District · Osa Canton
# Bahía Ballena

Bahía Ballena is a district of Costa Rica in Osa Canton, Puntarenas Province. It had an estimated 3,468 people in 2021 on 158 km² (about 22 per km²). 35 named villages and localities are recorded here, and 379 mapped services such as hospitals, banks and schools.
- 3,468 people (2021)
- 158 km²
- 379 mapped services
- 101 m typical elevation

## How many people live in Bahía Ballena?

Bahía Ballena had an estimated 3,468 people in 2021 — 11.1% of Osa Canton, 349th of 472 districts. There are 884 women for every 1,000 men (below the Osa Canton figure of 928). Spread over 158 km², that is about 22 people per km², 401st of 472 districts.

25.5% of people are children under 15 and 8.2% are 65 or older; the median age is about 33 years (it is 34 across Osa Canton). For every 100 people of working age (15–64) there are 51 children and older people.
- 0–4 308
- 5–9 290
- 10–14 286
- 15–19 239
- 20–24 228
- 25–29 222
- 30–34 317
- 35–39 289
- 40–44 264
- 45–49 218
- 50–54 198
- 55–59 181
- 60–64 145
- 65–69 116
- 70–74 77
- 75+ 90

Source: Costa Rica National Statistics Office (NSO) via OCHA HDX, population 2021 (COD-PS, CC BY-IGO).

## Where is Bahía Ballena?

Bahía Ballena lies in Osa Canton, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. It borders 6 other districts: Barú, Pejibaye, Platanares, Puerto Cortés, San Isidro de El General and Savegre. By area it is the 112th largest of 492 districts in Costa Rica. It covers 8.2% of Osa Canton. The centre of Bahía Ballena is about 93 km in a straight line from San José, the capital. The centre point is at 9.1790° N, 83.7188° W.

Source: Costa Rica National Statistics Office (NSO) via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO).

## Things to see in and around Bahía Ballena

OpenStreetMap lists 13 named sights in Bahía Ballena: 6 waterfalls; 3 beachs; 2 attractions; 1 viewpoint; 1 gallery.
- 3 water holes · waterfall
- Cascada Bejuco · waterfall
- Cascada Verde · waterfall
- Cataratas numero 7 · waterfall
- Uvita Waterfall · waterfall
- Water hole · waterfall
- Playa Ballena · beach
- Playa Dominical · beach
- Playa Ventanas · beach
- Sunset point (forest lodge only) · viewpoint
- Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary · attraction
- Cascada Poza Azul · attraction
- Avocado Lab · gallery

### Nearby, outside Bahía Ballena
- San Luis Waterfalls · attraction, San Isidro de El General 8.2 km
- Diamante Waterfall · attraction, Barú 11 km
- MCEC Innoceana · attraction, Puerto Cortés 13 km
- Forestral · attraction, Barú 13 km
- Upper Nauyaca Waterfalls · waterfall, Barú 13 km
- Nauyaca 45m · waterfall, Barú 13 km
- Nauyaca Waterfalls · waterfall, Barú 13 km
- Bellezas Terraba Tour · attraction, Puerto Cortés 15 km
- Entrance Waterfalls · waterfall, Barú 15 km
- El Pavon · waterfall, Puerto Cortés 15 km
- Parque Reptilandia · attraction, Barú 16 km
- Catarata Namú · waterfall, Pejibaye 17 km

Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements.

Named attractions, museums, viewpoints, historic sites and natural features mapped in OpenStreetMap. Places of worship are not listed.

## Know before you go: Bahía Ballena
- Time zone UTC−6, no daylight saving · America/Costa_Rica
- Currency Colon (CRC)
- Country calling code +506
- Languages Spanish, English
- Plug types Type A, B · 120 V
- Driving side Right
- Postcode format 5 digits (#####)

### Nearest airports
- Quepos Managua Airport (XQP) · Quepos 54 km
- Golfito Airport (GLF) · Golfito 83 km

### Daylight

Days are longest in Jun (about 12.7 hours, sunrise around 05:15) and shortest in Dec (about 11.6 hours, sunrise around 05:42, sunset around 17:17).

Source: GeoNames country and time-zone files (CC BY 4.0); Wikidata (CC0) — plug types, mains voltage, driving side; retrieved 2026-11-03; OurAirports (public domain).

Airports with scheduled passenger flights; straight-line distances. Daylight is calculated for the 15th of each month in local standard time. Check entry and visa rules with official government sources before travelling.

## Villages and localities in Bahía Ballena

Open gazetteers list 35 villages, towns and localities in Bahía Ballena. The largest with a recorded population: Uvita (3,000). Settlements here lie between about 6 m and 531 m above sea level (median 101 m).
- Alto Mango
- Bahía
- Bahía Ballena
- Ballena
- Barrio 10
- Barrio 5 Abajo
- Barrio 5 Arriba
- Barrio 6
- Barrio 7
- Barrio 8
- Barrio Cerro Caracara
- Barrio Cinco Ventanas
- Brisas
- Cambutal
- Cortezal
- Dominical
- Dominicalito
- Escaleras
- Fase 4
- La Colonia
- La Unión
- Las Brisas
- Los Mingos
- Piedra Achiote
- Piñuela
- Piñuela Arriba
- Playa Hermosa
- Poza Azul
- Puerto Nuevo
- Quebrada Grande
- San Josecito
- San Martín
- Tortuga Arriba
- Uvita
- Ventanas

Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features; © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements.

## Landscape and landmarks of Bahía Ballena

Named natural and historic features inside Bahía Ballena, from the GeoNames gazetteer.

