--- okf_version: "0.2" type: "Article" title: "Uvita & Marino Ballena National Park: Whales, the Fluke & the Sea" description: "Inside Marino Ballena National Park: humpback whales surfacing next to the boat, a low-tide walk out along the famous whale-tail sandbar, and the boutique hotel we nearly skidded backward off the mountain to reach." resource: "https://travelmemo.com/costa-rica/uvita-marino-ballena-national-park" language: en author: "Katja Birrer" publisher: "Travelmemo" photo_count: 7 tags: ["Experience", "Landscape", "Nature", "Costa Rica"] entities: - "https://travelmemo.com/author/katja-birrer" generated: { by: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/katja-birrer", at: 2026-07-04T12:39:46+00:00 } verified: - { by: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/walter-schaerer", at: 2026-05-15T08:07:13+00:00 } sources: - id: photos resource: uvita-marino-ballena-national-park.md#photos title: "Original photography by Reisememo | Walter Schärer" author: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/walter-schaerer" last_modified: 2026-02-20 timestamp: 2026-07-04T12:39:46+00:00 --- # Uvita & Marino Ballena National Park: Whales, the Fluke & the Sea > Uvita sits within Marino Ballena National Park on Costa Rica's Pacific coast, known for a sandbar shaped like a whale tail fluke and as one of the most important humpback whale migration corridors in the Pacific. ## Destination Uvita, Marino Ballena National Park, Pacific coast of Costa Rica, approximately 3.5 hours from San José. ## Getting there A 4×4 vehicle is required; the roads, including access to hillside accommodation, are steep, narrow dirt tracks with loose stones and potholes. Signs warning '4×4 only' appear frequently. ## When to go December to April for humpback whales from the Northern Hemisphere; July to October for whales from the Antarctic. Low tide is essential for walking the whale-tail sandbar. ## Why visit The iconic whale-tail sandbar can be walked at low tide with water on both sides, and the park is a key breeding ground for humpback whales from both hemispheres. ## What to see - **Whale-Tail Sandbar (Fluke)** — At low tide the sandbar extends far out to sea and gets flooded from both ends as the tide returns, creating a memorable soft-adventure walk. - **Humpback Whale Watching** — Boat tours of roughly 2–3 hours depart from Uvita beach; humpbacks surface close enough to hear them blow. Tours cost approximately USD 70–90; book early in high season. - **Nauyaca Waterfalls** — Less than an hour from Uvita, the upper fall drops about 40 meters over rocky ledges into natural swimming pools; the approach from the farther entrance passes through a botanical garden and rainforest and is less crowded. ## What to do - **Walk the Whale-Tail Fluke at Low Tide** — Head out barefoot on the sandbar at low tide and time your return before the incoming tide floods both ends simultaneously. - **Whale-Watching Boat Tour** — Book through a provider such as GetYourGuide; drinks and snacks are typically included. Wear sandals and expect to wade thigh-deep to board. - **Hike or Shuttle to Nauyaca Waterfalls** — A full-day excursion; a shuttle is available back to the parking entrance if the heat makes the return hike too strenuous. ## Good to know Park admission is roughly USD 6–7, open daily 7:00 AM–6:00 PM. The Kurà Boutique Hotel sits high above Uvita with eight rooms, an infinity pool overlooking the Pacific, and a steep, rough access road that genuinely requires a 4×4 — the hotel can arrange pick-up from the village parking area in their own