Playa Uvita
		A mere 25 kilometers south of Dominical lay Playa Uvita, one of the top six most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica (Frommers.) Uvita is famous locally for its pristine beauty and uniqueness on the pacific coast. It is by far the neatest beach I have ever been to. It was hard to actually get on the beach with no road that led there. I guess people who want to visit Uvita can park nearby and walk the rest of the way to the beach. However, with no one around, we weren't interested in doing it that way. Dan managed to get our 4X4 down on the beach and we were home free. Uvita was incredible. Mile after mile of abandon beach stretching far down the coast with only an occasional person or two to encounter. We would stay there for several hours and in all, we only saw about a dozen people. It was low tide, and the water was at least 100 yards from the palmy jungle edge. Upon entering the beach area, we immediately began riding north up the coast. The jungle trees were so beautiful to behold that I couldn't help snapping photos with great frequency. But the true beauty of Uvita wasn't found until we managed to get away from shore. Uvita offers wonderful views from the beach of a rocky, offshore island called "Isla Ballena." The Isla Ballena means, "the island of whales" and is named for the whales that are often spotted off the island edge during their migratory pathway in the winter months.
		The mystery of this island is revealed at low tide. When the tides begin to recede, the beach becomes connected to the island via a conveniently located sandbar. It is said that the sandbar and island (from the air) create the perfect outline of a whale's tail. I had timed the trip to coincide with low tide and we immediately saw the beautiful phenomena. We drove out to the island and parked for a while to investigate the area and take a swim. Once away from the shoreline, one could see the true appeal of Uvita. Behind the shoreline and invisible to those on the beach was a massive range of mountains that soared high above the jungles, creating a wonderful backdrop for the tropical beaches below. The sun cascaded across the mountainsides in patchy sections, due to an occasional cloud cover, creating striking convergences of shadow and sun. I remember thinking that it looked like a jigsaw puzzle and remarkably similar to Astiria beach in Glifatha just outside Athens, Greece. In Athens, I didn't see the mountains until I waded out into the Aegean Sea. It was early afternoon in Uvita and the warm breezes were offering little relief from the hot sun. In fact, it was the hottest it had been all week. I couldn't resist going for a swim in the cool waters, which extended the hand of friendship across the sandbar lane. The waters were cooler and more refreshing than in other places along the shore and swimming there was nothing short of a dream. I soaked up every second of the time I was there, repeating over and over in my mind - this must be paradise. This was my idea of a perfect vacation getaway and if I ever return to Costa Rica, I will plan my entire vacation around Playa Uvita.
	Costa Rica 2000 The Village of Dominical Cabo Matapalo Playa Uvita Playa Hermosa/Dominicalito Roca Verde Playa Matapalo/Quepos/Manuel Antonio Animal Life Sunsets What I learned on this trip

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