetops. Nearing the end of the afternoon, you can’t hear the majestic toucans’ cries. Thriving vegetation and the green mountains stretch all along the coastline. 

Explore the long sandy beach, the river, and the caves. Remember to check the tide charts, since the beaches narrow as the tide rises. 

The bay calms the swell, so it is generally suitable for swimming. The visitor can practice diving, artisanal fishing, kayaking, and snorkeling. Ventanas Beach is a good place for surf beginners and has lifeguards. Ask them about rip tides, which occur quite frequently. 

And after a day full of discoveries, you might be so fortunate as to witness one of those once-in-a-lifetime sunsets at Playa Ventanas. 

Hungry? Stalls in the shade of the palm trees offer fried whole fish or coconut water. 

Parking

Parking in the lot (no entrance fee) costs 2,000 colones, less than $3.50 for the whole day. (Never leave your valuables in the car.)

Opening hours: 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Weekends 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Ventanas Beach is in the Puntarenas province, 235 kilometers (146 miles) south of San Jose and 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) south of Uvita, on the Costa Ballena, South Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Take the turn to Playa Ventanas right off the Pacífica Fernández Oreamuno, Route 34 (Costanera Sur), around the 176-kilometer marker, only 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) north of Ojochal. 

You don’t need a 4×4 to get there; even a sedan can access the parking. Adventure insight: you have to cross a little creek! 

Services
Public toilet facilities and basic showers are available. No potable water!

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