Costa Rica

Location: Puntarenas Province, 188 km (117 mi.) south of San José; south of San Isidro del General at Punta Uvita

See South Pacific Tourism Region

Size: 110 terrestrial Ha. (272 acres) 5,375 Maritime Ha. (13,276 acres)

Date of Creation: July 1992

Part of:  Osa Conservation Area

About:

Hot, sandy beaches; rocky cliffs plummeting from the headlands to a clear, blue sea: south sea islands;  and coral reefs colored with tropical sea creatures.  Sounds inviting? Then you might want plan a trip to these warm, welcoming beaches along Costa Rica's Pacific Central coast.

El Tombolo of Punta Uvita is an interesting geological formation. The point was an island back in its youth, but over the years, sea currents deposited loads of sand between the island  and the beach, turning the tropical isle into a tropical peninsula.

You'll find some wonderful snorkeling and scuba diving here. The area is home (from December to April) to humpback whales and friendly dolphins. The beaches are famous, too, as the nesting sites of the Olive Ridley and hawksbill turtles. The laying of eggs takes place at night and is an extremely delicate process as the turtles are very easily disturbed and will often turn back to the ocean without laying their eggs if bothered.  PLEASE, do not use flashlights, flash photography or disturb these magnificent creatures. 

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Weather:

Activities:

Hiking, snorkeling and scuba diving and dolphin & whale watching are very popular here.

Facilities:

There is a ranger station.

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Flora & Fauna:

Flora: tea mangrove, red mangrove, and wild anona.

Fauna: Animal life in the park: pale billed woodpecker, purple gallinude, frigate and white ibis. Two types of reptiles do business here: the "el chepero" and the green iguana (Iguana verde).

Common marine creatures: trunkfish, sea hare crabs, lobsters, sponge and mollusks.

Beaches:

The beaches here are protected by a network of crescent-shaped reefs and a scattering of small islands called Las Tres Hermanas (The Three Sisters). Sea currents have swept aside portions of sand, forming Uvita Point Tombolo, a rocky reef riding on the sea, protecting swimmers from big sea swells and giant surf.

A short hike down the coast from Uvita Point Tombolo takes you to another pretty beach. This is Piñuelas Point, home to the largest and healthiest collage of coral in Costa Rica.

Both beaches are accessible by land.  The park encompasses about 9 miles of beach. 

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Fees and Schedule:

Ranger station is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Contact info: 

ACOSA:  Osa Conservation Area