The Parque Nacional Marino Ballena is located near Ballena. It encompasses both marine and land areas, with a 15-kilometer-long coastal stretch; visitors can also choose from water activities and walks through mangrove and coastal areas. Playa Ballena, Isla Ballena, and the Tres Hermanas rocks are part of the park. This makes it easy to plan your visit as a nature outing with several geographical and thematic highlights.
Coastline, areas, and orientation
The Parque Nacional Marino Ballena covers 5,160 hectares of marine area and 171 hectares of land. These figures highlight the park’s marine character: its designated marine area is much larger than its land area. The hectare figures describe these areas, while the measurement in kilometers indicates the length of the coastal stretch. This 15-kilometer-long stretch runs from the mouth of the Río Morete to Punta Piñuela. The park’s extent is also described as running from Punta Uvita to Punta Piñuela. Thus, the river mouth is one reference point for the coastline’s length, while Punta Uvita is named as the starting point for the park’s extent. Punta Piñuela is the other endpoint in both cases. Playa Ballena, Isla Ballena, and the Tres Hermanas rocks are part of the park. These names refer to different features within the park: a beach, an island, and rocks; Punta Uvita and Punta Piñuela, by contrast, mark the stated span of its extent.
Water activities and nature observation
The park offers snorkeling, surfing, kayaking, and diving as tourist activities. Visitors can also observe flora and fauna and walk through mangroves and coastal areas. To help you choose, consider the different focuses: water sports and underwater activities on the one hand, and nature observation and walks through the coastal landscape on the other. You can decide in advance which kind of nature experience you want to shape your visit. The different options offer various ways to do so; specific offerings and conditions may vary. Surfing and kayaking take place on the water’s surface.
Four official park entrances
The park has four official entrances via the Carretera Interamericana Sur: Uvita, Colonia, Ballena, and Piñuela. Ballena is therefore also one of the named entrances; Uvita, Colonia, and Piñuela are the other three. The shared road reference provides a point of orientation for getting there, while the place names distinguish the individual entrances. Check the current operating conditions for your intended entrance before setting out.
To prepare, you can make two separate decisions: first, the focus of your park visit—water activities, nature observation, or walks—and then your preferred official entrance. This keeps the question of what kind of nature experience you want separate from the practical choice of access route.
Discover more destinations: San Lucas, Conte, Mogos, Damas, Italcancori, Savegre, Caracol, Tarcoles.
For the broader travel overview: Puntarenas.