### Water

33 rivers and streams.
- Quebrada Ballena
- Quebrada Bejuco
- Quebrada Cascante
- Quebrada Colonia
- Quebrada Curingo
- Quebrada Diablo
- Quebrada Diablo
- Quebrada Espavel
- Quebrada Fragata
- Quebrada Grande
- Quebrada Guzmán
- Quebrada Guágara
- Quebrada Gómez
- Quebrada Mercedes
- Quebrada Peje
- Quebrada Pelón
- Quebrada Piñuela
- Quebrada Playa Hermosa
- Quebrada Poza Azul
- Quebrada Puerto Nuevo
- Quebrada Santa Lucía
- Quebrada Sargento
- Quebrada Simón
- Quebrada Tibia

…and 9 more.

### Coast and islands

6 headlands; 3 beaches.
- Playa Ballena
- Playa Hermosa
- Playa de Arco
- Punta Dominical
- Punta Mostradores
- Punta Piñuela
- Punta Puertecito
- Punta Puerto Nueva
- Punta Quebrada Grande

### Hills and mountains

4 mountains; 1 hill.
- Cerro Carmen · 1,093 m
- Cerro Pelón · 1,023 m
- Cerro Ballena · 676 m
- Cerro Corrales · 474 m
- Cerro Pelón · 157 m

### Forests and nature

1 nature reserve.
- Marino Ballena National Park

### Getting around

2 airfields.
- Papa Kilo
- Uvita Bahia

Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features.

Places of worship are not listed. Elevations are from the GeoNames terrain model and are approximate.

## Weather in Bahía Ballena and the best time to visit

Using the climate of Osa Canton, the warmest month is Apr (average 23 °C) and the coolest is Nov (21 °C). About 2,124 mm of rain falls in a year; the wettest month is Nov (266 mm) and the driest Feb (49 mm). The most comfortable months for a visit are January to April.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
| Month | Average °C | Rain mm |
| Jan | 21 | 86 |
| Feb | 22 | 49 |
| Mar | 23 | 63 |
| Apr | 23 | 108 |
| May | 23 | 250 |
| Jun | 22 | 219 |
| Jul | 22 | 252 |
| Aug | 22 | 228 |
| Sep | 22 | 209 |
| Oct | 21 | 263 |
| Nov | 21 | 266 |
| Dec | 21 | 132 |

Source: NASA POWER climatology, retrieved 2026-10-29.

## Nearest hospital, bank and fuel from Bahía Ballena
| Need | Nearest mapped | Distance | |
| Hospital | Ebais de Coronado · Puerto Cortés | 18 km | Map |
| Bank | BCR · Bahía Ballena | 2.4 km | Map |
| ATM | BCR · Cajón | 18 km | Map |
| Petrol pump | Servicentro Bahía Ballena · Bahía Ballena | 2.7 km | Map |
| Hotel | Manoas · Bahía Ballena | 0.6 km | Map |
| Mall | Plaza Alfaro · Bahía Ballena | 2.3 km | Map |
| School | Escuela La Uvita de Osa · Bahía Ballena | 1.6 km | Map |
| College | Centro de Aprendizaje para Indígenas · Barú | 15 km | Map |
| Police station | Delegación Policial de Bahía Ballena · Bahía Ballena | 1.7 km | Map |

Source: Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Straight-line distance from the centre of the division, within 40 km.

## Hospitals, banks and other services in Bahía Ballena

Places mapped inside Bahía Ballena in open map data, by type.
- Banks 3
- Petrol pumps 5
- Hotels 199
- Shopping malls 8
- Schools 13
- Pharmacies 7
- Restaurants 140
- Police stations 2
- Dental clinics 2

Source: Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Coverage depends on what has been mapped; contact details are not shown.

## Other districts in Osa Canton
- Bahía Drake
- Palmar
- Piedras Blancas
- Puerto Cortés
- Sierpe

## Quick answers
- Where is Bahía Ballena? In Osa Canton, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica
- What is the population of Bahía Ballena? 3,468 (2021 estimate)
- What is the median age in Bahía Ballena? About 33 years (2021 estimate)
- What is the population density of Bahía Ballena? About 22 people per km²
- What borders Bahía Ballena? Barú, Pejibaye, Platanares, Puerto Cortés, San Isidro de El General and Savegre
- What is there to see in Bahía Ballena? 3 water holes, Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary, Avocado Lab, Cascada Bejuco
- What time zone is Bahía Ballena in? UTC−6
- What currency is used in Bahía Ballena? Colon (CRC)
- What language is spoken in Bahía Ballena? Spanish, English (main languages nationally)
- How many villages are in Bahía Ballena? 35 named settlements (GeoNames, OpenStreetMap)
- What is the elevation of Bahía Ballena? Settlements lie between 6 m and 531 m
- What is the highest point in Bahía Ballena? Cerro Carmen (1,093 m, GeoNames elevation model)
- What is the best time to visit Bahía Ballena? January to April
- Where is the nearest hospital to Bahía Ballena? Ebais de Coronado, about 18 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest bank to Bahía Ballena? BCR, about 2.4 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest ATM to Bahía Ballena? BCR, about 18 km from the centre
- Where is the nearest petrol pump to Bahía Ballena? Servicentro Bahía Ballena, about 2.7 km from the centre
- How many banks are in Bahía Ballena? 3 mapped
- How many petrol pumps are in Bahía Ballena? 5 mapped
- What is the P-code of Bahía Ballena? CR60504 (OCHA common operational dataset)

At a glance
- Type: District
- Area: 158.4 km²
- P-code: CR60504
- Canton: Osa Canton

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Canonical: https://wherepedia.org/costa-rica/puntarenas/osa/bahia-ballena/ · Updated 2026-11-03 · Data: national censuses and statistics offices (sources named in each section); © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); Overture Maps; GeoNames; NASA POWER.