Published by Hermosa Retreat Villas | September 2026 | Playa Hermosa, Uvita, Costa Rica
Estimated read time: 6 minutes | Category: Destination Guide
Every September, the small bay town of Uvita hands its calendar over to the whales. The Whale and Dolphin Festival Uvita hosts each year runs from September 4 to 6 in 2026. This is the 16th edition. It takes place at Bahía Ballena, inside Marino Ballena National Park.
Three local groups run the weekend. ASOTU speaks for the tour operators. ASOGUIBA is the association of bay guides, and ADIBO handles community development. In other words, the money you spend here stays with the families who guide these boats.
The timing is no accident. Humpbacks from the southern hemisphere swim about 8,000 kilometers to reach this warm, shallow water. Most of them arrive between July and October. August and September sit right in the middle of that window. In fact, many local captains call September their best month for mothers and calves.
So the festival gives September a strong reason to be on your list. Our guests in Playa Hermosa reach the festival grounds in a short drive. You can watch whales in the morning and be back on your terrace by lunch. This guide covers the festival itself, the tours, the tides at the Whale’s Tail, and the rest of your week.
What Actually Happens During the Whale and Dolphin Festival
The festival runs as a community party. Of course, nobody sells a ticket at a gate. The operators simply run their whale watching tours at special festival prices all weekend.
Along the shore you will find food stands, sports activities, live music and dance, plus a fair where local makers sell their work. Environmental groups also set up nearby. They run short talks and workshops about the bay, and families tend to fill those tables.
Overall, the mood stays easy. You will hear about as much Spanish as English. Most of the food is what people here actually cook: fresh fish, casados, ceviche, and fruit picked that morning.
Come early on Saturday if you want a slow look at the stalls. Parking near Bahía Ballena fills fast during the festival, so an early start helps twice over.
Why the Whales Gather in Bahía Ballena in September
Marino Ballena protects a stretch of coast where the water stays warm, shallow and calm. That makes it a good place to give birth. In fact, two groups of humpbacks use it.
The northern group shows up from December through April. The southern group is larger, and it comes north between July and October.
September sits right inside the southern season. Sightings are about as reliable as they get all year. What you see also shifts with the calendar. Early in the season you get more breaching and more chasing between males.
By September the bay slows down. A mother rests at the surface while her calf rolls beside her. Then both sink out of sight with one easy stroke of the tail. Bottlenose and spinner dolphins live here all year, so they often join the same trip.
How the Tours Work and What They Cost
During the festival, operators run a two hour tour with a certified guide. The price includes a short talk before you board, water, and a fruit station. Adults and kids aged 10 and up pay ₡22,000. Children between 4 and 9 pay ₡15,000.
Outside that weekend, a normal whale watching trip lasts three to four hours. Expect to pay about $75 to $95 per person. Park entrance adds roughly $18 for foreign visitors. Boats usually leave at 7 a.m. and at 1 p.m.
Take the morning boat when you can. During green season the sea builds through the afternoon. The early trip gives you flatter water, softer light, and whales that stay closer to the surface.
Choosing an Operator That Treats the Whales Well
Costa Rican rules ask boats to stay 100 meters away from the animals. The operators who follow that rule are usually the same ones with SINAC certification and trained guides. So ask about it when you book.
A good captain places the boat and then waits. The whales decide how close the meeting gets. That approach almost always beats a boat that chases. The bay guides who work the festival through ASOGUIBA know these animals well, and they will tell you which mothers came back this year.
Walking Out Onto the Whale’s Tail
The sandbar at Punta Uvita has the shape of a humpback fluke. You can walk it at low tide. At high tide the whole thing sits under water, so check the tide chart before you drive over.
Start walking about an hour and a half before low tide. That gives you time to reach the tip, look for rays in the tide pools, and come back without rushing.
Also bring water, a hat and reef-safe sunscreen. There is no shade at all out there. The glare off the flats also runs stronger than most people expect. Sunrise and late afternoon low tides are worth planning a morning around, especially in September when clouds build after midday.
