1. What To See As Well As Expect From The Pearl Of Costa Rica,
The Actual South Pacific Coast
You have picked the most gorgeous a part of Costa Rica to visit and stay, the "Pear of Costa Rica",
the South Coast. This part of Costa Rica is mostly unknown, even to many native Costa Ricans. It is
only in the last five years that the coastal road was paved in support of late last fall , 2010 that the
coastal road was provided and opened between Quepos to Dominical. Prior to that, you'd to drive
over a really bumpy unpleasant road or drive the mountain route through San Jose to San Isidro and
then to Dominical and further South.
Many people come to the South coast to go to the OSA Peninsula where more biodiversity has been
expressed within plant and animal life than any other place on the planet. Sierpe, a fishing town on
the OSA Peninsula is the departure point for many trips through the Mangroves to visit fishing in the
best fishing grounds off the coast, or to Cao Island to go snorkeling. Between Sierpe and Palmar Sur
is how the new International airport is to be built. When? "soon ", the say. Drake Bay is another
interesting day trip out of Sierpe.
Driving north in the OSA Peninsula, the new Cortes Hospital was recently built close to Cortes as well
as a quantity of eco-building communities. The first is OSA Mountain town and the other is actually La
Joya Perfecta. Just north of these two communities is a hardware store. The Mangroves are along
the off-shore between Palmar Norte and Coronado. Simply off the highway and north of the hardware
store is San Buenas De Ventura. Here the owners have constructed the first Golf course within
Southern Costa Rica. Simply north of San Buenas the beautiful Costea Mountains begins to slip into
and border the Pacific Ocean. At the entrance to Coronado the first bowling alley is about to be
constructed. This is also the entrance to Tres Rios de Coronado.
The most the southern area of hotel/villa Spa rental location is in Tres Rios de Coronado at the
mango Tree Spa. Whilst Tres Rios is not on most maps it's a very special small pueblo with glorious
mountains, jungle, the Coronado River running alongside the pueblo all the way out to ocean at Punta
Mala. Vergel has a hiking hotel, a dog kennel and two wonderful Talapia Restaurants. Tres Rios and
Vergel each offer many river adventures both for hiking and exploring.
North of this is a research marine the field of biology station on the way down to the Isla de Tortugas.
It was here that Hurricane Mitch changed the whole terrain of the Terraba river mouth. Before
hurricane Mitch large boats traveled up the river to Cortes. Back then it was approximately sixty feet
deep. Following Mitch the mouth area of the river filled in and wiped out all the concession stands and
huts on the beach. During low tide the river mouth and river are almost a sand bar. There is very little
river left.
North of Playa Tortuga is the road into Ojochal, a very French and Canadian community with some
Americans. The area is actually gradually building with gorgeous homes spotting the mountain sides.
You will find three of the best restaurants in all of Costa Rica right here within Ojochal, Citrus
(cosmopolitan ), Exotica (French) and Ilang Ilang (Indonesian). Ojochal has a good small grocery
store and a couple of hotels. Simply north is another progressing hardware store that now has many

2. items not really here 4 in years past. North of this is a liquor, gift, diving and grocery store. In regards
to a km. Further northern are more beaches: Ventanas and Pinuela. Ventanas is a must observe with
its two caves at low wave.
Before the next city north are two more hotels, Crystal Ballea and marly y Selva. The next town
(about 15 minutes driving North) is actually Uvita (grape within Spanish). This city is very Gringo
having a number of start-up businesses that weren't completed with the economic turn-around in
2008. Still, there is a veterinarian , two excellent grocery stores , a small Saturday market and more
beaches, Playa Ballena and Ballena Park with the Whales Tale beach. Here one can snorkel, but it's
not as good like a trip to Cao island through Sierpe. This can be a wonderful long seaside for hiking.
Going further north (about 20 minutes) are a couple of more hotels, La Casinga and Cuna de Angel,
just off the highway. Finally, you will arrive at Dominical, a well developed seaside type of town with
many young hippies, restaurants , hotels and possible drugs. This is a really young people's city with
an older presence. It was the beginning of the Southern corridor for several years before the road and
development started to occur south of here. You have now arrived at the northern expansion of the
Costea mountain tops where they no more slip into the off-shore , but have moved back inland. Here
the road splits that you should choose to drive northern to Quepos and Jaco or change toward San
Isidro and the mountain route back to San Jose.
The total distance between Dominical to OSA is 1 hours to 2 hours depending how far lower the
Peninsula you might want to venture. Uvita is about 20 minutes south of Dominical and Coronado is
about midway between Dominical and OSA. Depending on where and what you are likely to do,
choose your trip rental to optimize your driving period.
Uvita Costa Rica