There are many fantastic things to do in Uvita, and when planning your trip to Costa Rica, a consider including it in your itinerary. The uniqueness of this small town lies in its wild beaches, including the one in Marino Ballena National Park, in the migration of whales, and in the rich and lush tropical vegetation with breath-taking waterfalls.
My sister and I spent a few days in Uvita during our recent trip to Costa Rica (my second to the country, and definitely not my last) and loved it – we are eager to go back!
This small but vibrant town will captivate you thanks to the combination of many fun activities while maintaining its easygoing atmosphere. Mostly frequented by surfers, Uvita fills up during high season, when two popular events held each year take place: the Whale and Dolphin festival and the Envision Festival, Costa Rica’s largest hippy gathering.
Located on the southern Pacific coast, not far from Dominical, Uvita spreads out on both sides of Costanera Sur Road. On the west side, there is the ocean with the incredible colors of the sunset; and, on the other side, the hills are covered by a lush jungle with spectacular ocean views.
You will find small stores, restaurants, great accommodation options, many tour companies to book your daily activities and a Saturday market.
Uvita is also an ideal starting point for exploring other famous and unmissable places to visit in Costa Rica, such as Nauyaca Waterfalls and Corcovado National Park.
Are you curious to find out more? Continue reading there. In this post, I will tell you what to do in Uvita in any season, and share my best tips to make the most of your time there.
Best Things To Do In Uvita
Visit Marino Ballena National Park
Do you want to witness one of the greatest shows of nature? Would you like to admire whales jumping in their natural environment? Visiting Marino Ballena National Park is definitely one of the unmissable things to do in Uvita – this is one of the most impressive national parks in Costa Rica.
If you want to see whales, Marino Ballena National Park is best visited from December to mid-March and from the end of July to mid-October. Unfortunately the whale season had just ended when we visited, but we still found this to be a pretty epic place!
Marino Ballena National Park is certainly the most popular tourist attraction in Uvita. The long and golden beach is lapped by the warm waters of the bay, and, when the tide recedes, the whale-shaped isthmus reveals itself in all its beauty.
This scenery alone is worth the trip. Ironically, this exact spot is where pods of humpback whales migrate to reproduce. These large mammals, often accompanied by dolphins, are so beloved that there is a dedicated festival in Uvita (more about it in a bit).
Along the shore and in the sea, you can enjoy epic activities such as long walks, horseback riding, snorkeling, boat and kayak trips to spot whales and dolphins, just to mention a few.
You can definitely visit Marino Ballena National Park independently – that’s what we did. Just make sure to check out the tide before you go, as when it rises you can’t get to the whale’s tail which is the main attraction.
Of course, visiting with a guide ensures a better wildlife experience (yes, there are other animals other than whales to be seen here). For example, you could consider this walking tour of Marino Ballena National Park that lasts 3 hours and is available in a variety of languages. There are 3 daily departures.
My post A Useful Guide To Marino Ballena National Park shares more information and tips to help you plan your visit.
Go whale watching (when in season)
Whale watching is definitely what to do in Uvita if you are there during the migration season. Humpback whales pass along the coast twice a year: from the end of July to mid-October and from December to mid-March.
The thrill of spotting the whales’ splash and perhaps seeing them swim and jump in the water is unimaginable. When they pass next to your boat or under it, you do feel small but, at the same time, fascinated by how graceful they are.
Out of season, before booking any tours, ask what the chances of spotting whales are.
Obviously no reputable tour company gives it for granted but if the chances are too low, since the price is quite high, you will have to decide if you want to take your chances. For example, when we visited they gave us a 40% chance of spotting whales and we decided to give it a miss.
Whale watching expeditions usually starts with a short security briefing. They last from 3 to 4 hours and run with small boats that can carry 15 to 20 passengers.
On lucky days you will see the giant tale of this mammal that weighs more than 40 tons and maybe a mum with her calf, different species of dolphins such as spotted, bottlenose and spinners, sea turtles and seabirds.
RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL TIP: Enjoy admiring whales, but respect them: don’t shout, don’t tip the captain of the boat to get closer to animals and don’t throw anything from the boat. Animals have great sensitivity, and, if not disturbed, they will probably be the ones to approach.
I recommend this whale watching expedition from Uvita. The tour departs every morning and lasts 3 hours. You will also get drinks and snacks to keep you going. Make sure to bring a hat, apply sunscreen and bring your binoculars.
Check out the local market
If you love local markets like I do, go to Uvita market on Saturday mornings. Here you can try real local flavors, browse the various products, and support small local growers and producers.
Local farmers and artisans offer a wide variety of fresh and organic products such as bread, pastries, eggs, coffee, honey, jams, sauces, fruit, vegetables, local handicrafts and jewelry.
