You may have heard about Costa Rica’s famous whale tail beach on TikTok or Intagram while looking into Costa Rica travel. This beach is popular spot among tourists, not just for the unique shape of the beach at low tide, but also its stunning scenery. It is surrounded by lush rainforests and has far less crowds than many of the other beaches you will visit in Coat Rica. Uvita Whale Tail beach is a natural wonder, and although best viewed from above, there are plenty of things to see and activities to do surrounding this area.
If you’re looking for the ultimate guide for Uvita Whale Tail Beach, look not further! This article will provide you with everything you need to know for your visit.
Best Time to Visit Uvita Whale Tail Beach
The best time to visit is in the dry season between December and April. During this time you will find there is a lot less rainy days and will be able to enjoy the sun.
If you are looking for humpback whale watching opportunities, late August or the first two weeks of September will be the best time to visit.
The best time of day to visit the beach will depend on the time of low tide and the time of high tide. You will need to go to low tide to be able to walk along the whale tail section of the beach. During high tide this section will be fully covered by water. You can check the best time for low tide here. I would recommend going at a time that you will be there near the end of low tide as it is a cool experience to see the tide come in.
How to Visit the Whales Tail Beach
The beach is located in the Marino Ballena National Park (the National Marine Whale Park) and the best way to get to it is by rental car. If you do not have a rental car, you can hire a shuttle company to take you to this beach. Parking will be available at the park entrances.
There are currently four entrance areas to Ballena national park. Make sure you are entering through the right one, at Playa Uvita. Otherwise you will have quite a long walk along the beach to get to the whales tail. If you do enjoy long walks on the beach, this might not matter too much for you.
What you Should Know Before Visiting
If you are planning to visit this beach, there are a few things you should know. These are just some housekeeping things that will prevent any surprises on your day trip to the Whales Tail Beach!
Opening Hours: 7 am to 4 pm Daily
Cost: $6 USD per tourist or 1000 per local.
- Seniors, age 65 and over, and infants, under age 2 are FREE.
- The National Park does not accept cash. Debit or Credit payments only. Each ticket will give you a full day access to the 15km coastline.
Parking: There is an area to park at the main entrance. If that area is full, you can park across the street/down the road. There is parking also available at the other entrances if you choose to enter there.
Amenities: There are bathrooms at the entrance of the park and a little shower station to rinse your feet off after the beach.
Park Rules
- No pets permitted in the park.
- No drones permitted in the park.
- No smoking, alcohol or marijuana permitted in the park.
- No fires
- No horseback riding
- You are not allowed to take anything from inside the park home, ie. sand, rocks, plants etc.
Playa Uvita Beach
The whale tail at low tide is a highlight of the Playa Uvita Beach, however the beach is also just a nice place to relax, swim and enjoy the weather. If you do choose to swim here, be mindful of riptides.
Marino Ballena National Park Activities
There is more to do than just visiting the infamous Uvita Whale Tail in this national park. Here I will provide you with a few popular activities, if the Whale Tail just isn’t enough for you.
Whale Watching Tours
What better place to go Whale watching than where the Whale Tail beach is located? Whale watching is a popular activity in the Ballena Park as Humpback whales migrate through this area between mid-July to late October and then again in December to late February. It is highly unlikely you will see any whales outside of this time frame, so if your goal is to see whales during your stay here make sure to visit between those times. On these tours you may also see pilot whales, dolphins and other species.
Uvita has their whale festival in the first two weekends of September. The festival celebrates the whales migration and whale watching tours are very popular during this time.
Snorkelling
Explore underwater coral reefs and diverse marine life at Ballena National Park. You can find several combo tours here that offer both whale watching and snorkelling in the same day. If you only want to do one, there are many tours that offer just snorkelling. If you have never gone snorkelling before, this would be the perfect place to try it out!
- Diving fins are not permitted in the Ballena National Park due to protections to the coral reefs.
Nature Walking
Ballena National Park is home to many animal species, including the howler monkey, toucans, crocodiles and more! You can go on a guided walking tour through the national park or walk through the park on your own. You are likely to see many different animals just walking on your own as I saw a sloth, parrots and toucans just on my way to the beach, outside the park entrance.