After our stay in Domincal we headed a little further south towards the national park of Ballena, a whale reserve area. Although out of season we had heard that there were secluded beaches and quiet spots along the coast.

We found a great little place to stay in just 5 minutes from Uvita beach called Felix Cabanas. For $30 per night we had a private cabin with kitchen and bathroom and use of the swimming pool and hammocks. We decided to stay a couple of nights and to explore the nearby beaches.

The best one we found was playa ventanas, about 10 kilometres further south. Although part of the national park the entrance was not manned by any park ranger which made access completely free. When we arrived just after lunch there was not a soul to be seen, we literally had the place to ourselves. The surf here was also less strong than in other areas making it possible to enjoy a swim.

The cove was littered with coconut trees dropping their fruits, so much so we helped ourselves to a couple for later. When we returned to the cabanas we struggled to open the coconut as we did not possess a machete like the locals seem to carry around at all times! However, the owner of the cabanas kindly came to our rescue and showed us how it’s done, allowing us to enjoy chilled coconut chunks by the pool. The perfect ending to our day!