Free beaches
and plans

How to use this guide

This is for beaches and villages on Costa Ballena without paying the marine park fee. You need a car: the places are spread along the Costanera and several roads are gravel. There are two areas. North of Uvita are Playa Hermosa (Osa), about 5 km away, and the Dominical stretch, with Dominical village, Surfing at Dominical Beach and Dominicalito Beach, 3 km further south. To the south are Ojochal and El Pavón Waterfall, about 5 km inland.

With one day, stay in the north. If it is a Friday, start at the Dominical Eco Feria in the morning, move on to Dominicalito, which has gentler waves, and finish with the sunset at Playa Hermosa. Dominical's waves suit intermediate and advanced surfers; for learning, Dominicalito and Playa Hermosa fit better. The Uvita farmers’ market (Mercado Bahía Ballena) opens on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8:00 to 14:00, so you can start there on one of those days.

The south fits into half a day: Ojochal is a quiet village and El Pavón is a small waterfall with a large rock wedged at the top and a pool popular with local families. Playa Linda and Playa Matapalo, about 11 km north of Dominical, are the longest and emptiest option, with almost no buildings and no services. If you are short of time, skip them and keep to Dominicalito and Playa Hermosa.

Tips

• Playa Hermosa has showers and lockers for $1. Thefts from parked cars have been reported: leave nothing in sight.
• At Dominicalito the beach and parking are free, but there are no toilets, showers or lifeguards. With a low car, park at the entrance.
• At El Pavón, do not jump from the rock: the pool is not deep. In the rainy season, a high car helps on the gravel road.
• When the sea is big at Dominical, the surf schools move their lessons to Dominicalito.
• Playa Linda and Playa Matapalo are a turtle nesting beach: do not touch nests or turtles, and watch out for currents.