vehicle. ## Photos ```yaml photos: - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/marino-ballena-tail-fin-sandbank-panoramic-view.webp" caption: "Schwanzflosse des Marino Ballena Nationalparks" keywords: ["Aussichtspunkt", "Costa Rica", "Kueste", "Marino Ballena", "Meerblick", "Naturschutzgebiet", "Palmen", "Panoramablick", "Pazifik", "Regenwald", "Reisememo", "Reisetipp", "Rundreise", "Sandbank", "Schwanzflosse", "Tropenvegetation"] captured: 2026-02-18 geo: {latitude: 9.1973, longitude: -83.744} credit: "Reisememo | Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/marino-ballena-national-park-boat-tour-uvita.webp" caption: "Touristen beim Einsteigen. Die Walbeobachtungstour startet direkt vom Strand von Uvita" keywords: ["Bootstour", "Costa Rica", "Ebbe", "Meeresschutzgebiet", "Nationalpark Marino Ballena", "Pazifikküste", "Reisememo", "Reisetipp", "Rundreise", "Strand", "Touristen", "Uvita", "Walbeobachtung"] captured: 2026-02-18 geo: {latitude: 9.1527, longitude: -83.7518} credit: "Reisememo | Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/marino-ballena-national-park-boat-tour-costa-rica.webp" caption: "Touristenboot bei einem der wichtigsten Walzugkorridore an der Pazifikküste" keywords: ["Bootstour", "Costa Rica", "Küstenlandschaft", "Palmen", "Pazifikküste", "Reisememo", "Reisetipp", "Rundreise", "Tropenboot", "Tropischer Regenwald"] captured: 2026-02-18 geo: {latitude: 9.1516, longitude: -83.7516} credit: "Reisememo | Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/kura-boutique-hotel-terrace-pacific-costa-rica.webp" caption: "Moderne Tropenarchitektur verschmilzt im Kura harmonisch mit der üppigen Regenwaldlandschaft." keywords: ["Boutique Resort", "Costa Rica", "Kura", "Kura Boutique Hotel", "Luxushotel", "Meerblick", "Nachhaltige Architektur", "Pazifik", "Regenwald", "Reisememo", "Reisetipp", "Rundreise", "Terrasse", "Tropenarchitektur", "Wellness"] captured: 2026-02-17 geo: {latitude: 9.1973, longitude: -83.744} credit: "Reisememo | Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/infinity-pool-pacific-sunset-kura-hotel.webp" caption: "Der Pool verschmilzt optisch mit dem endlosen Pazifik am Horizont" keywords: ["Abendstimmung", "Baum Silhouette", "Costa Rica", "Goldener Himmel", "Hotel-Pool", "Infinity Pool", "Kura", "Kura Boutique Hotel", "Luxushotel", "Meerblick", "Pazifik", "Reisememo", "Reisetipp", "Rundreise", "Sonnenuntergang", "Spiegelung", "Tropisch"] captured: 2026-02-18 geo: {latitude: 9.1974, longitude: -83.7442} credit: "Reisememo | Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/nauyaca-waterfalls-rainforest-rock-face-tropical.webp" caption: "Der obere Nauyaca Wasserfall stürzt hier aus etwa 40 Metern Höhe über mehrere Felsstufen hinab" keywords: ["Costa Rica", "Dschungel", "Felswand", "Gruene-Vegetation", "Naturschauspiel", "Naturwunder", "Nauyaca Wasserfälle", "Reisememo", "Reisetipp", "Rundreise", "Steinbloecke", "Tropischer-Regenwald", "Wasserfall", "Wasserkaskade"] captured: 2026-02-20 geo: {latitude: 9.2548, longitude: -83.8069} credit: "Reisememo | Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/nauyaca-waterfall-bathing-area-cascades-natural-pool.webp" caption: "Die mehrstufigen Nauyaca Kaskaden bilden natuerliche Pools zum Baden und Entspannen." keywords: ["Badestelle", "Costa Rica", "Erfrischung", "Felswand", "Kaskaden", "Naturerlebnis", "Naturpool", "Nauyaca Wasserfälle", "Reisememo", "Reisetipp", "Rundreise", "Tropenwasser", "Wanderer", "Wasserfaelle", "Wasserfall"] captured: 2026-02-20 geo: {latitude: 9.2551, longitude: -83.8081} credit: "Reisememo | Walter Schärer" ```