Costa Rica Beach Guide – Discover the beaches of the Pacific Coast in Costa Rica: Whale’s Tail Beach, Uvita, Dominical & Ojochal, Costa Rica
Nestled along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, this area is known for its massive uncrowded beaches. Known as the beaches of Costa Rica, the trio of Uvita, Dominical, and Ojochal offers a spectacular blend of natural beauty, adventure, and tranquility. From the iconic Whales Tail Beach in Uvita, to the energetic surf scene of Dominical, and the serene Ventanas Beach near Ojochal, this region captures the essence of “pura vida.”
After exploring Costa Rica for a year, we decided that we wanted to live in Uvita Costa Rica. This decision was based on the amazing combination of beach and jungle, the focus on wellness, the kind-hearted people, the close proximity of the mountains, the near-perfect weather, and the lush tropical rainforests. Casitas Del Rio Riverfront Nature Lodge was born out of a deep desire to share with others our Jungle and Beach Paradise; www.junglebeachvacation.com
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Whales Tail Beach (Uvita)
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Playa Dominical
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Playa Hermosa
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Playa Chaman
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Playa Ventanas
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Playa Tortuga
- Playa Dominicalito
- Playa Colonia
🐋 Uvita – Home of Whale’s Tail Beach
Uvita, part of the scenic Bahía Ballena region, is world-famous for Whales Tail Beach, a natural sandbar shaped like a whale’s tail visible at low tide. It lies within Marino Ballena National Park—a prime spot for whale‑watching tours during 10 months of the year(migration seasons).
This is Costa Rica’s largest marine National Park. The Whales Tail formation separates two MASSIVE beaches, to the south is the National Park Beaches, with 6 different entrances spanning 9 miles. To the north 9 miles is the free beach, Playa Herosa with 3 entrances.
Casitas Del Rio Riverfront Nature Lodge is strategically located 2km from Playa Hermosa and only a 10 minute drive to the Ballena Bahia National Park(Whales Tail Beach and National Park).
What to Do:
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Take a Guided Nature Tour in Whales Tail National Park, you may even see a Sloth!
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Take a whale‑watching tour—best from July–October and December–April .
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Enjoy calm swimming and the expansive Playa(Beach).
Whales Tail Beach is a must‑see icon among the beaches of Costa Rica.
🏄 Dominical – Surf, Sunsets & Vibes
Just north of Uvita, and 15-minutes North of Casitas Del Rio Riverfront Nature Lodge is Dominical Beach. Dominical beach is a surfer’s playground. Playa Dominical offers strong and consistent waves, ideal for seasoned surfers. The beach is a vibrant display of restaurants and souvenir vendors. Fridays is the weekly open air market and is the best day to visit.
Highlights:
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Epic surfing at Playa Dominical.
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Rustic beachfront culture—yoga, local crafts, live music, and sunsets.
- Dine along the River at Cafe Mono Congo, Restaurant at Rio Hotel, or visit Fuego Brewery!
🌺 Ventanas Beach – Perfect for Swimming
Further south near Ojochal, explore a hidden cove at Playa Ventanas. Playa Ventanas is located 15 kilometers from Casitas Del Rio Riverfront Nature Lodge. About an 18-minute drive South.
Best Choice for swimming! Best for smaller children. Best for beach vendors selling food, snacks, and ice cream. Great beach with a super large shallow area for walking a long way out. Protected from the surf in the bay. At low tide, the beach is the largest.
They also have a restroom building at this beach!
Located in a deeper cove making it protected from the waves. We vote this beach the best for swimming. Also, the best view of the mountains from the ocean, just an incredible view.
Another unique feature on this beach is the cave, named “Ventana” Spanish for window. You can see the ocean through the cave giving you a cool window to the Pacific!
If you book our Whale and Dolphin Tour, you will also visit this area on the tour. You will be able to see the Window to the Pacific cave from the boat.
The Vibe:
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Best for swimming as it is shallow with smaller waves.
