Although Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is the main town in the Caribbean South of Costa Rica, Punta Uva is a favorite among many visitors.
It’s a tiny town, made up of a few dirt roads, restaurants and hotels but the main attractions are the stunning beaches, quiet atmosphere, wildlife and beautiful view points.
Punta Uva is only 8 kilometers (5 miles) from Puerto Viejo so it’s the perfect escape.
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How to get to Punta Uva
Punta Uva is 8.5 kilometers from downtown Puerto Viejo and is easily reachable by bike, car, tuk tuk and bus.
Bus from Puerto Viejo to Punta Uva: Take the bus to Manzanillo which runs around 7 times throughout the day. Get off at Punta Uva.
Beaches
Playa Punta Uva and Playa Punta Uva Arrecife are two of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica with palm tree dotted beaches, turquoise water and soft tan sand.
In between the two beaches is a great little sightseeing spot with a short trail.
To get to the beaches, there are a couple of entrances.
You can get to the beach from the road where Selvin’s Restaurante is or by the Punta Uva Adventures entrance.
The one by the adventures entrance is a popular one called “Sloth Point” as many sloths live in that area.
You will see locals selling pipa frias (cold coconut water), little souvenirs and renting kayaks/snorkel gear.
You can walk on the beach to get to the sightseeing point (to the right).
The trail is very easy and short, it takes only about 5-10 minutes the whole way.
Go up, stay to the left, go down and around to get an awesome view of Arrecife.
We loved Playa Arrecife, it was our favorite beach in the Puerto Viejo area by far.
We spent two days there, hanging up a couple of hammocks and enjoying the nice cool Caribbean breeze.
If you drive, do know that it gets super crowded on the weekend and the parking lot is tiny (it’s just the end of a street).
We couldn’t find any parking for Playa Punta Uva which is why we went to Arrecife twice.
What to Do in Punta Uva
Besides relaxing at the beach, there are several fun things to do in Punta Uva that we highly recommend.
We do not recommend swimming at the beach however. Do not go in the water if it’s windy, storming or it just looks rough.
We have visited Punta Uva in September, November and December and every time it was quite windy with rough waves.
Kayaking Down Punta Uva River
This is one of the most popular things to do in Punta Uva: kayaking down the Punta Uva river. The river is nice and much calmer with beautiful scenery and lots of wildlife.
You can see turtles, sloths, toucans, monkeys and other birds close up since you don’t disturb the animals with an engine.
To get the most out of the kayaking tour is to go with a guide, as they familiar with the river and can point out animals.
Nature Walk
The first time we visited Punta Uva was on a tour that took us on a nature walk around the peninsula for beautiful views. It was a great way to get introduced to the town and beach.
Our guide pointed out a ton of sloths and taught us about the various plants and trees in the area.
Some tours combine a visit to the Jaguar Rescue Center and a nature walk.
Punta Uva Weather
Weather in the Caribbean doesn’t strictly adhere to the typical dry-rainy tropical seasons.
This area can rain at any time of the year. There is a high humidity factor and temperatures hover in the mid 80s° F (29° C) during the day and 70s° F (21° C)at night.
The driest months are typically February, March, September and October.
September and October are considered summer months, which is opposite to the rest of Costa Rica.
Make sure to pack properly for the beach and humidity, so bring clothes that dry fast and wick sweat away.
A swimsuit, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses are a must.
Punta Uva Hotels
There are a handful of small hotels and small cabins in Punta Uva.
Most hotels in Puerto Viejo don’t have air conditioning so expect modest and comfortable rooms.
Staying in Punta Uva is really nice for those who don’t want to be near town since it’s noisier with more traffic, you’ll feel more like you’re in the jungle!
Close to the beach, has suites and standard rooms with garden and ocean views. Has on-site restaurant, lots of gardens and wildlife
The lodge has a few villas and bungalows that are great for couples or groups, fitting up to 6 people. It is about 300 meters from the beach and right by the river Rio Ernesto.
5 luxury eco-lodges near the beach in Punta Uva on a 10 acre property. Also close to Playa Chiquita. Each house has something unique, such as the Garden House which is made of almost all bamboo.
Punta Uva Restaurants
There are a few restaurants in Punta Uva.
The most popular restaurant is Restaurante Selvin’s where they serve typical Caribbean Costa Rican food. I had their whole fried red snapper with rice and beans, it was delicious!
El Refugio Grill is another good one. Soda Alanita is a good place for traditional Costa Rican food.
Villas Itaita is a nice coffee shop with drinks like mocha, chai tea, lattes, etc.
Aerial Video
See Punta Uva from above in this aerial video of Puerto Viejo, Playa Negra and the Caribbean South!
Read more posts about the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica below!
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Anna says
Is it doable to rent a scooter in Puerto Viejo and drive it down yourself to Punta Uva or is that not advisable? Thanks!
Sammi says
It is possible, people ride bikes and scooters up and down that road
Shelly Pirroni says
Are there any parks near Punta UVA or hiking areas to go to ? Also what is the closest airport if I was going to stay in that area – thankyou!
Sammi says
There is the Manzanillo Gandoca Refuge near Punta Uva which is nice. International airport would be San Jose International Airport (~5 hour drive). Local airport – Limon (1 hour) but no international flights go to Limon. You will first need to land at the international airport and then take a local flight to Limon.
Lauren says
Hi – I can see there are several good kite surfing beaches in the area. Are there any kite surfing instructors or schools in the area?
Sammi says
Hi, I am not actually not familiar with kite surfing in Punta Uva (never seen it to be honest so I am not sure) but kite surfing is very good in La Cruz, the Pacific northwest corner and there is a school at Playa Copal. Here is our guide to La Cruz https://mytanfeet.com/cities-costa-rica/la-cruz-costa-rica/
Bonnie Moore says
We are planning a trip to Punta UVA for the beginning of July, but I am worried we won’t see the sun or have any good beach days. What should I expect?
Sammi says
It’s always hot over there and may have some on/off rains but it seems this year is El Nino so it may not be that bad. June tends to rains a bit more.
Diana Lopes says
Wow, the beaches look amazing! I love beaches and so this is like heaven to me, I’m really impressed!
Sammi says
The beaches are stunning <3
Adrenaline Romance says
Incredibly scenic beach! It’s actually good that they have a dive site in town. We love to scuba dive in places like these; the tropics has stunning reefs. 🙂
Sammi says
It’s a beautiful area! This area has some real nice coral reefs, but I know you guys are pretty hard core scuba divers and you would love the Pacific side diving sites (more sharks, turtles, manta rays) but the Caribbean has some reefs, turtles and fishies!
Greg says
You’re right. Kayaking out on the ocean from Playa Punta Uva is not for the faint of heart. However, you can also kayak down the little river from the beach. The water is very calm and when I went I saw a whole bunch of turtles, toucans, and a couple of sloths from the water.
Sammi says
Oh yes, the river! We didn’t get a chance to do that but we saw some people kayaking the river and it looked really nice!
Kimberly Rossiter says
Do you know the name of the kayak rental place? We are planning on visiting in March and would love to kayak the river. Thanks!
Sammi says
You can check out Caribe Fun Tours, they offer kayaking tours down the river.