things to do
Outdoors in Paradise
The lush tropical climate makes year-round outdoor activities possible. Ocean-based activities such as paddle boarding, kayaking, fishing, surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and whale watching are available and easily accessible. Check out Uvita360.com to see tours available and make your reservations.
Cano Island
Isla de Caño or Cano Island, is set roughly 52 kilometers or 32 miles from Marino Ballena National Park in Osa Penisula (Península de Osa). This beautiful island has been a biological reserve since 1978. The main reason people visit Cano Island is for the world class snorkeling and scuba diving. It is known as the second-best place in Costa Rica to take a dive, after Cocos Island.
Local Hiking and Waterfalls
There many hiking trails in the area, some of which lead to amazing waterfalls. The Catarata Uvita Waterfall is one such place. If you are looking for a gentle walk, beautiful gardens, and easy access to a lovely waterfall, then check out Cabinas y Restaurante Tilapias La Cascada. Another amazing location, the Nauyaca Waterfalls, are located in a canyon approximately eighty meters wide. One of the falls is forty-five meters high in free fall and the other twenty meters high in stepped fall, forming at the foot of it, a pool of a thousand square meters and six meters deep. There are other natural pools of smaller size, which the whole family can enjoy. Nauyaca Waterfalls in Costa Rica is the ideal place for lovers of nature and adventure.
Uvita Beaches
Ballena Marine National Park (Parque Nacional Marino Ballena), a national park of Costa Rica and part of the Osa Conservation Area, was created as a safe area for humpback whale migration, hence its name. (Ballena is the Spanish word for whale)
The national park has an area of 5,160 ha (12,800 acres) marine, and 171 ha (420 acres) terrestrial. From December to April, the park is visited by migrating humpback whales who come to breed in the warmer tropical waters off the Central American coast. From June to November, the whales migrate north to the West Coast of the United States and southern British Columbia where they feed. In the terrestrial area of the park are the beaches of Ballena beach, Uvita bay beach, and Piñuela beach. Marino Ballena National Park is a 10 minute drive from Casa Honu Kai. This beach has dedicated lifeguards and is walking distance to local shops and eateries.
Other Local Beaches
The Central-Southern Pacific coast is lined with stunning beaches that are easily accessed year round. Many are quiet and secluded. Most are within a very short drive of Casa Honu Kai.
World Class Ocean Fishing
Costa Rica has become a dream destination for world-class sportfishing. Whether you're an avid angler or new to the sport, there is something for everyone. With flat calm seas, great fishing year-round and easy access to boats, fishing in Costa Rica is a must-do for anyone. Go offshore and fish the deep sea for large pelagic species like Sailfish, Marlin, Tuna, and Dorado - or switch things up and go inshore for Roosterfish, Snapper and Tarpon.
Groceries and restaurants
Organic, Locally-Sourced Groceries by Delivery
Market and More brings the best organic and natural products to the consumer so their lives can be made a little easier and healthier. Their mission is to be 100% transparent about the foods sold so you know what you are eating. They mainly work with certified organic local Costa Rican farmers to provide us with outstanding fresh produce. They also work with other local businesses to provide a wide variety of selection available at the click of a mouse.
Grocery Stores
There are two local grocery stores very close by Casa Honu Kai. Pacifico Supermarket is on the corner of Highway Costanera Sur and Calle Uvita just down the hill from the house. A much larger, more expansive grocery and wine store is BM Uvita. This is 2 minutes further south on Highway Costanera Sur in Uvita.
Liquor Stores
Licorera Don Israel is just down the hill from Casa Honu Kai on Calle Uvita just northeast of Highway Costanera Sur. Uvita Discount liquors is 2 minutes North on Highway Costanera Sur as well.
Restaurants in Uvita
Uvita has numerous places to eat and most are open air. Local fare is delicious and very reasonably priced. Uvita boasts multiple types of cuisine and all within a few minutes drive. Some of our favorites include: Mosaic, Maracuya, Sibu, Sabor Espanol, and Aracari Restaurant.
Restaurants in Ojochal
Long considered to be the culinary capital of Costa Rica, Ojochal is an eclectic community with a little something for everyone. The village is a mix of locals and expats from around the world, each throwing their own tastes and traditions into the cultural mix that makes Ojochal unique. Only 10 minutes south of Uvita, Ojochal is a short drive for fantastic culinary experiences. Some of our favorites include: Bamboo Room, Citrus, Sud, Restaurant Exotica, Heliconia, Azul, and La Terraba.
Restaurants in Dominical
Restaurant de Hotel Cuna de Angel is north between Dominical and Uvita, a short 15 minute drive. The Palapa Restaurant at Hotel Cuna del Angel is the first international gourmet cuisine 100% Gluten Free in Costa Rica, with a a varied menu. Celiacs and those choosing to avoid gluten can enjoy international dishes like delicious porcini mushroom and truffle cream, clam and mussel spaghetti, goat cheese and spinach salad, beef tenderloin in truffle sauce, prawns chef´s style and home made ice cream, and exquisite chocolate “tortino”. All dishes have extraordinary quality, so tasteful that customers, celiac or not, won´t notice the difference.
