Cool Places — Marino Ballena National Park

Turtle nesting season is May through November, with the largest number of turtles arriving with the waning moon in September. The beach is not closely monitored or regulated so please conduct yourself responsibly around the turtles, giving them space and quiet, and using only red-covered lights (and no camera flashes).

Snorkelers can revel in the underwater beauty found here, though watch out for currents and riptides. Waves are reported as generally gentle and the sea calm. Beachcombers find great rewards, especially when the tide is low enough to allow a walk to Punta Uvita Tombolo, the sandbar that extends 1 km into the Pacific where the rock reef forms, appropriately, the shape of a whale tail. Boat tours to Ballena Island, 1.9 miles offshore, offer a wonderful opportunity to see plenty of marine life and get much closer to the whales.

Central America’s largest Pacific coral reef, which forms a crescent with the three small islands called Las Tres Hermanas, grows here. It contains a total of 18 coral species, rendering it one of the best places to observe corals in the area. Snorkelers and divers can easily see 8 coral communities and 2 coral reefs, mostly of stony coral (Porites lobata), star column coral (Pavona clavus), and cauliflower coral (Pocillopora elegans). Between Marino Ballena National Park and nearby Cano Island Reserve, snorkelers and divers will find some of the best spots anywhere.

Uvita, at the north end of the park, is a small community with beautiful beaches and clear blue water. Popular for horseback riding, scuba and skin diving, swimming, and beach walks, this beach lies inside the park’s protected area, meaning no marine hunting is allowed. South of the park are the famous sea caves of Ventana Beach.

Originally published at howlermag.com on May 6, 2017.