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Local desert ice cream is available on the beach like a Churchill!
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Free parking and a public bath house/restroom.
🌊 Playa Hermosa – Why It Stands Out
This is the closest beach to Casitas Del Rio Riverfront Nature Lodge. Only 3.6km or about a 5-minute car ride.
Note: There are 3 different entrances all with parking. The entrance furthest north is not marked and is a gravel road just past a stream, ask us for details on this secret entrance.
This is a MASSIVE 9 mile long beach and it is totally FREE. Incredible sunsets and at the far South end is a lovely shallow river that is fantastic for bathing in and often has monkeys.
A lovely beach with some food vendors and surf lessons. Wide beach and easy and safe swimming. Note there are two entrances to Playa Hermosa off the Costanera highway. Both have food vendors, but only one has the surf school.
There are also showers available on the beach for 50 colones which is like a dime in US dollars.
The beach is massive and stretches for a long way. Many parts of the beach are not easily accessible except through the wildlife preserve across the river from Casitas Del Rio.
We suggest you sign up for our hiking trails with guide and take a hike through the jungle to the beach.
We also offer this in our Horseback Riding Tour to the Beach
You can also rent mountain bikes!
If you are interested in surf lessons contact +506-8465-6820
🌅Playa Chaman – Best for seeing Monkeys
Playa Chaman is only 5.5km from Casitas Del Rio Riverfront Nature Lodge. Another beautiful beach in Uvita and close to us. A lovely area to experience.
There are a couple of local restaurants close by there as well.
Parking is easy and free there.
Playa Tortuga – Turtle Beach
Another amazing beach so close to Casitas Del Rio Riverfront Nature Lodge www.junglebeachvacation.com
This beach is home to the turtle conservation project. Since 2009, they have released more than 50,000 baby turtles and saved on average 100 nests per season! You can tour the facilities and see this amazing beach.
Playa Pinuelas
Playa Piñuelas lies about 10 km (6 miles) to the south of Uvita. It is an easy and smooth drive on the Costanera Sur Highway (Ruta 34), and takes less than 10 minutes from Casitas Del Rio Riverfront Nature Lodge / www.junglebeachvacation.com
The beach has the views of the 3 sister rocks (Tres Hermanas) protruding from the ocean. If you are there around the time of the sunset, do not miss the sun setting beyond the 3 sister islands. It is one of the best I have seen in the region. With the dusk, watch the color play on the beach rocks and the reflections on the wet sand.
Playa Dominicalito – Near a waterfall
Another amazing beach so close to us at www.junglebeachvacation.com/ our Casitas Del Rio Riverfront Nature Lodge
Like Playa Hermosa, this beach is good for surfing. Waves are smaller than Dominical Beach so this is better for learning. The beach is widest at low tide. Easy access and no 4×4 needed. Also very close to a waterfall, Poza Azul. We suggest combining the two locations. Click here to see our complete Waterfall Guide.
Dominicalito is a beautiful gray sand beach, with an intermediate swell and loose stone located in the Southern Zone of Costa Rica. Like Dominical, it is a constant visit site for surfers, although this place is usually less crowded. On this beach you can enjoy the shade provided by the trees, tan on the sand or walk along the beach, while observing the islet that decorates the landscape within the sea.
Activities and services: Near Dominicalito they offer surf classes and some food sales.
Playa Arco – A Hidden Beach
Arco Beach – 8km from Casitas Del Rio Riverfront Nature Lodge. www.junglebeachvacation.com
Another Amazing Beach you can visit within minutes of Casitas Del Rio!
This is a bit of a secret beach since it is not well marked and many people don’t even know it exists. There are hiking trails on the property that are free for you to use. There is also a great restaurant there, Aracari Restaurant.
It is best to go to Arco Beach at low tide. At high tide, the beach is consumed by the ocean. At low tide the beach is massive and you can visit the archway in the rocks that forms a passage like a cave.
