Uvita

In Costa Ballena, located in the South Pacific region of Costa Rica, Uvita is rapidly developing into a vibrant, multicultural community and a significant commercial hub, surrounded by breathtaking scenery.

Here, you’ll discover a variety of unique tours, gourmet restaurants, and cozy eateries serving traditional cuisine. The area offers a range of accommodations, including hotels with full amenities, charming cabins, and eco-lodges with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. Additionally, you’ll find banks, supermarkets, hardware stores, pharmacies, car repair shops, information centers, beauty salons, and real estate offices.

Once you settle into your chosen place, what will you do with all that sunshine and tropical beauty? We suggest exploring!

A must-visit is Marino Ballena National Park, home to the famous Whale’s Tail at Punta Uvita, which measures approximately 2,296 feet in length and 820 feet in width, making it the world’s third-largest sandbank. During low tide, you can walk to its very end. Foreign visitors pay a $6 entrance fee, while national visitors pay $2 (cash is not accepted). Be sure to keep your receipt, as it grants access to Colonia and Ballena beaches, located further south, on the same day.

Consider taking a four-hour kayaking tour in the national park, where you can paddle, swim, and snorkel along the coral reef, walk on the Whale’s Tail, and explore the enchanting mangroves of Bahía. This tour offers a chance to explore the diverse ecosystems of this unique marine park.

For surfing enthusiasts, excellent beaches include Hermosa, Chamán, and Ventanas. One surfer remarked, “Once you have surfed Playa Chamán, you will never be able to leave Uvita.” That’s precisely what happened to him and many others. Uvita was also home to the world-famous Envision Festival for ten years. Don’t miss the Farmers’ Market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, where locals gather. If you love reading, check out Uvita’s second-hand bookstore, located next to the Tracopa bus stop.

Uvita’s shops offer everything you need, and restaurants cater to various tastes, as well as hotels for every budget. You’ll also find fitness centers, a post office, doctors, pharmacies, a police station, and beauty salons. Adventuring a few kilometers into the mountains on dirt roads will lead you to rivers and waterfalls cascading into natural pools.

The rainforest is alive with the sounds of cicadas, merging with the bubbling of rushing water. A vibrant blue morpho butterfly flutters by, while hummingbirds hover over heliconia flowers. Rays of sunlight pierce through the forest canopy as vines stretch upward toward the light.

In the distance, you can hear the hoarse screams of howler monkeys and the late-day chatter of green parrots heading home. There’s no rush hour in the town center—just the Pura Vida lifestyle! Welcome to the largest town in Costa Ballena. Google Map