Playa Dominical:
World Class Surfing and a Relaxed Party Atmosphere! This beach is widely recognized as one of the best Costa Rica surfing beaches. A number of surf camps and surf shops have sprung up to take advantage of the lively lefts and rights. But even if you don't surf, you'll adore Playa Dominical's lush green landscape, restaurants, nightlife and relatively un -crowded sands.
There is great ‘tourist” shopping right on the beach, with vendor stands selling clothes, towels, jewelry, trinkets, etc.
This is a great beach to watch the sunset, have drinks or dinner at Tortilla Flats restaurant or any other along the beach-front strip. In town on the main street are some great little shops for exploring.
Caution: watch your things, just don’t take valuables with you there or lock anything you cannot carry with you in the trunk of your car.
Directions: 40 minutes north of Ojochal on the Costenera highway. Turn left off the highway the signs, before the bridge and the security check point.
Things to take with you: sunscreen, bug spray, money for beer and food.
Playa Hermosa:
Miles of fine sand. This beach is between Dominical and Uvita, just off the highway. There are many entrances, just trails off the highway. You can park your car at your site, with easy access to the beach. This is a beautiful long beach, great for walking, strong surf and good shell hunting. Great family beach, with life guards! Popular with surfers.
Directions: About 10 miles north of Uvita, There are some signs stating Playa Hermosa, watch for trails that exit off the highway towards the beach. There are a few entrances.
Cautions: really watch your things and park your car where you can see it!!
There are rip tides here …watch for them. If you get caught in one, do not panic; just move parallel to the beach until you can get out of it. You will be popped out of it!
Things to take with you: usual beach stuff and bug spray. Watch for ants in the tree line, they like to be in the dead leaves and do bite!
Playa Ballena National Park / Whales Tail:
This beach is accessed by turning off the highway onto thinly paved road going towards the beach, about 1 km south of Uvita. It is the beach of the famous “Whales Tail” a rocky outcropping that is shaped like a whales tail protruding from the main land. This a great beach for walking, snorkeling, exploring. You can walk at least 15 km on endless sand beach. Access is at the very end of the road in Bahia Ballena. On the way you will pass a couple of little shops that have good prices on clothes, jewelry and trinkets.
Directions: You turn towards the beach/ west on the paved road about 1 km south of Uvita, when you come to a “T” intersection, turn left to the end of the road.
You park at the gate, pay the guard and walk in. Follow the road to the point where it goes out into the ocean…this is the Whales Tail. At low tide you can walk right out to the end of the tail. There is good snorkeling on the left side of the tail when the tide is out.
In the village, there are Whale and snorkeling tours available.
Cautions: Do not leave valuables in your vehicle unless locked in the trunk. Never leave your things unattended.
Things to take with you: usual beach stuff and good walking sandals.
You will pay $6.00 per person upon entering the Park. The pass is good for all day, as many beaches as you chose to explore.
Playa La Colonia:
2 kms south of Uvita watch for sign along highway. Is a long beach, great for walking. There is camping available and picnic areas. You can drive close to the beach, lots of parking in the shade, near your site for the day. It has beautiful sunsets and waves. Popular with Surfers.
Directions: There is signage along the highway on the beach side of the highway, north of the hardware store, and south of Uvita. It is about 1 1/2 km in and is a really nice beach.
Caution: Do not leave valuables in your vehicle unless locked in the trunk. Never leave your things unattended.
Things to take with you: usual beach stuff and good walking sandals.
You will pay $6.00 per person upon entering the Park. The pass is good for all day, as many beaches as you chose to explore.
Playa Ballena / Playa Arcos :
Pristine beaches and crystal clear waters – a haven for whales and exotic wildlife. There are a number of beaches included in the National Park. You will pay $6.00 per person upon entering the Park. The pass is good for all day, as many beaches as you chose to explore.
This is a long and beautiful beach, with a boardwalk entrance over the Mangrove swamp area. You can also access this beach area from the Villa Leonore Beach Club.
Directions: There is signage for this beach on the highway; you turn off the highway at the Goathouse restaurant.
Cautions: there is often security here, but still do not leave valuables out our in sight. Never leave your things unattended.