By buying excellent fresh fruit to eat as a snack during the day, or souvenirs for friends and family, you will not only eat something healthy and buy unique local gifts, but also help local families.
Uvita market is located just off Costanera Sur Road, along a side road, next to the soccer field. You can find it every Saturday from 08:00 am till 1:00 pm. If you wish to visit, make sure to bring cash as cards aren’t usually accepted at markets.
Visit Cascada Verde / Uvita Waterfall
There are many amazing waterfalls in Costa Rica. Although Cascada Verde is not the most spectacular, I recommend it as one of the best things to do in Uvita because it is off the beaten path and mostly frequented by locals.
It’s easy to find. Just outside Uvita, heading inland in the rainforest and up the hills, you have to follow the signs to Cascada Verde hostel. There are two trails to get there: at the bottom of the hills, on the dirt road, you will easily see a panel that marks the first entrance, that avoids the steps and goes flat along the river. On the way, you’ll pass by a Butterfly House.
For the second entrance, you must continue with your car on the dirt road until you reach the restaurant. A staircase starts from here and leads you immediately to the main waterfall.
Both paths are well marked but you need to pay attention to the wet rocks as they might be slippery.
At Uvita Waterfall, the water cascades into a deep natural pool, ideal for a nice jump, and continues along the river with smaller jumps creating many natural pools.
A wooden boardwalk goes next to the river, allowing people to access the pool they prefer via trampolines and ladders to climb up and down. There are large rocks where you can sit and relax. The water is cold but refreshing!
On the main waterfall there’s also a natural water slide. You can lay down, let the water take you to a drop of about two meters and have fun! Pura vida!
The landscape at Uvita Waterfall is beautiful – surrounded by the thick green jungle. Keep your eyes open as you may spot a sloth and another wild animals.
Cascada Verde is open daily from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. It usually gets very crowded during weekends. A small entrance fee is charged. Don’t forget to take your swimsuit, water shoes, towel, mosquito repellent, sunscreen and water. If you get hungry, there’s a restaurant at the top of the waterfall. That’s where you will also find bathrooms and changing rooms.
Attend the Envision Festival
Envision Festival is a celebration of life, love, sense of community and connection with nature.
If you are in the area between late February and early March, attending this festival is what to do in Uvita!
The festival – one of the most important in Costa Rica – promotes the importance of nature and its preservation. You will be able to attend beach clean-up sessions, tree planting ceremonies and most of the food for sale at the festival is by local farmers in order to support the local communities.
Let me stress that this is definitely a hippie festival, so people attending are there to meet new people and culture, to have different experiences – and there normally is no shortage of alcohol. You definitely need to go with an open mind.
During the festival you can enjoy a week of live music, all sorts of performances and art, yoga classes and workshops in gorgeous setting, just outside Uvita, where the lush jungle meets the beach.
The festival is really nicely organizes so it’s easy to attend whether you are traveling solo or with your friends.
If you don’t wish to rent a car in Costa Rica, you can get there (and back) by shuttle from the airport in San Jose. You will find various camping sites suitable for all kind of travelers, including families with kids. They organize excursions and you will have a chance to try local food.
The exact dates vary every year so make sure to check the official website to find out more.
Attend the Festival de Ballenas y Delfines, Uvita’s Whales and Dolphins Festival
The massive migration of humpback whales is something so unique, magnificent and important that must be celebrated.
September is the best time of year to see whales in Uvita. For this reason, during the first two weekends of September, the Festival de Ballenas y Delfines (Whales and Dolphins Festival) takes place in Uvita to honor the arrival of the whales. The festival also aims to teach how important it is to protect the marine ecosystems.
Hundreds of humpback whales settle in the sheltered waters of Bahia Ballena and Drake Bay to mate and give birth to their youngs. Dolphins can be spotted too, making the entire show even more incredible.
During the Whales and Dolphin Festival, you can join whale watching tours, guided walks in the Marino Ballena National Park, participate in sand sculpture competitions, attend all sorts of performances, concerts, and cultural events and even participate in environmental workshops.
As the focus is whales, the highlight is obviously a whale watching expedition – during which you’ll have the chance to spot several species of whales and dolphins, as well as sharks, turtles, and many kinds of birds.
Attending the Festival de Ballenas y Delfines is one of the best things to do in Uvita for families with children. The rationale for that is that the preservations of these mammals and their marine habitats depends on younger generations’ understanding, engagement and future behavior.
Take surfing lessons in Marino Ballena National Park
Surfing is easily one of the unmissable things to do in Uvita, and if you want to give this sports a try for the first time, this is the right place to do it. The water temperature is always pleasant, the reef is such that there are no dangerous currents or strong waves, and surfing schools about and are great.
Surfing lessons will teach you how to stand on a surfboard. You will learn the basic skills for surfing in the ocean, and local instructors will provide advice and answer all your questions, and always be by your side as you learn.