Filling the Rest of Your Festival Weekend
Whale watching usually takes one morning. So that leaves the rest of the coast open. September rain keeps the rivers full, so the waterfalls near Dominical run at full strength. Nauyaca sits under an hour from Playa Hermosa.
The beaches between Dominical and Ojochal stay quiet all through green season. Ojochal is a tiny village with very good food.
Afternoons here follow a rhythm worth joining. Rain often arrives between two and five, then clears for a long golden evening. Our guests usually spend that window in the pool, or asleep, or on the terrace with binoculars while toucans work through the trees.
Where to Stay for the Festival Weekend
Playa Hermosa sits just north of Uvita, so you are close to everything. The drive to the boat launch takes minutes, and the houses stay quiet. Hermosa Retreat Villas keeps a collection of private villas here, including Casa de las Diosas and Casa Hecate. Each one has ocean and jungle views, a private pool, and room to spread out.
Of course, a villa changes how the weekend feels. Your group makes breakfast before a 7 a.m. departure. You come back salty at midday. Then the whole afternoon belongs to you. Families with small kids also get bedrooms away from the living room, which matters when someone needs a nap after a boat ride.
Frequently Asked Questions: Whale and Dolphin Festival in Uvita
When is the Whale and Dolphin Festival in Uvita in 2026?
The 2026 festival runs from September 4 to 6 at Bahía Ballena, inside Marino Ballena National Park. This is the 16th edition. Three local associations organize it: ASOTU, ASOGUIBA and ADIBO. The program covers discounted whale watching tours, local food, music and dance, sports, a fair for local makers, and free talks about the bay. The dates always fall inside the peak of southern whale season. As a result, sightings during that weekend are very reliable.
Can you still see whales in Uvita after the festival ends?
Yes. Southern humpback season at Marino Ballena runs from July into October, and it peaks through August and September. Tours go out every day after the festival weekend. Boats usually leave at 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., and each trip lasts three to four hours. Local operators often name September as their best month for mothers with calves. October still brings strong sightings as the whales begin the trip south. In short, any date in that window gives you good odds.
How much does a whale watching tour in Uvita cost?
A standard tour costs about $75 to $95 per person and lasts three to four hours. Marino Ballena also charges roughly $18 in park fees for foreign visitors. During the festival weekend, operators run a shorter two hour tour with a certified guide. That version costs ₡22,000 for adults and ₡15,000 for children aged 4 to 9, and it includes a talk, water and fruit. Prices move a little each year, so confirm when you book.
Is Uvita a good place to travel with kids in September?
Uvita works very well for families in September. Boat tours take children, and the water inside the bay stays calmer than the open coast. The festival also builds in activities for younger visitors through its nature workshops. Rain usually holds off until early afternoon, so mornings stay free for the beach, the Whale’s Tail and wildlife walks. A private villa helps with naps, early bedtimes and simple meals. It also gives parents a comfortable place to land between outings.
How Hermosa Retreat Villas Helps Travelers Experience Whale Season in Uvita
Our villas sit in Playa Hermosa, minutes from Marino Ballena and the boats at Bahía Ballena. Every house in the collection suits the way people really travel here. You get open living space, a private pool, ocean and jungle views, and enough distance from the road that birds wake you up.
Our team knows the captains, the tide charts and the roads. So we can point you to the calmest boat, the right low tide window for the Whale’s Tail walk, and the restaurant in Ojochal worth a drive on a rainy Tuesday. Availability during festival weekend moves quickly, and the rest of whale season fills in behind it. Reach out early if September is your window.
Contact Hermosa Retreat Villas: hermosaretreat.com
September makes the strongest case for this coast. The whales come close. Forest all around holds its deepest green of the year. Roads stay quiet, and a whole town turns out for animals that swim thousands of kilometers to be here.
Choose your dates and check the tide chart. The rest of the week will arrange itself around one very good morning on the water. Reserve your villa at hermosaretreat.com and start planning.