The Private Chef - Private Dining and Catering for Casa Honu Kai
The Private Chef is a local company in Uvita that is available for catering and in home dining experiences. Explore the delights of Costa Rican gastronomy in the hands of the best chefs & mixologists in the area. Discover all the services they have for you to enjoy and delight yourself with this experience in Uvita. Enjoy a Costa Rican Haute Cuisine experience with a wonderful selection of dishes based on fresh local products inspired by a mix of different national and international gastronomic cultural concepts! Check out the menu, reserve & enjoy.
Giving back to our community: volunteer and support
Corcovado Foundation
The Corcovado Foundation is a non-profit organization, a leader in conservation in Costa Rica. The foundation works with people to protect the natural resources. The conservation programs are based in the South Pacific region of Costa Rica, known as the Osa Peninsula, which is famous for its intense biodiversity and unspoiled nature. Education is used to address and promote the involvement and call to action of local communities. CF supports governmental and non-governmental entities in the search for sustainable, balanced and equitable development for them. The focus is local, but the impact is global. Current programs include environmental education, sustainable ecotourism, National Parks support, and Sea Turtle conservation.
Kids Saving the Rain Forest
The Mission of Kids Saving the Rainforest is to protect the diverse wildlife of Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast by rehabilitating wildlife, conducting original scientific research, training volunteers, and promoting conservation and reforestation. Kids Saving the Rainforest was founded by two 9 year old girls in 1999 for the purpose of educating people around the world about the ecological importance of the rainforest, to set-up programs to preserve and protect the rainforest and its wildlife. KSTR encourages awareness of the critical importance of saving rainforests in general for the survival of our planet and encourages all who participate to take part in sound ecological practices in their homes, schools and communities as well.
Current programs include:
- Educational tours to the public of the wildlife sanctuary that is home to nearly 50 animals who cannot be released back into the wild
- Operating a rescue center that rescues over 100 animals each year
- Primary goal is rehabilitating these animals to be released back into the wild
- Helping people learn about the dangers of human-wildlife interaction, the pet trade, and much more
- Teaching people how to respect wildlife and to engage in ecologically responsible tourism
Costa Rica Coral Restoration
Costa Rica Coral Restoration was founded in 2019 with the goal of restoring, protecting, and repopulating the coral population at Marino Ballena National Park in Bahía Ballena, Costa Rica. The goals include building coral nurseries at the Marino Ballena National Park, artificial reefs, and fragmentation tanks in order to help restore the coral population at Marino Ballena. Educating tourists visiting the National Park, along with local families, about the importance of protecting the coral reefs is also a critical component to our mission. Collaborating with other institutions, NGOs, non-profits, and foundations; working together, Costa Rica Coral Restoration has the goal to promote the research of the current state of the coral at Marino Ballena and restore it. Some of the initiatives being focused on include fragmentation of the corals for propagation, creation of artificial reefs, as well as education and research.
Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary
Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary is a rescue and rehabilitation center with on-site veterinary clinic for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife whose mission is to release as many animals as possible but provide lifetime care to those that cannot return to the wild. Some of these animals are confiscated from the illegal pet-trade and over-domesticated, or have long-tern physical or neurological injuries which prevent their release. Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary has enclosures for over 75 animals and was designed with the assistance of the Costa Rican government. The wildlife rehabilitated here is cared for by our professional team of qualified staff. There is also a dynamic volunteer program along with educational programs for local and national schools and international universities. Additionally, guided sanctuary tours are provided so guests can learn about the amazing wildlife of Costa Rica and the work that is done to protect it. Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit organization and every visitor, volunteer and donor directly helps provide food, housing and veterinary care to a diverse range of native animal species.
Dawg Costa Rica
DAWG (Domestic Animal Welfare Group) is a non-profit organization focused on the rescue, care, and placement of abandoned animals in the Costa Ballena region of Costa Rica. Their mission is to eliminate the abuse and abandonment of domestic animals in the Costa Ballena region.
What they do:
Population control: They provide no/low-cost spay and neuter services to pet owners who cannot afford these services. They conduct clinics at the office of our partner veterinarian and in outlying parts of the community where veterinary care is not available. All the rescues are spayed/neutered before adoption or at the appropriate age.
Rescue, care and placement:
Since there is no shelter, they refer reports of abandoned, abused, and injured animals to a local shelter who rescues them and works with a veterinarian to treat and rehabilitate them. They often need extensive medical care as many are emaciated, have illnesses varying in severity, and often compromised immune systems. These animals are sheltered at the partner veterinarian’s office, the local shelter and in private foster homes. Food, medicines and all other needs are provided to foster families. Volunteers provide socialization, exercise, food and love to all of the rescues.
Developing a Community of Animal Advocacy through Education:
They provide a curriculum for grades 1 through 3 and 3 through 5 that instructs children through activities on how to care for both domestic animals and wildlife. This is very important in our unique area where both exist. Through education they strive to develop a community culture of animal advocacy.
costa rica Entry Requirements
Coming Into Costa Rica
Get your passport ready! Government requirements to enter the country can change at a moment's notice. Always check for the latest updates prior to travel.