If you are a beginner, you will be probably start in the shallow water in the southern end of the beach in order to have more chances to stand up on your board. There are also lessons for those who master the basic skills for surfing but want to improve.
If you are traveling to Costa Rica with your family, this is actually a fun thing to do! Children from 5 years old are welcome in most of the schools, which will have the right gear and surfing boards for them too.
My recommendation is to ask locally about surfing lessons – things like the tide, currents and the weather all come into play, as well as your swimming skills and your surfing skills if you have any. Having said so, there are lots of schools that offer online bookings for surfing lessons.
For example you could consider this surfing lesson operated by the best instructors in the area and sold by Travel Costa Rica. It lasts 3 hours and all equipment is provided. There will be an instructor every 3 “students” so it’s quite a good ratio to have a good time and still learn a lot.
Visit Playa Hermosa
Going to the beach is what to do in Uvita for a relaxing time. If you are looking for a quiet, uncrowded and free to access beach, consider going to Playa Hermosa. This beach is characterized by dark bronze sand, a lush jungle backdrop and it is a fantastic sunset spot.
This long beach is quite wild and untouched – in fact, there are no building in the area. It is never crowded, but you might find more people on weekends and during holiday season. During peak season there are locals who sell pipa fria (coconut water), snacks and drinks right at the access.
My advice is to get there in the afternoon and stay for the sunset when the sky turns to yellow, pink, red and purple: the atmosphere is even more beautiful then!
Playa Hermosa, along with Playa Colonia, is one of the main beaches in Uvita where beginners come to practice surfing. Waves are small and the breaks are very consistent.
You can definitely swim at Playa Hermosa, but I recommend staying close to the shore and keeping an eye on your children because of rip currents.
Relax at Playa Pinuela
I can’t possibly mention all the beaches in Uvita – so I decided to pick the ones I liked the most. And among them, there’s definitely Playa Pinuela. What makes Playa Pinuela one of a kind is the presence of 3 twin rocks (called Tres Hermanas, that means tree sisters) in the ocean background.
The sun sets just behind the Tres Hermanas, and it is quite a sight!
Playa Pinuela is a crescent shaped beach with a green forest in the background. When the tide is high you will see only a strip of stones perfectly shaped by the water, while when the tide is low you can easily walk and play on the sand.
This small beach is usually very quiet, so you can relax, enjoy the sun, the view and have a swim – the sea is typically quite calm here. Occasionally, you may also spot local fishermen coming back with their catch.
Go to Nauyaca Waterfalls
Nauyaca Waterfalls are the most impressive waterfalls of Costa Rica and, thanks to their beauty, height and the possibility of swimming in the natural pool, they are one of the unmissable things to do in Uvita.
Nauyaca Waterfalls are just 30 minutes drive from Uvita and they are definitely worth the journey. They are a perfect place to visit on a day trip from Uvita (and even from Manuel Antonio, though driving from there takes a bit longer).
From the main park entrance, which is actually along the main street, you have the option of hiking to the waterfall along an easy 8 km (about 5 miles) trail (there and back), riding a horse or hopping on a jeep (which is what we did) – you can really spend a full day enjoying a variety of activities there!
If you want to do ride a horse or the jeep, you really need to book in advance via the official website as availability can be limited in peak season.
The waterfalls hide in a canyon that is approximately 80 meters (262 feet) wide and is surrounded by the lushest forest. The highest waterfall is about 45 meters (147 feet) tall and there are multi-tiered waterfalls with natural pools at the bottom.
The pool in front of the waterfalls is the deepest. The water is fresh and the current is very strong: swimming here is not easy and trust me, I am a very experienced swimmer. But there are other pools further down where even children can play safely.
For the perfect photo, go to the viewpoint and you’ll have the best view of the waterfall. Then, get ready to go down 100 steps to reach the pools!
If you don’t wish to drive in Costa Rica, transportation is included in this tour starting from Uvita and that starts about 5 hours.
Make sure to read my post A Complete Guide To Nauyaca Waterfalls for more information on visiting this incredible place.
Go snorkeling or diving in Caño Island
A day trip to Caño Island is one of the unmissable things to do in Uvita. To be fair, we only visited because whale watching season has already ended when we were in Uvita, but what an amazing discovery it was!
The day spent at Caño Island will remain etched in my memory as one of the best days of my life: it was exciting to swim so close to giant turtles, rays and so many fish. Goosebumps, joy and excitement are the emotions I want to share with you and I hope they will convince you to have this incredible experience.
Caño Island or Isla del Caño is a small island and a top destination to snorkel and scuba dive in Costa Rica thanks to its coral reef, marine biodiversity and beaches.
It has been a protected area since 1978 because of its ecological, natural and biological value and it has its own permanent ranger station to preserve wildlife and nature. This means that there aren’t many tourists there – in fact, daily access is capped.
