SouthernCostaRica.com
Southern Costa Rica gives you beach towns, forest stays, boat-access lodges and a mountain gateway. Choose a base that fits your route, then see what is open for your dates.
Stay near restaurants and tour services in Dominical or Golfito. Choose Uvita for Marino Ballena trips, Ojochal for forest and food, Puerto Jiménez or Drake Bay for Osa adventures, and San Gerardo for a Chirripó start.
Dominical
Dominical is a small beach town on Route 34, with tour services and forest reserves close by. It suits travelers who want beach time, restaurants and an easy first stop.
Beach-town stays: Choose Dominical if you want restaurants and tours nearby. Read the Dominical guide.
Uvita
Uvita is the main base for Marino Ballena National Park and whale-watching boats. Stays sit near the park entrance or in the hills above town, and some hill roads need a 4x4. Read the Uvita guide.
Hotel Uvita Forest
Boutique hotel in Uvita: A fit for travelers who want a forest stay near a waterfall. A small boutique hotel with rooms and villas in the forest, 600 meters from the Uvita waterfall, with a pool. View available dates.
View on Agoda Partner linkCanavida Villas & Resort
Villas in Uvita: These suit travelers who want a private pool and Pacific views. Private villas, each with its own pool, sit on a forested hillside above Uvita. Explore available dates.
View on Agoda Partner linkYuli Hotel
Boutique hotel in Uvita: A fit for travelers who want a pool and restaurant near Marino Ballena. A boutique hotel with 20 rooms sits around a pool and restaurant, just steps from Marino Ballena National Park, per the hotel. See availability for your dates.
View on Agoda Partner linkOxygen Jungle Villas & Spa
Boutique hotel in Uvita: Adults who want rainforest, glass villas and a spa may like this option. An adults-only boutique hotel has 12 glass villas above Uvita; the hotel says the final road needs a 4x4. See open dates.
View on Agoda Partner linkOjochal
Ojochal is a village in the forest south of Uvita, known for its restaurants. Stays here are set back from the coast, with beaches a short drive away. Read the Ojochal guide.
Arbol Verde Villas
Villas in Ojochal: These suit travelers who want a forest setting and a kitchenette. Studio tree villas sit about 10 meters above the rainforest floor, with a covered deck and shared pool. A two-night minimum applies, and a 4x4 is recommended. See availability for your dates.
View on Agoda Partner linkMandala Ojochal Boutique Resort & Retreat Center
Boutique resort in Ojochal: Travelers looking for a forest retreat with meals may like this option. A boutique wellness resort has villas, bungalows and farm-to-table meals. Review available dates.
View on Agoda Partner linkEl Paraiso Azul
Stay in Ojochal: A small base near the forest and coast suits travelers who want a simple stay. Ask about room types and the access road before you book. See availability for your dates.
View on Agoda Partner linkOsa Peninsula and Puerto Jiménez
Puerto Jiménez is the main town on the peninsula's Golfo Dulce side, with daily flights and boats to Corcovado. Stays range from lodges in the forest to a resort near town and small places inland near the park. Read the Osa Peninsula guide.
El Remanso Rainforest Lodge
Lodge on the Osa Peninsula: A family-run rainforest base suits travelers who want a personal stay. A family-run lodge with 14 units uses fallen timber and plantation wood near the southwestern tip of Costa Rica on the Osa Peninsula. See availability for your dates.
View on Agoda Partner linkVentanas en Corcovado
Stay on the Osa Peninsula: Travelers who want rainforest and river access inland may like this base. A small stay in Dos Brazos de Río Tigre sits near Corcovado, inland from Puerto Jiménez. Browse dates for your stay.
View on Agoda Partner linkBotanika Osa Peninsula, Curio Collection By Hilton
Resort on the Osa Peninsula: A rainforest resort with a lagoon pool and spa suits travelers near Puerto Jiménez. A resort sits between the rainforest and Golfo Dulce, with suites, villas, a lagoon pool and a spa. See availability for your dates.
View on Agoda Partner linkFor more lodges across the peninsula, see Osa rainforest lodges compared on Jungle Resorts.
Drake Bay
Drake Bay is a remote base on the peninsula's northwest coast, reached by boat from Sierpe, by small plane or by a rough road. Stays cluster in Agujitas and smaller spots along the coast. Pick Agujitas if you want to walk to boats and evening tours. Read the Drake Bay guide.
Golfito and the Golfo Dulce
Golfito is a port town on a sheltered tropical gulf, with lodges along shores you reach by boat and small places in Pavones, a surf beach near Golfito. Read the Golfito and Golfo Dulce guide.
Casa de Stoke
Stay in the Golfo Dulce area: Pavones draws surfers for its long left-hand wave. Ask about room types and access before you book. See availability for your dates.
View on Agoda Partner linkPlaya Nicuesa Rainforest Eco Sanctuary
Eco-lodge in the Golfo Dulce area: A boat-access forest preserve suits travelers who want a remote stay. An eco-lodge beside Piedras Blancas National Park is reached by boat from Golfito or Puerto Jiménez. Boat transfers run no later than 3 pm from November to April and 2 pm from May to September. See available dates.
View on Agoda Partner linkHotel Casa Roland Golfito Resort
Hotel in the Golfo Dulce area: A town base near the Golfito marina suits travelers who want easy port access. A hotel in Golfito's Zona Americana has pools, a sauna and a spa. See availability for your dates.
View on Agoda Partner linkSan Isidro and Chirripó
San Isidro de El General is the main city of Pérez Zeledón and the gateway to Chirripó. A night in or near San Gerardo makes the start simpler because you must register at the park office there the day before your hike. Read the San Isidro and Chirripó guide.
San Gerardo base: Hikers who want to register before a Chirripó start can stay in or near San Gerardo the night before their hike.
Stay styles explained
- Boutique hotel or resort: a small property that uses that word for itself.
- Villas: separate units, often with a kitchenette or a private pool.
- Lodge and eco-lodge: a stay in or beside the forest that calls itself a lodge or eco-lodge.
- Near the beach: within about 300 meters of a mapped beach on OpenStreetMap. It does not mean the room is on the sand.
- Boat access: you can reach the property only by boat.
- Adults only: the property doesn't take children.
Practical considerations
Confirm the last stretch of road and whether you need a 4x4 before booking a hillside stay. Boat-access lodges set transfer cut-off times, so match your flight or drive to them. Leave spare time near Corcovado or Drake Bay in case weather delays a boat.
Before you lock in dates, look at how long each transfer takes between your stops. Check current conditions with each stay before you travel in the rainy months.