Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From the park's Uvita entrance, a short path leads to Playa Uvita. Walk south along the beach to where the sand narrows into the tombolo, a bar of sand and rock that at low tide joins the shore to Punta Ballenas. Seen from the air, the bar and the reef beyond it make the shape of a whale's tail. Walk out to the rocks at the point, with the forested coastal hills behind you, and return the same way.
It is 3.6 km there and back on the flat; allow about an hour, longer if you explore the rock pools. The grade is Easy: firm sand and wet rock.
The bar can only be walked in the hours around low tide, so check the tide table at the entrance and turn back well before the tide rises. Watch out for rip currents and river mouths. There is no shade on the bar: bring water, a hat and sun cream.
The Uvita sector is open daily from 7am to 5pm; non-residents pay US$6.78, by card only, and the ticket is valid all day. Paid car parks lie beside the entrance; leave nothing of value in sight. Humpback whales visit the bay from December to April and from July to November.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- At low tide a sand and rock bar, shaped like a whale's tail, joins Playa Uvita to Punta Ballenas
- Humpback whales come to the bay twice a year: from the north from December to April and from the south from July to November
- Coral grows on the reefs beside the tail and around Isla Ballena offshore
- The park belongs to the Osa Conservation Area, the same one as Corcovado
Getting there
Start: Sector Uvita entrance. 9.15484, -83.74832
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Osa: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.