Moving to Uvita, Costa Rica.

By Jules · August 2026 · 8 min read

Uvita is the town most people end up in first, and for good reason: it's the practical center of the Costa Ballena. This is what to know before you commit to a move, written from living and working here rather than from a week-long visit.

For the wider regional picture, start with Living in Costa Rica's Southern Zone.

What Uvita is actually like

Uvita is a working town, not a resort. The Costanera highway runs through the middle of it, with the beach and Marino Ballena National Park on one side and steep green hills on the other. There's a genuine mix — Costa Rican families, long-settled expats, remote workers, surf tourists, and people who came for two months eight years ago.

Uvita town vs. the surrounding hills

Down in town (Bahía, Playa Uvita, along the highway) you get walkability, flat roads that any car can handle, easy access to services and, in exchange, more heat, more noise and less privacy. Up in the hills — Uvita Hills, Tres Ríos, Escaleras toward Dominical — you get breeze, views and quiet, but steeper access, longer drives and a real need for a proper vehicle.

Groceries and everyday necessities

• ·Two supermarkets in town cover most needs, with a larger run to Pérez Zeledón (about an hour) for bulk shopping and specialty items.
• ·The Saturday farmers market is where most residents buy produce, eggs, fish, bread and cheese.
• ·Hardware stores, a pharmacy, banks, a post/courier service and vehicle repair are all in town.
• ·Anything imported costs meaningfully more than you're used to — appliances, electronics, cars.

Restaurants and cafés

Uvita has excellent casual food — sodas, bakeries, good coffee, taco spots, seafood, and a steady stream of new places. For a fine-dining night out most people drive 20 minutes south to Ojochal, which punches far above its size.

Schools and families

There are private and bilingual school options in and around Uvita and Dominical, plus a strong homeschool and micro-school community. Families tend to choose their neighborhood around the school run first and the view second — a 25-minute mountain road twice a day gets old quickly.

Healthcare

Day-to-day care is handled by local clinics and private doctors in Uvita, with a public EBAIS clinic for the Caja system. Anything serious goes to the hospital in San Isidro de El General (about an hour) or to San José for specialists. Most residents carry private insurance alongside the Caja.

Beaches

Playa Uvita and the whale's tail sandbar inside Marino Ballena National Park, Playa Colonia and Playa Ballena to the south, Playa Hermosa and Dominical to the north. Check the tide table before you go — the sandbar only appears at low tide.

Getting around

Do you need a car?

If you live in town and work from home, you can get by with a scooter and the occasional taxi. Everywhere else, yes. Buses run the Costanera reliably but they don't go up your mountain road.

Roads and 4x4

The Costanera is paved and fast. Almost everything off it is not. In green season, steep gravel roads wash and rut, and river crossings can rise fast. A high-clearance 4x4 isn't vanity here — it's what determines which houses you can realistically live in.

Internet and utilities

• ·Fiber (Kolbi, Liberty) reaches much of Uvita; Starlink covers the properties fiber hasn't reached.
• ·Electricity is billed by ICE and is the utility that surprises people — air conditioning is the main driver.
• ·Water is either municipal/AyA, a community ASADA, or a private well. Ask which one before you rent or buy.
• ·Trash collection exists in town; further out you may haul your own.

Finding a long-term rental in Uvita

Most long-term rentals here are never publicly listed. They move through property managers, community networks and word of mouth, and the good ones are gone in days. If you're planning a move, start looking earlier than feels necessary and be ready to decide quickly. The mechanics of all this are in Renting in the Southern Zone.

Typical housing types

• ·Furnished one- and two-bedroom casitas and apartments, often part of a small compound
• ·Standalone two- to three-bedroom homes with a pool, usually up in the hills
• ·Ocean-view homes at a premium, particularly with paved or well-maintained access
• ·Long-term monthly rates that drop noticeably for 12-month commitments

Rent before you buy

A year of renting in Uvita will teach you more about where you want to live than any number of visits. It also puts you inside the local network, which is where the best properties — rental and for sale — actually circulate.

Who Uvita suits

Uvita is the right fit if you value convenience, want services and schools nearby, plan to be social, or are new to the country and don't want to solve every logistical problem at once. If you want deep quiet and jungle privacy, look at Ojochal. If you want surf and beach-town energy, look at Dominical — the full comparison is in Uvita vs Ojochal vs Dominical.