Things to take with you: usual beach stuff
Playa Pinuela:
This beach is a nice, calm bay where the local fishermen often tie their boats. The high tide line is a bit rocky, but the rest of the beach is beautiful. Great for walking, you can drive in close to the beach and park under the trees in the shade, not far to carry your things. The locals and fishermen come to this beach, often camping under the trees.
Directions: Follow signage from the highway…100 yards north of the Pinuela Restaurant; with a bus stop at the entrance to the beach. Follow the road in, park where you want. I usually go to the left as far as I can, the beach is nicest there and I can watch my car easily. On the weekends there are often Park Attendants there and you will need to pay an entrance fee. There are now washroom facilities here.
Caution: Do not leave valuables in your vehicle unless locked in the trunk. Never leave your things unattended.
Things to take with you: usual beach stuff and refreshments.
Playa Ventanas:
This beach is a small, protected beach, by the jungle that is one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica and very popular with the residents of the area. At low tide you can walk right into the two caves carved by the waves.
Directions: You can access the beach by turning in at the “Playa Ventanas” sign, about 1 km north of the Ventanas Gas Station. You will travel down the road to the parking lot. The attendants will tell you where to park, charge you for parking and security. With Lifeguards!
Caution: Even though there is security here, do not leave valuables in your vehicle unless locked in the trunk. Never leave your things unattended.
Things to take with you: usual beach stuff and refreshments.
Playa Tortuga:
This beach is long, beautiful and is near the mouth of the Tortuga River, a great beach for walking! An amazing sunrise or sunset walk!! You do have to watch the tide table, because you have to cross a river.. and it gets deep at high tides.
Directions: just south of Ojochal, turn toward the beach, on the south side of the first bridge. Drive for about a km, on a trail along the river, past the Reserva Tortuga- a place to learn about wildlife in the area, and they do Turtle patrols, etc. Park above the high tide, trash line and walk to the beach area. It is illegal in Costa Rica to drive or park your car on the beach, so stay above the high tide line/ trash line!
Caution: Do not leave valuables in your vehicle unless locked in the trunk. Never leave your things unattended.
Things to take with you: usual beach stuff, good walking sandals, and umbrella because there is no shade at this beach.
World Class Surfing and a Relaxed Party Atmosphere! This beach is widely recognized as one of the best Costa Rica surfing beaches. A number of surf camps and surf shops have sprung up to take advantage of the lively lefts and rights. But even if you don't surf, you'll adore Playa Dominical's lush green landscape, restaurants, nightlife and relatively un -crowded sands.
There is great ‘tourist” shopping right on the beach, with vendor stands selling clothes, towels, jewelry, trinkets, etc.
This is a great beach to watch the sunset, have drinks or dinner at Tortilla Flats restaurant or any other along the beach-front strip. In town on the main street are some great little shops for exploring.
Caution: watch your things, just don’t take valuables with you there or lock anything you cannot carry with you in the trunk of your car.
Directions: 40 minutes north of Ojochal on the Costenera highway. Turn left off the highway the signs, before the bridge and the security check point.
Things to take with you: sunscreen, bug spray, money for beer and food.
Playa Hermosa:
Miles of fine sand. This beach is between Dominical and Uvita, just off the highway. There are many entrances, just trails off the highway. You can park your car at your site, with easy access to the beach. This is a beautiful long beach, great for walking, strong surf and good shell hunting. Great family beach, with life guards! Popular with surfers.
Directions: About 10 miles north of Uvita, There are some signs stating Playa Hermosa, watch for trails that exit off the highway towards the beach. There are a few entrances.
Cautions: really watch your things and park your car where you can see it!!
There are rip tides here …watch for them. If you get caught in one, do not panic; just move parallel to the beach until you can get out of it. You will be popped out of it!
Things to take with you: usual beach stuff and bug spray. Watch for ants in the tree line, they like to be in the dead leaves and do bite!
Playa Ballena National Park / Whales Tail:
This beach is accessed by turning off the highway onto thinly paved road going towards the beach, about 1 km south of Uvita. It is the beach of the famous “Whales Tail” a rocky outcropping that is shaped like a whales tail protruding from the main land. This a great beach for walking, snorkeling, exploring. You can walk at least 15 km on endless sand beach. Access is at the very end of the road in Bahia Ballena. On the way you will pass a couple of little shops that have good prices on clothes, jewelry and trinkets.
