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Playa Uvita

Whale Watching Uvita, CR: Complete Guide

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Uvita is a small town on the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica’s Puntarenas province. It’s the country’s finest whale watching destination. Learn everything you need to know about visiting with this complete guide. Uvita is an uncrowded beach town. It’s complete with long stretching beaches, dense jungles, and lush waterfalls. The small and off the beaten path town has approximately 3,300 friendly inhabitants.

A UNESCO World Heritage Archaeological Site

Uvita was once inhabited by an indigenous community called “Bruncas”. Bruncas were prolific for their stonework. This region includes a handful of archeological sites. All famous for containing mysterious stone spheres from the Brunca legacy. Several are on display at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sitio Aqueológico Batambal. Yet, no one knows what they were for. There are theories, the most widely accepted is they’re a status symbol. Still, it’s only a theory.

Batambal
Sitio Aqueológico Batambal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a couple hours’ drive south from Uvita.

The UNESCO Archaeological Park is open daily from 8 am to 4 pm and does not charge for admission. Batambal is only a couple hours’ drive south, nestled in the back of a small village at the top of a hill. A young indigenous man from the Brunca lineage lives in the house in front of the site. This young man gives tours to those that would like one. Unfortunately, the tour is only in Spanish but is excellent all the same. He gives wonderful insight into his ancestral ancient civilization. I will be writing a complete article on the amazing experience for my next blog.

Envision Music & Arts Festival

This quiet village has grown tremendously since 2000. Settled on the Pacific coast, it’s known as Costa Ballena. Uvita is famous for hosting the annual music festival, Envision. Envision first opened its doors in 2001 and has been an annual celebration of music and nature since. This year, Envision will stretch seven days, from February 27th to March 6th, 2023. Participants enjoy art, music, surfing, workshops, and professionally hosted yoga classes too.

This once remote village is now the commercial center of the Costa Ballena region. Many expats from Europe and North America settled here. There is a strong diversity, comprised of English and Spanish in this tourism hub. Uvita is complete with restaurants and accommodations that cater to foreigners.

Envision Music Festival
Can you imagine a stage bumping music on this perfect beach?

Where to Eat

For the most affordable restaurants, stop into a “Soda.” Sodas offer a plate full of food for $2-3. Don’t forget to try some of the fresh seafood as well. Uvita has a taste for pizza shops. The best, and oldest, pizza joint is widely considered La Fogata. The Restaurante y Pizzeria La Fogata is open every day from noon to 9 pm.

Parque Nacional Marino Ballena

The region’s gem is the National Park that it’s named after, Parque Nacional Marino Ballena. Established in 1990 for the protection of the region’s abundant marine life. The National Park is an important area for humpbacks, false orcas, and pilot whales. Each species uses it for rearing calves.

Uvita and the National Park are perfect for whale watching. Humpback groups migrate from northern Cali and Alaska during one part of the year. Another group migrates from the south and Antarctica during another part. There are two prime seasons for seeing humpbacks. Between December and March, and again between August and October.

Hiking & Whale Watching
Keep an eye out for monkeys and sloths while hiking around the National Park.

The park features 5,510 hectares (13,616 acres), only 110 hectares (272) is on land. The National Park is government managed and open from 8 am to 4 pm daily. Official entrances are at the four ranger stations that include restrooms. Entry for foreigner’s costs $12 USD for adults, while kids 11 and under get in free.

The park’s abundant wildlife includes howler, capuchin, and squirrel monkeys. It also includes coatis, racoons, and sloths with the occasional puma or ocelot as well. There are four dolphin species present, spotted, spinner, common, and bottle nose. The park is home to three rare species of turtles too, olive ridley, pacific green, and the hawksbill.

Marino Ballena compromises one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, Cola de Ballena. Before my visit, I did not know about Playa Uvita. Because of this, my group did not walk far enough to see the man-made section that’s in the shape of a whale’s tail. This section of land, and rainforest, come to a point. Costa Rica distributed extra sand at the point, creating the design. This is in homage to the fact that it’s the best place to see humpback whales in the country.

Abundant Marine Life
The Marine Whale National Park is famous for its abundance of marine animals.

Getting Here

Getting to Uvita can be difficult. The easiest and most expensive would be with a rental car and Google Maps. Yet, with expensive comes freedom, and the ability to camp around the country at any time. I recommend looking into Nomad America for rental cars in Costa Rica. Check out my blog about the country’s capital San José, where I cover Nomad America in detail. A tourist shuttle is the next best option but also pricey.

bus from the Tracopa Terminal in south central San José. The last bus departs at 640 pm. Make the easy transfer upon arrival to Quepos. The trip should be around four and a half to five hours total. My group and I went with Nomad America and loved our decision. Unfortunately, because of this, I cannot provide accurate prices for the bus.

Climate Expectations

This adventure destination is in the Tropics and has consistent weather year-round. It experiences hot temperatures and a high humidity. Temperatures range between 30°C (86°F) and 34°C (93°F). March tends to be the hottest month, while January is the coldest. October tends to be the wettest on record with 620mm (24.4 in) of rainfall. In stark comparison is February, the driest, with 32mm (1.3 in).

Ocean Front
Take a break from the rigorous road and relax where the rainforest meets the sand, at Playa Uvita.

My Experience

My group made it a precedent to camp for our accommodations. Yet, upon arrival to Uvita, it was raining, and I mean dumping. Everything had flooded, from pools to parking areas. Even the grounds of the hostel we stayed at. We were lucky to find affordable last-minute accommodations through Hostelworld. We found more expensive choices on Booking.com but decided to save a couple bucks via the budget option.

My group and I hurried our way through Uvita. In retrospect, I would have liked to take a little more time and enjoy what the area has to offer. It’s a beautiful region, where the rainforest meets the sand and the world’s vast pool of saltwater. It’s incredible, but not the best place to be during the rainy season. We were there in June, the start of wet season. So much of the area flooded, that I couldn’t imagine what it must be like in November.

Final Thoughts

I would love to visit Uvita during the one-week Envision Music and Art Festival. It could be fun to spend another week exploring the southern coast, and the Osa Peninsula. It’s a beautiful area covered in National Parks. There’s an extensive number of ecosystems that include a variety of biodiversity. This region is incredible and deserves proper exploration. This would most likely be where I’d visit next time around.

Hiking Trails
Get lost in the hiking trails scattered around the National Park.

Quick Notes

  • Entrance to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Sitio Arqueológico is Free 8 am to 4 pm daily
  • Envision Music & Arts Festival is February 27th to March 6th, 2023
  • Parque Nacional Marino Ballena is $12 for adult foreigners and free for kids 11 and under 8 am to 4 pm daily
  • There are four entrance stations with entry to Playa Uvita (Uvita Beach) and Cola de Ballena (Whale’s Tail)
  • Bus from San José’s Tracopa Terminal to Quesada and transfer to Uvita (Last bus departs at 640 pm)
  • Rent a 4×4 with everything needed from Nomad America in San José

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