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Dominical is a wild and beautiful region situated on the remote south-western Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The area receives far fewer visitors than Manuel Antonio, which is just 40 kilometres north.

Wildlife and landscape

Jesus Christ Lizard, Costa RicaThe impressive jungle-covered foothills of the Talamanca Mountains are home to a wide variety of birdlife, sloth and monkeys flanked by vast black sand beaches popular with surfers.

Punta Uvita is a jagged reef which has formed just off the coast, creating a sandbar which looks like a giant whale's tail from the air.

The area is well known for its whale and dolphin watching and humpbacks gather in the Marino Ballena National Park from December to March and August to October.

The park also has mangroves teeming with wildlife, rocky islets, coral reefs and pristine dark sand beaches which are important nesting sites for turtles.

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who's been there
Audley Travel specialist Chris

Start planning your tailor-made trip to Dominical by contacting one of our Costa Rica specialists

Suggested itinerary featuring Dominical

This sample itinerary will give you an idea of what is possible when you travel in Dominical, and showcases routes we know work particularly well. Treat this as inspiration, because your trip will be created uniquely by one of our specialists.

Map of Dominical

Places & hotels on the map

    Places near Dominical

    Ideas for experiencing Dominical

    Our specialists seek out authentic ways to get to know the places that could feature in your trip. These activities reflect some of the experiences they've most enjoyed while visiting Dominical, and which use the best local guides.

    • Caño Island
      Isla de Cano, off Osa Peninsula

      Caño Island

      Caño Island

      Caño Island has great archaeological significance as it was used as a cemetery and a permanent pre-Columbian settlement. You can still see pottery remains and some almost perfectly round stone spheres made by the Indians.

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