Directions: You turn towards the beach/ west on the paved road about 1 km south of Uvita, when you come to a “T” intersection, turn left to the end of the road.
You park at the gate, pay the guard and walk in. Follow the road to the point where it goes out into the ocean…this is the Whales Tail. At low tide you can walk right out to the end of the tail. There is good snorkeling on the left side of the tail when the tide is out.
In the village, there are Whale and snorkeling tours available.
Cautions: Do not leave valuables in your vehicle unless locked in the trunk. Never leave your things unattended.
Things to take with you: usual beach stuff and good walking sandals.
You will pay $6.00 per person upon entering the Park. The pass is good for all day, as many beaches as you chose to explore.
Playa La Colonia:
2 kms south of Uvita watch for sign along highway. Is a long beach, great for walking. There is camping available and picnic areas. You can drive close to the beach, lots of parking in the shade, near your site for the day. It has beautiful sunsets and waves. Popular with Surfers.
Directions: There is signage along the highway on the beach side of the highway, north of the hardware store, and south of Uvita. It is about 1 1/2 km in and is a really nice beach.
Caution: Do not leave valuables in your vehicle unless locked in the trunk. Never leave your things unattended.
Things to take with you: usual beach stuff and good walking sandals.
You will pay $6.00 per person upon entering the Park. The pass is good for all day, as many beaches as you chose to explore.
Playa Ballena / Playa Arcos :
Pristine beaches and crystal clear waters – a haven for whales and exotic wildlife. There are a number of beaches included in the National Park. You will pay $6.00 per person upon entering the Park. The pass is good for all day, as many beaches as you chose to explore.
This is a long and beautiful beach, with a boardwalk entrance over the Mangrove swamp area. You can also access this beach area from the Villa Leonore Beach Club.
Directions: There is signage for this beach on the highway; you turn off the highway at the Goathouse restaurant.
Cautions: there is often security here, but still do not leave valuables out our in sight. Never leave your things unattended.
Things to take with you: usual beach stuff
Playa Pinuela:
This beach is a nice, calm bay where the local fishermen often tie their boats. The high tide line is a bit rocky, but the rest of the beach is beautiful. Great for walking, you can drive in close to the beach and park under the trees in the shade, not far to carry your things. The locals and fishermen come to this beach, often camping under the trees.
Directions: Follow signage from the highway…100 yards north of the Pinuela Restaurant; with a bus stop at the entrance to the beach. Follow the road in, park where you want. I usually go to the left as far as I can, the beach is nicest there and I can watch my car easily. On the weekends there are often Park Attendants there and you will need to pay an entrance fee. There are now washroom facilities here.
Caution: Do not leave valuables in your vehicle unless locked in the trunk. Never leave your things unattended.
Things to take with you: usual beach stuff and refreshments.
Playa Ventanas:
This beach is a small, protected beach, by the jungle that is one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica and very popular with the residents of the area. At low tide you can walk right into the two caves carved by the waves.
Directions: You can access the beach by turning in at the “Playa Ventanas” sign, about 1 km north of the Ventanas Gas Station. You will travel down the road to the parking lot. The attendants will tell you where to park, charge you for parking and security. With Lifeguards!
Caution: Even though there is security here, do not leave valuables in your vehicle unless locked in the trunk. Never leave your things unattended.
Things to take with you: usual beach stuff and refreshments.
Playa Tortuga:
This beach is long, beautiful and is near the mouth of the Tortuga River, a great beach for walking! An amazing sunrise or sunset walk!! You do have to watch the tide table, because you have to cross a river.. and it gets deep at high tides.
Directions: just south of Ojochal, turn toward the beach, on the south side of the first bridge. Drive for about a km, on a trail along the river, past the Reserva Tortuga- a place to learn about wildlife in the area, and they do Turtle patrols, etc. Park above the high tide, trash line and walk to the beach area. It is illegal in Costa Rica to drive or park your car on the beach, so stay above the high tide line/ trash line!
Caution: Do not leave valuables in your vehicle unless locked in the trunk. Never leave your things unattended.
Things to take with you: usual beach stuff, good walking sandals, and umbrella because there is no shade at this beach.