Uvita, located in the canton of Osa, is a small town, famous for the whale’s tail located in the Marino Ballena National Park. Over the last few years the town has grown to become the center of tourism that reaches the region, as it is close to several notable places such as the Nauyaca Falls and the Manuel Antonio National Park, which can be reached in just an hour by car. In addition, it offers whale and dolphin watching tours, surf lessons, and snorkeling on the islands that adorn its beaches.

Nauyaca Falls

The Nauyaca Waterfalls are half an hour’s drive from Uvita, and can be visited before reaching the city. The ticket office is located in the middle of the road, it can be recognized by the huge colored letters that read Nauyaca. Once the tickets are bought at the box office, you have to take the car and go down a fairly steep dirt road of about a kilometer. It is also possible to hire a complete package to take you directly to the waterfall in the back of a van, a very ethical experience. The falls are amazing!

Marino Ballena National Park

The Marino Ballena National Park was founded in 1992, covering more than five thousand marine and almost 200 terrestrial hectares, and a coastline of 15 kilometers in length. It was the first marine park in Central America. The park officially opens every day from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., although its doors never really close. The park has areas to eat and camp, bathrooms and showers, and parking, although it does not have drinking water or food sales within the enclosure, but there are sodas very close where you can have lunch. The park has three main attractions, in addition to its incredible beaches: the whale’s tail, Ballena Island and the Tres Hermanas islets.

The tail of the whale is a natural set of rocks and sand washed away by the tides, which are shaped like a whale’s tail. When the tide is low, the tail joins Uvita beach, and you can walk to it, while at high tide it is dangerous. It can also be accessed by boat. From the beach you can hardly see the shape of a whale’s tail, from where it is best appreciated from the heights, flying over in a small plane.

Whale watching tour

In whale season, July to November, many boat tours are offered to see them. The boats leave at 8:30 AM and the tour lasts approximately three hours. The tour also includes snorkeling with a mask and tube in the dry season, or in the rainy season if you are lucky and the water is calm and the tides are not very rough. Humpback whales, the most famous, are often seen in the area, although there are also blue and pilot whales. You can also see dolphins throughout the year, and if you are lucky, in migration season you can find a turtle!

Las Ventanas Beach

Ventanas is a small beach 500 meters long, located just 20 minutes by car from Playa Uvita (crossing a small river), which gets its name from the window shapes that have been created in the rocks that surround it.

Uvita is undoubtedly the ideal place to spend a varied vacation, with beaches, waterfalls and natural parks!