Costa Rica Guide

travel information and maps

  • Vacation Planning
  • Best Trips Ever>>
  • More Fun Than Humanly Possible
  • Costa Rica
    • Top Ten
    • Best Time to Visit Costa Rica
    • Things To Do in Costa Rica
    • Maps
    • Transportation
      • Rental Cars
        • Advantages of Driving
        • Disadvantages Driving
        • Code of the Road
        • Navigation & Drive Time
        • Rental Insurance Explained
        • Can’t Get There
      • Airports
        • Flights Worth Taking
        • LIR or SJO
        • Airfare Deals
        • Domestic Airlines
        • Domestic Air Tips
      • Taxis
      • Bus Schedule
    • Food
      • Typical Menu
      • Batidos & Refrescos
      • Gallo Pinto
      • Tamales
      • Ceviche
      • Ensalada Palmito
      • Sopa Negra
      • Vinagre Chilera
    • Weather
      • Seasons in Costa Rica
      • Current Storms in Costa Rica
    • Regions
  • Nature & Wildlife
    • National Parks
    • Wildlife Refuges
    • Ecozones
    • Best Places to See Wildlife in Costa Rica
  • Practical Info
    • Health & Safety
      • Health Tips
        • Altitude Sickness
        • Chikungunya
        • Natural Disasters
      • Crime
        • Cons & Rip-offs
        • Corruption
        • Violent Crime
    • Will My Phone Work?
    • Packing List
    • Passports & Docs
    • Money – How To?
    • How Much Does it Cost?
    • Travel Tips
  • Stories
    • Photos
    • Trek Across Costa Rica
    • Sendero de Oro
    • Quebrada Gata
    • Bicycle Touring
    • About Us
  • Move to Costa Rica
  • Free Travel Pack
no obligation custom trip plan & price quote

1-866-816-0197

· Copyright © 2023 ·

Dominical, Uvita Honorable Mention

Hikes & Walks five star moderate hiking trails Easy Access four & a half stars - easy access Deserted Beaches four & a half stars - deserted beaches
Surfing four and a half stars - surfing Adventure Tours four & a half stars - adventure tours Birdwatching five stars- best birdwatching

Wildlife Refuges

Two of the best private wildlife refuges with on site eco-lodges in Costa Rica are adjacent to Dominical (Hacienda Barú) and Uvita (La Cusinga).  Both specialize in birdwatching but have wonderful trails where anyone can enjoy walking (or in the case of the mirador at Barú climbing steeply) through the forest they protect.  Sloths are very easy to spot in the treetops.  Pizotes and Howler and Capuchin monkeys will come right to you and some of the trails are wide and clear enough to be comfortable walking at night when you might see cats or other rare inhabitants.

Each also has a path down to a semi-private beach.  There are no privately owned beaches in Costa Rica – they are all public – but because these are surrounded by the wildlife refuges they’re mainly visited by guests of the ecolodges.

Marino Ballena National Park

Humpback whale waving a flipper
Humpback whale waving a flipper

The national park at Uvita is very popular with Ticos camping during school holidays.  It protects a long stretch of beach and the “whale tail” a sandbar that looks amazingly like the tail of one of the humpbacks the park is named for when viewed from the air.

It’s possible to see humpback whales in the warm water offshore where they come to calve.  Because there are both northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere pods that share these waters in opposite seasons there are whales in the area nearly year round.

Marino Ballena park also serves as a launch point for boats to Cano Island Biological Reserve.  Visitors that don’t have time to make the trip all the way to the Osa Peninsula can enjoy the snorkeling and hiking in the wildest region of Costa Rica on a day trip from Uvita or Dominical.

Surfing

Dominical feels a little like something that might have fit in on the California coast fifty years ago and surfers congregate here (and many never leave…) for the great beach and river mouth break, laid back atmosphere and casual restaurants, bars, hotels and hostels.

The whole length of coast from Manuel Antonio south past Uvita is dotted with beach access where surfers can often have the breaks to themselves.

Diamante Waterfalls

Perhaps the single best adventure tour in Costa Rica is the trek up and rappel down the waterfalls of the Diamante river.  Oh, and did I mention the part about sleeping behind the waterfall in between.  If you’ve ever wanted to do something completely unique this is your chance.

What Not to Expect Around Dominical & Uvita

The area is relatively undeveloped with no big resorts although there are some very nice hotels.  Dominical and Uvita are only half an hour from the larger resorts of Manuel Antonio and a little further from the condo towers on the beaches of Jacó.

Ray & Sue

Cost · ToDo · Plan·Costa Rica Guide logo animated·Top10 · Best Time · Contact


toll free Costa Rica travel desk!
1-866-816-0197

CONTACT US

Top 10
  • Top Ten
  • Best Kept Secrets
  • Beaches of Guanacaste
  • Arenal Volcano
  • Monteverde
  • Osa & Corcovado
  • Manuel Antonio
  • Tortuguero
  • Tenorio, Celeste & Miravalles
  • The San Gerardos
  • Nicoya Peninsula
  • Southern Caribbean
  • Rincon de la Vieja
  • Turrialba & Orosi Honorable Mention
  • San José Honorable Mention
  • Jacó & Hermosa Honorable Mentions
  • Dominical, Uvita Honorable Mention
  • Not at the San Gerardos
  • Not in Tortuguero
  • Not at Tenorio & Miravalles



Costa Rica Guide on facebook
Costa Rica Guide on Facebook