On the other hand, if you are keen on visiting you have to book a guided tour in advance.
Boat tours depart from the beach in Uvita (you literally get on the boat inside Marino Ballena National Park). The boat ride to the island takes about one hour. The sea might be rough – I recommend taking motion sickness pills if there are chances you may get seasick.
During the boat ride you’ll have the chance to spot turtles, dolphins and different species of birds. Once you reach the island, you will make several stops for snorkeling.
You’ll be provided with snorkeling equipment (mask, snorkel, fins and a life jacket). You really don’t need to be an experienced swimmer to enjoy the activity (which makes it perfect if you are traveling with your family). And in any case, guides are always nearby to help and show you all marine life around.
There are usually two guided snorkeling sessions that last about 1.5 hours each in different areas so you get more opportunities to see different fish, manta rays, sharks and corals – but the highlight is seeing so many turtles! Take a rest and eat something between the two sessions as you need strength to swim.
You will also be able to get off at Caño Island, where you can go on the short talk to reach the viewpoint.
Several tour companies in Uvita offer this kind of experience. We booked our tour with Pacific Expeditions and recommend them wholehartedly because the guides were very kind and professional. The guides will even jump in the water with you and take photos for you which they will share at the end of the tour, so you don’t have to worry if you don’t have a GoPro.
During dry season the visibility in the water is the best. We did the tour in November, a rainy month, and, as you can see from the photos, the visibility was fine and it was good fun.
The Cano Island tour with Pacific Expeditions includes pick up from your hotel in Uvita, snorkeling equipment, snacks during the tour and a lunch at the very end of the tour.
My post How To Visit Caño Island shares more detailed information to help you plan your visit.
Enjoy Pozo Azul with the locals
Are you looking for a real hidden gem? Pozo Azul is a small waterfall but it’s an experience that you can share with locals, something real genuine!
We discovered it by pure chance to be honest – but I want to mention it because it’s a piece of real Costa Rican life.
As we were driving from Manuel Antonio to Uvita, the GPS in the car pointed to a waterfall that was a short detour. My sister and I decided to go and we found just a bunch of local kids having fun and a couple jumping in the water with the Tarzan swing.
If you are looking for more things to do in Uvita that aren’t too touristy, this is definitely a good option.
Go to Corcovado National Park
Visiting Corcovado National Park is what to do in Uvita if you want to experience a really wild, diverse and untouched part of the country.
The Corcovado National Park tour was the one I most looked forward to and was most anxious about during my trip in Costa Rica. I had heard about the wilderness and the beauty of the Corcovado National Park but I didn’t know exactly what to expect.
Corcovado National Park has huge variety of wildlife and outstanding sceneries – it’s famous for its biodiversity. Thanks to being the first protected area of the region, endangered animals such as jaguars, pumas, ocelots and tapirs still survive inside the thick forest of the Corcovado National Park.
I did the 3-day and 2-night tour of Corcovado with Osa Wild and I recommend a similar experience. It’s not a cheap thing to do, but I assure you that the experience will stay with you forever.
It takes time to visit such a big park and to spot wild animals in nature, so you should not rush it. Nature works in its own schedule and besides, there are better moments to explore, such as very early in the moments morning when animals are more active, and only by sleeping in one of the stations inside the national park you can experience that.
If you don’t have time to spend at least a night inside the park, you can still visit on a day trip from Uvita such as this one – I will try to give you all the information so that you know how to plan that. But in all fairness, I cannot recommend it.
One-day tours start early in the morning with a boat ride to one of the stations in the park. The sea may be rough, so bring seasickness tablets and a rain jacket or poncho. During the journey you will probably see turtles, dolphins, whales (if it is in season).
Once you get to the station the guide will brief you about the park, the itinerary you will be following and a few basic safety rules. You will then begin exploring.
Most of the trails are flat, but the heat, humidity and muddy terrain make walking feel intense. You’ll have plenty of time to admire the lush vegetation, watch birds, insects and look for hidden wild animals and reptiles.
On a lucky day you will spot howler and white-faced capuchin monkeys, sloths, raccoons, coatis, tapirs, toucans, woodpeckers, owls, pelicans, eagles, snakes and big spiders, just to mention a few. If you are really lucky, you will also see pumas and jaguars.
Day trips from Uvita to Corcovado National Park also include a buffet-style (though quite basic) lunch at the station, where there are also bathrooms. Admittedly, if you do just a day trip you will only spend 3 hours or so roaming around the park which in my opinion are just not enough to take it all in – and tours are quite expensive for such a short time.
This day trip to Corcovado National Park from Uvita is a good option if you have limited time. It includes the boat ride, an experienced guide who will help you admire wildlife and knowledgeable about the local flora and who be carrying a telescope to better spot wildlife, as well as lunch, drinks and snacks,
Pin It For Later!
