San José (SJO) to Uvita & Marino Ballena

Uvita sits at the heart of the South Pacific: the whale-tail sandbar of Marino Ballena National Park, waterfalls in the hills, and humpback whales offshore in two seasons a year. The drive from San José is easy — paved all the way on the Costanera Sur — and gets prettier the further south you go.

Expect 3h 15m to 4h. After Quepos the Costanera runs through oil palm plantations and then hugs the coast past Dominical, with ocean views around every bend.

Step-by-step directions

1. 1

   Route 27 to the coast

   Take Route 27 west toward Caldera and exit onto Route 34 (Costanera) toward Jacó.

2. 2

   South through Jacó and Quepos

   Continue on Route 34 past Jacó, Parrita and the Quepos turn-off. The road is wide and flat.

3. 3

   Dominical to Uvita

   South of Dominical the road hugs the coast. Uvita is about 17 km further; the national park entrances are just south of town.

Tolls, fuel & road facts

Hazards to know before you go

• Speed cameras on the Costanera.
• Heavy afternoon rain from September to November reduces visibility.
• Break-ins at beach parking — use the official park parking.

Stops worth making

• Tárcoles crocodile bridge

  The classic stop on the way, 15 minutes after leaving Route 27.

• Dominical

  Surf town with good cafés right off the highway.

• Nauyaca Waterfalls (detour)

  Among the most impressive waterfalls in the country, reached from the Dominical–San Isidro road (Route 243).

Local tips

• Marino Ballena's whale-tail sandbar is only walkable at low tide — check tide tables.
• Whale season: roughly late July–October (southern humpbacks) and December–March (northern humpbacks).
• Plan to arrive before dark (about 5:45–6:15 pm year-round). Rural roads have no lighting, few shoulders, and pedestrians, cyclists and animals on the road.