Dominical & Uvita · Costa Rica
Surfing Playa Ballena
A beach break in Dominical & Uvita, Costa Rica, for beginner and intermediate surfers.
Playa Ballena, inside the Marino Ballena national park, has slow, long waves and very few people, which makes it one of the best places to learn in the area.
It works on a south-west swell. Further south there are more quiet beaches: Piñuela, Ventanas and the Tortuga rivermouth. From Ojochal you can take a boat, or walk, to the Terraba rivermouth, which has a long left.
It's a quiet beach for learners, inside the Marino Ballena national park, which charges a small entry fee. Uvita and Ojochal, a few minutes away, have the places to stay and eat.
When to surf
Playa Ballena
Playa Ballena is at its best from May to November. Conditions it likes: Swell S-SW.
December to April: Good
Short dry season, cleaner, sunnier, but smaller than the summer swell
May to July: Prime
Green season S-SW groundswell fires Dominical and the points; offshore mornings
August to October: Prime
Peak, most consistent S-SW swell, and the wettest, greenest months
Nov: Quiet
Transition, heavy rains and swell easing into the dry season
The year across Central Puntarenas
Waves near Playa Ballena
Punta Uvita
3 kmDominical & Uvita · Beach Break · Beginner
Playa Hermosa (Uvita)
14 kmDominical & Uvita · Beach Break · Beginner / Intermediate
Punta Dominical
17 kmDominical & Uvita · Left Point · Intermediate / Advanced
Straight-line distances. By road it is usually further.
Getting there
Where to stay: Dominical village puts you on the powerful beachbreak with cheap sodas and board hire; Uvita (20min south) is quieter, family-friendly and gateway to the marine park. Dominicalito is the sheltered beginner bay in between. Rent boards locally from around $10/day.
Transport, costs, where to stay and the rest of the waves in the area are in the Dominical & Uvita guide.
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