Uvita
Looking for a place where dolphins and whales share warm Pacific waters with surfers? Welcome to Uvita, Costa Rica, all the way down in the Pacifc South!
If you're coming here, make sure your package to Uvita complete with a whale and dolphin watching tour. Although you can sometimes see them offshore from your hotel, being up close on a boat is an entirely different experience.
Other tours to add to your vacation package include snorkeling, scuba diving, birdwatching, or a day trips to the Manuel Antonio and Corcovado National Parks.
The Best Hotels in Uvita
Uvita is about smaller, boutique hotels, most of focus on eco-awareness due to the lush nature surrounding them. This doesn’t mean you have to rough it, though. Not by a long shot.
Some of these hotels scream luxury, but also whisper a type of tranquility not found in many places.
Rancho Pacifico Resort
Tucked away off the beaten path in the lush mountains above the coast, is Rancho Pacifico, an adults-only resort that won the Conde Naste Award for Excellence in 2020.
It’s an intimate hotel with just seven rooms, so you get ultra-personalized attention from the staff. The property has a pool, restaurant, hot tub, and telescope for whale watching! Several onsite trails through the rainforest take you to a waterfall area, home to toucans, monkeys, sloths, and more.
Kura Boutique Hotel
Watching the sea and sky reflect off the infinity pool at Kura Boutique Hotel is beautifully relaxing. This boutique hotel perfectly fuses nature and design. Kura features eight luxury suites with king beds, sliding glass doors, ocean views, and terraces with romantic double hammocks.
Forbes named Kura “The most glamorous, romantic resort in Costa Rica.”
Villas Alturas
Villa Alturas could be for you if you want a more homey feel while staying in Uvita. The villas here have fully equipped kitchens, plenty of living space, a covered balcony, A/C, and wi-fi. Outside of the villas, you get a restaurant, pool, spa, and killer views of the “Whale's Tail” formation in the Marina Bellena National Park below.
You can even see whales from your balcony at certain times of the year!
Three Sixty Hotel
The Three Sixty Hotel offers an adults-only setting with an infinity pool and amazing ocean and rainforest views that give this hotel its name.
Oxygen Jungle Villas
Oxygen Jungle Villas is about luxury, privacy, and intimacy. It’s adults-only and caters to only 24 people at a time in 12 villas. Each villa has a private terrace, mini bar, rain shower, and large windows to bring light and nature in.
Around the property, you’ll find trails, sundecks, tropical gardens, natural swimming holes, waterfalls, and a fantastic infinity pool. There’s also a clubhouse and live music at night.
FAQs About Uvita Hotels and Rentals
Which is better, Uvita or Dominical?
It depends on what you're looking for. Uvita is more about nature and Dominical is more about surfing. As such, the beaches of Dominical is less suited for swimming than the beaches of Uvita.
Both have easy access to unforgettable tours and activities, like wildlife sanctuaries, horseback riding, and zip lining. They're both sleepy beach communities with laid back vibes.
Is Uvita worth visiting?
Uvita is recommended for those seeking nature, away from touristic hubs. It’s a small, tranquil spot perfect for a peaceful getaway. Nature lovers, birdwatchers, and surfers will all appreciate staying in Uvita.
What is Uvita known for?
During low tide in the Marino Bellena National Park, you can see a sandbar in the shape of a whale’s tail, which is probably the areas most famous feature, along with the whales that migrate here twice a year to breed. It’s now known for boutique hotels, whale and dolphin watching, snorkeling, diving, relaxation, spectacular rivers, waterfalls, and beaches.
Can I see whales in Uvita?
This is the place to go whale watching. Some guests have even spotted a whale from their hotel window. Can you believe that?
Where can I watch the sunset in Uvita?
From just about anywhere! One great spot is in the Marino Ballena National Park. Another coveted spot is the restaurant at the La Cusinga Lodge, where you can see Playa Arco, the national park, and the Whale’s Tail to compliment the sunset.
Is Uvita, Costa Rica, safe?
It’s a small town, and the beach is regularly patrolled, but there have been some robberies before. Leave unnecessary things at your hotel and keep an eye on your belongings at the beach and waterfalls, especially near Punta Uvita.