Recreation

If you are into relaxation, you could stay in The Ballena Coast for the rest of your life.  If you are one of those on-the-move personalities, there are a number of wonderful unique diversions available to keep your average traveler adequately entertained for 3-4 days.

Beaches

The beaches in Costa Rica are dark sand, but just breathtaking.  We’ll list them in our order of preference.  Please remember never to leave any belongings in your car.

Ballena Beach overlooks the famous rock islands called Ballena Island and the Three Sisters.  Explaining is beyond the purpose of this website, but the easiest way to access Ballena Beach is behind the Katakolo restaurant between Ojochal and Uvita.  Order a beer at Cliff and Fred’s restaurant and go enjoy the beach, which might have 2 or 3 people on it.

Ventanas Beach is famous for its caves which go from the beach straight under the mountains to the ocean.  These caves fill up during high tide.  At low tide you can walk through the caves to the ocean on the other side.  The beach itself is nestled in a cove and is quite gorgeous.  Pay a very nominal fee (changes all the time) to park your car in the main lot, where it will be watched while you enjoy the surf.

Hermosa Beach is one of a zillion beaches in Costa Rica of the same name.  Hermosa Beach is located approximately 5 miles north of Uvita on a long straightaway of Highway 34.  Hermosa Beach is maybe not as attractive as the other beaches listed but is still quite nice.  The attraction of this beach is that you can park your car and literally walk 5 steps to the beach.  In fact, you can sit on your hood and enjoy the beach.  This beach is also fairly popular with surfers, so if you want to surf or watch surfing, find out the timing of high tide.

Pinuela Beach is the first beach North of Ojochal.  The locals might wonder why we are recommending this beach, but we find it to be quaint and, like Hermosa Beach, is extremely convenient (again, that hood of the car thing).  This is a local fisherman beach.  If you are an early bird, get there at sunrise to watch the local fishing boats unload their catch on the beach.  If you are not into paying $6 for entry to the beach, get there before 8:30 AM because the gate is open after that.

Fishing on Mako 1

Enjoy a day out braving the waves with Fisherman Mark on his twin engine 21 foot Mako.  Mark is a great even-keeled guy who has all the equipment and know-how to show you a great day of fishing!  If you’re not into fishing, we have seen schools and schools of dolphins and turtles every time we’ve gone out with Mark.  Mark also does snorkeling and hiking tours to Caño Island, Corcovado Park, and Drake’s Bay.  Snorkeling gear, food, beverages, snack, and park fees (where applicable) included.  The boat holds 4 people comfortably for fishing and 6 for tours.  Contact Mark at 506-787-8224 or mako1@pocketmail.com, and tell him Glen and Laura sent ya!

Paragliding

During the high season (December through May), have Marco and Max of the El Buena Vista Hotel Complex in Ojochal take you on a tandem paraglide.  It is a truly exhilarating experience!  Our rides were 40 minutes.  You jump off a building site not far from Costa Verde Estates and glide over the mountains for about 15 minutes, then gliding out toward the beach for 10 minutes or so of scenic flight, finally landing on the beach of Dominicalito Bay.  This is an experience of a lifetime!  You can contact Marco and Max at (506)786-5295 or contact@elbuenavista.com.

Rainforest trail and zipline tours at Hacienda Baru

Hacienda Baru is the 815 acre rainforest habitat reforested by Jack Ewing, famous locally for writing the book of wildlife short stories called Monkeys are Made of Chocolate.  Jack was one of the first known expatriates to move to the Ballena Coast.  At Hacienda Baru, you can enjoy zip-line tours through the rainforest canopy and walks on 3 km of trails.  One famous tour also includes an overnight stay in the rainforest.  This is also a popular bird-watching destination.  Guided tours are available daily.  Contact Hacienda Baru at 506-787-0003 or info@haciendabaru.com.

Tilapia Farm Waterfall

About 3 km south of Ojochal on Highway 34 is a turn-off to the town of Vergil, which is fairly non-descript.  To resolve this issue, take the left turn toward the Jungle Pet Lodge.  Take that road straight back into the jungle for 12-15 minutes, crossing several shallow streams.  When you reach the sign to the tilapia farm, turn right into the driveway.  Park your car and cross the street down a short trail to a gorgeous waterfall with a huge rock firmly ensconced in its mouth.  This is one of those treasures that remains fairly unknown, so it is remote and not at all congested.  After visiting the waterfall, go back across the street to enjoy the only plate the restaurant makes—deep fried whole tilapia with all the fixins.  No reservations necessary!

Dining

Aside from the grandeur of the breathtaking landscape, The Ballena Coast holds itself out to have the best restaurants within at least a 3 hour drive, especially in Ojochal.  Aside from taking in the sights, you should be extremely focused on eating as much as you can while you are there!  We don’t expand on it below, but for cheap local eats (probably best for lunch), check out Cevichero El Jardin south of Ojochal (different from Jardin Tortuga below), Mirador Manglares also south of Ojochal, and Kem-Vari just south of Uvita.

Citrus

Brand new on the scene, where euro-chique meets the jungle both in cuisine and setting.  At risk of creating controversy, Citrus represents world-class cuisine at unspeakably low prices as Exotica does (see below).  This is the same Marisella of the Manglarsur floating restaurant, which was closed a year ago to open Citrus.  The tradition of excellence continues.  The food is Euro-Latin fusion.  The menus are written in chalk and change daily.  It's official--Ojochal has the best cuisine, per capita, of any city, town, or village in Costa Rica.  Contact Marsella at 506-786-5175 or restaurocitrus@yahoo.ca.  This place was packed the day it opened.  Reservations are a must.

