Whales of the South Pacific

Uvita and the Ballena marine park, where humpbacks from both hemispheres arrive in different months — the longest whale season anywhere on earth.

Day by day

1. 1

   1

   Arrival

   Down the coastal highway to the Costa Ballena.

2. 2

   2

   Marino Ballena

   Small-boat whale watching with a marine biologist, and the sand-bar whale tail at low tide.

3. 3

   3

   Nauyaca

   The waterfalls by horse or by truck, and a long swim in the lower pool.

4. 4

   4

   Mangroves

   Térraba-Sierpe wetland by boat — the largest mangrove system in Central America.

5. 5

   5

   Forest

   Inland to the Tinamaste hills, waterfalls and a quiet ridge lunch.

6. 6

   6

   Sea again

   Snorkelling off Caño Island, weather permitting.

7. 7

   7

   Return

   Coastal airstrip, or the drive north.

Why it works

• Whale watching with a biologist aboard, not a tout
• The Whale's Tail sandbar at low tide
• Térraba-Sierpe mangroves