Find Your Adventure in Mina Verde’s Backyard
Mina Verde is located in the heart of one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet while also being conveniently located near vibrant small towns of Manuel Antonio and Dominical.
Places of Interest Near Mina Verde
Mina Verde’s location is roughly at the halfway point between the towns of Manuel Antonio and Dominical where you can dine, shop, enjoy the beautiful beaches and meet the locals. It is also near to some of Costa Rica’s most highly acclaimed national parks and surfing beaches.
Nearby Towns
Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio is a wonderful tourist destination and is home to the fantastic Manuel Antonio National Park. With some of the best beaches in Costa Rica, the breathtaking beauty of this area attracts hundreds of people every day. The beaches are also wonderful for swimming, surfing, and snorkeling. The town is lays on the main drag which goes up and down the mountain ending at the national park.
Dominical
The tiny surfing village of Dominical, 10 minutes south of Mina Verde, has great food and drink options. It is a walkable beach town with bohemian vibes and wonderful surfing. Highly recommended for a day trip.
If you’re into surfing, you can look forward to big, consistent waves here year round. In fact, Playa Dominical is a big draw for both local surfers and big wave lovers from around the world. There are also a number of surfing schools here if you happen to be a beginner.
If surfing is not your thing, you can relax on the beach or venture into one of the tropical rain forests that line the coast here and which offer great sightseeing and/or hiking opportunities. There are waterfalls, caves and of course lots of wildlife to be found not far from Dominical.
Food & Restaurants
Langosta Feliz
Right at the bottom of the mountain sits one of the great seafood restaurants in the Southern Pacific region. Langosta Feliz is a long time favorite of locals and tourists, here you will find a family atmosphere with fresh fish daily.
Matapalo Supper Club
Matapalo Super Club serves great European dishes at an economical rate. This restaurant offers a great experience, so don’t come here for a quick meal. Only open for dinner.
Phat Noodle
Phat Noodle is a popular Thai restaurant in Dominical. Not the typical flavors of Costa Rica, but delicious food attractively prepared and a lively atmosphere.
El Patio Café & Bar
Great breakfast, great coffee, and craft beer. An easy option for a quick meal.
Surfing Spots
Costa Rica is one of the world’s premier surfing destinations.
Dominical
As mentioned above, the very nearby Dominical beach has some of the best waves in Costa Rica and surfing schools too The waves tend to be big, so this beach is mostly for accomplished surfers. But if you are a beginner, you’re not completely out of luck because you can take advantage of the surfing schools and the surf shops here where you can buy or rent whatever you need.
Playa Hermosa
Not to be confused with the Playa Hermosa in Guanacaste Province, near Gunacaste National Park. This Playa Hermosa is very nearby Mina Verde, just 10 minutes south of Dominical. It’s a long beach that has a couple rivers that feed into the ocean. As far as level of expertise goes, Playa Hermosa is great for both beginners and the more experienced with waves that vary in size from waist to head-high depending on what part of the beach you are surfing. Another good thing about Playa Hermosa is that it’s alnost never crowded.
Uvita
The most popular beach for surfing in Uvita is Playa Colonia. It’s great for beginner level surfers becaue the surf is not as big as at the other popular surfing beaches near Mina Verde. There are also a couple of surf shops in town that rent out surfboards and provide surfing lessons. But be aware that because Uvita’s beaches are located within Marino Ballena National Park, there is a $10 entrance fee, per person.
Pavones
Pavones is a surfer’s haven. It is a small community located along the southern Pacific Coast. It isn’t just another Costa Rica surfer town – when the conditions are just right, this spot has some of the best and longest waves in the world. This remote village can be a challenge to get to, but we’ll help get you there.
National Parks
Manuel Antonio National Park
According to SINAC (Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservacion) Manuel Antonio National Park came about because of pressure from locals who objected to the fact that the former foreign owners who planned to develop the area as a resort for tourists banned the local people from the using the beaches. Thanks to that pressure, the “National Park Beaches Recreation Manuel Antonio” (Parque Recreativo Nacional Playas de Manuel Antonio) was established in 1972.
Today, Manuel Antonio National Park has the most visitors of any of Costa Rica’s protected areas. The reserve offers a natural paradise that combines idyllic beaches with tropical forests full of rare birds and animals as well as spectacular trees and other flora that you can access by way of the well maintained walking trails.
There are also stunning ocean views, islands and a marine environment that offers excellent snorkeling.
Corcovado National Park
Corcovado National Park is Costa Rica’s largest national park. It is located on the Osa peninsula and covers an area of I64 square miles (424 km²). As previously mentioned, it is one of the most biologically intense places in the world. According to National Geographic, it is “the most biologically intense place on Earth in terms of biodiversity.” This is one place you don’t want to miss.
Corcovado’s famed biodiversity includes many types of interesting animals. There are a variety wild cats, including leopards and jaguars, living in the park and it is one of the few places where tapirs are still found. Corcovado National Park is also unique in that it is the only place where you can see all four types of Costa Rican Monkeys–the Central American squirrel monkey, the Panamanian white-faced capuchin, the mantled howler and Geoffroy’s spider monkey.
Marino Ballena National Park
Ballena Marine National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Marino Ballena), is a National Park of Costa Rica, part of the Osa Conservation Area created as a safe area for humpback whale migration, hence its name, as Ballena is the Spanish word for whale. The national park has an area of 12,800 acres of marine life, and 420 acres of land. 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. The park also includes the beaches of Ballena beach, Uvita bay beach and Piñuela beach.
You must be logged in to post a comment.