Uvita

Where to stay

Hostels sit either up along the Costanera highway near the town's shops and bus stop, or on the roads running down toward the Marino Ballena park entrance and the beach. Up top is cheaper and closer to groceries; down the hill puts you within walking distance of the whale tail sandbar.

Getting around

• The whale tail sandbar is only walkable at low tide. Check the tide table the day you arrive and plan the visit around it, because the park charges by the day regardless.
• Humpback whales pass through in two separate seasons, roughly July to October and again around December to March, so this is one of the few places where the wetter, cheaper months are also prime wildlife months.
• Nauyaca waterfalls are reached from Dominical rather than Uvita, and the hike in is free while the truck ride is not. Take the early bus and walk it if you want the cheap version.

When to go

Cheapest from May through November, which overlaps the main humpback season, with September and October the wettest. The late-December to April dry season carries the highest rates, and Christmas, New Year, and Semana Santa sell out well in advance.