La Parcela

The food is great at this restaurant, but even if Charlie Trotter was back there, the view would win out no matter what.  This is high-end local food at its finest and at a reasonable price.  Go for lunch or before dark to enjoy the view off the open-air wooden deck restaurant.  There is a big sign for this restaurant ocean-side off Highway 34 about a 5 minute drive south of the Dominical entrance.  Dinner reservations advisable.  Contact them at 506-787-0241 or info@laparcela.net.

Exotica Bar and Restaurante

Aside from some 5-star restaurants in some of the worlds largest cities, this is some of the best gourmet food you are going to get in Costa Rica or otherwise.  Exotica is located about a 3-4 minute car ride into Ojochal along the main road.  Follow the signs, and you’ll get there.  Closed Sundays!  Reservations adviseable.  Contact Lucy, Robert, and Virginia at 506-786-5050 or exotica@racsa.co.cr.  Tell ‘em Laura and Glen Sent you!

Jardin Tortuga Restaurante

Deep across the river and past the Jucaloa grocery store in Ojochal is the unassuming but always inviting Jardin Tortuga restaurant.  Follow the signs, and you’ll get there.  Stefan is a German pizza chef who only makes two types of pizza, meat and vegetarian.  They are like crack, so to speak!  It really is amazing stuff.  Also on the menu are a pork tenderloin in gravy, lasagna, and the possibility of some one-off specials if Stefan feels so inclined.  Tell ‘em Laura and Glen sent you!  Call Stefan at (506) 786-5059.  Be careful to call first because he tends to close on Monday and/or Tuesday, depending on the time of year.

Maracatú

This restaurant boasts natural vegetarian cuisine with some of the most fresh ingredients available on the Ballena Coast.  Keep following the main road into the town of Dominical for 2 minutes, and you’ll see it on your right.  Contact them at 506-787-0091 or maracatudominical@gmail.com.

Lodging

Our apologies that we will not be making recommendations for lodging.  The world is small on the Ballena Coast, and we know enough hotel owners that we feel we cannot provide an unbiased listing without alienating friends.

Logistics

Costa Rica is famous for its inferior roads, a secret that’s not.  However, if you want to really experience Costa Rica in all its splendor, driving is the way to go.  We have yet to get a consensus number on the number of microclimates in Costa Rica, but they range from cold volcanoes to beaches bordered by rainforests to elevated cloud forests.  You must have the time for driving, though.  It is very slow going, and you must also have the patience.  If you are planning a driving trip to see the Caribbean coast, the Central Valley, Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula, Manuel Antonio, the Cloud Forest, the Osa Peninsula, and Costa Bellena, we guarantee you will go home with mental disorders that even the finest therapists wouldn’t be able to rid you of.  If you want to do a lot in one trip, fly and try to rent and return cars at your destinations.  IMPORTANT:  The drive from San Jose to the northern Ballena Coast is no less than 5 hours and can be as much as 7 depending on truck traffic!

Automobile Rental

Again, provided you are realistic and allot more time than you estimate for every destination, driving is the way to go.  The general belief is that renting a car is extremely expensive in Costa Rica.  Well, it is because of the extremely inflated price of automobiles.  However, there is one thing you can do to bring that cost down considerably.  Many rental car agencies in Costa Rica will allow you to waive the government-mandatory insurance, which is $18-25 per day, if your credit card will provide you with the same insurance.  Most platinum cards will do it.  In any event, call your credit card company in advance to ensure that they will cover it and to determine what their related rules are.

This one fact deserves a separate paragraph:  YOU WILL NEED A 4x4!  It doesn’t have to be a huge 4x4.  All you need is all 4 wheels moving at the same time.  The Daihatsu Terios will do you just fine.

Furthermore, we haven’t had good luck renting cars from the domestic companies in Costa Rica.  You will be better served with the national chains as far as car quality and reliability is concerned.  In general, you want to stay out of mechanic shops in Costa Rica at all costs, and some of the drives you will be making are through some fairly barren places.  We recommend Europcar.

If you want to drive one way to The Ballena Coast and fly back, rent from Alamo, drop your car off at the rental office at Villas Rio Mar in Dominical, and you can hire a driver to make the 50 minute ride to Palmar Sur airport where you can grab a 50 minute flight to San Jose.

Flying

Unless you catch a flight into Liberia in the northwest, 99% of you will be going to Juan Santamaria Intl Airport (SJO) in San Jose.  Most people agree that San Jose is a place for you to land and get the heck out of.  You don’t have to go far, though.  You can stay in one of the suburbs of San Jose—Alejuela and Escazú for example—and lead a fairly tranquil and pleasant existence. 

In any event, domestic flights are very affordable, comfortable, reliable, and convenient.  The two domestic airlines are Sansa Regional (www.flysansa.com) and Nature Air (www.natureair.com).  They are both about the same in all respects, so your choice could be purely based on convenience and schedule.  One thing of note is that the Sansa leaves from the domestic section of SJO, which is more convenient for those making direct connections in San Jose from internation flights.  All Nature Air flights leave from Tobias Bolaños Airport in San Jose and runs shuttles from there to SJO, so you connection would be more time-consuming. 

Furthermore, check the baggage restrictions for these airlines.  These are prop planes and the average restriction is 27 ½ pounds per person with overage at $1 per pound. 

Finally, being animal lovers, we would like to point out that for $15, you can bring one animal in cabin per person on Nature Air as long as it is 15 lbs. or less if it fits in one of the U.S.-approved in-cabin carriers.  Larger animals can be transported in the hold of the aircraft for an additional fee.  Please check the website for further details.