Pura Osa
In short
- Biggest weekend: the Whale and Dolphin Festival in Uvita, on the first weekend of September (2026: 4–6, the 16th edition).
- Culture: Festival de las Esferas in spring (2025: April 10–13) and the Diablitos ceremonies of Boruca and Curré around the new year.
- Further north: surf and markets in Dominical, Uvita and Palmar Norte, and turtle nesting in Ojochal.
- Dates change every year. Confirm with the organizers before you book.
The Whale and Dolphin Festival (Uvita)
Every September, the Costa Ballena celebrates the arrival of the southern humpback whales. The 15th edition was on September 5–7, 2025, and the 16th on September 4–6, 2026. It is organized by the local tourism operators and guides of Marino Ballena National Park together with the community development association, with support from the Tourism Board (ICT).
- Whale tours at special prices for Costa Ricans, with talks. In 2025 they cost ₡22,000 for adults and ₡15,000 for children aged 4–9, including park entrance, fruit and water. Prices for 2026 were not published in the press we checked.
- On land: kite-making workshops, free surf lessons, a nature-themed crafts fair, food stalls, concerts, a community ceviche event and, in 2026, a giant whale sculpture made of recycled bottles.
- Sport and science: races, mountain biking, football and a humpback photo-identification program.
Tours sell out on festival weekend and rooms in Uvita and Ojochal fill up, so book weeks ahead. Follow the “Festival de Ballenas y Delfines Costa Rica” page on Facebook for the next dates; the 2027 edition had not been announced when we checked. For tours, prices and the rest of the season, see whale season month by month and whale watching in Uvita.
Further north and along the coast
Besides the festival, the north of Osa has events all year: surf in Dominical, markets in Uvita and Palmar Norte, music in Uvita and turtles in Ojochal. This table gathers what we could verify.
| Event and place | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Whale and Dolphin Festival · Uvita · Bahía Ballena | First weekend of September (2026: 4–6) | Tours at special prices for Costa Ricans, crafts, food, concerts and workshops. See the section above. |
| Envision Festival · Uvita | Late February to early March (2026: Feb 23–Mar 2) | A large music and arts festival that announced a smaller size and an eco focus for 2026. Confirm whether it continues in 2027. |
| Farmers’ market and community market · Uvita | Saturday morning · Wednesday | Fruit, vegetables, crafts, bread and hot food. Schedules published in 2023: confirm locally. |
| Surf: national circuit stop · Dominical | 2026: June 12–14 at Playa Dominical | More than 100 surfers from 17 countries in 2026. The surf is good all year; see the Dominical guide. |
| Sea turtle nesting and releases · Ojochal · Playa Tortuga | Roughly July to December | Olive ridley and green turtles. Ask Reserva Playa Tortuga about hatchery visits and releases. |
| Producers’ market · Festival de las Esferas · Palmar Norte | Saturdays · spring (2025: April 10–13) | Palmar is the base for the stone-sphere sites. See the culture section below. |
| Civic and patron-saint fiestas · Puerto Cortés, Sierpe and the south | Set each year by local committees | We did not find a reliable public calendar for these fiestas. Ask at the municipality or at the local development associations. We will add dates as we confirm them. |
Culture: the Festival de las Esferas and the sun at Finca 6
The Festival de las Esferas celebrates the stone-sphere heritage of the southern zone with music, crafts, food, talks and cultural activities, mostly around Palmar. The dates move every year: in 2025 it ran from April 10 to 13. The 10th edition took place in 2015, so it has a long tradition in the canton.
Twice a year, when the sun passes directly overhead in Costa Rica, it rises in line with two spheres that remain in place at Finca 6. In 2026 the late-summer alignment was from August 28 to September 3, and the Museo Nacional opened the site early. The other alignment falls around April. More about the sun alignment.
The Diablitos (Boruca and Curré)
Just inland from Osa, in the neighboring canton of Buenos Aires, the Boruca and Curré (Yímba) communities perform the Juego de los Diablitos, one of the most important Indigenous ceremonies in Costa Rica. Young men dressed as “diablitos”, with burlap and balsa-wood masks, fight a wooden bull that represents the Spanish conquerors, remembering the resistance of their ancestors. In Boruca it takes place around the new year (early January); in Curré it runs from midnight on a Thursday at the end of January or early February for about four days (in 2025: January 30 to February 2). The ceremony was declared intangible cultural heritage of Costa Rica in 2017.
Month by month
| Month | Nature and weather | Events and dates |
|---|---|---|
| January | Dry season. Northern humpbacks arriving. Busiest weeks of the year until New Year. | Diablitos in Boruca (early January). Curré starts at the end of the month. |
| February | Usually the driest, sunniest month. Calm seas for Caño Island. | Diablitos in Curré (until early February). Envision Festival in Uvita in 2026 (Feb 23–Mar 2). |
| March | Hot and dry. The last weeks of the northern whale season. | Holy Week: in 2027 it falls on March 21–28, with the holidays on March 25–26. Beaches fill with Costa Rican families. |
| April | Transition: still mostly sunny, prices start to drop, first south swells at Pavones. | Festival de las Esferas (2025: April 10–13). The sun lines up with the spheres of Finca 6 around this month. |
| May | Green season begins: clear mornings, afternoon rain. The quietest month, with the best prices. | Few events. A good month for a calm visit. |
| June | Sunny mornings, afternoon showers. Good surf on the Golfo Dulce side. | National surf circuit stop at Playa Dominical (2026: June 12–14). |
| July | Southern humpbacks start arriving (first 2026 sighting: July 6). Turtles begin nesting. | School break, usually two weeks in early July: local families travel. |
| August | Mothers and calves close to shore. Wetter afternoons, many sunny mornings. | Sun alignment at Finca 6 (2026: Aug 28–Sept 3, early morning). August 15 long weekend. |
| September | Whales at their peak. Rains build toward the wettest months. | Whale and Dolphin Festival in Uvita (first weekend). September 15, Independence Day. |
| October | One of the wettest months. Whales strong early in the month; migratory birds start to return. | Some Corcovado sectors may be closed: check the sectors page. Lowest prices of the year. |
| November | Still very wet, easing toward December. Tail end of the southern whale season. | Turtle releases at Punta Banco, on the Golfo Dulce side, from about November to January. |
| December | Dry season begins and northern whales start to arrive. | Christmas and New Year are peak season: book boats, permits and lodges months ahead. |
Nature patterns are typical and vary each year. Event dates are the latest we could verify (2025 or 2026) and move from year to year. For rain, whales and crowds in one chart, see when to visit Osa.
Plan around the dates
- Book tours, rooms and the boat to Drake weeks ahead for festival weekends, Holy Week, the first weeks of January and the early-July school break.
- Ask each operator for a national or resident rate: some offer one around festivals.
- Prefer quiet? May, June and October have the lowest prices and the fewest visitors.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Whale and Dolphin Festival in Uvita?
It is held every September, usually on the first weekend. The 15th edition was on September 5–7, 2025 and the 16th on September 4–6, 2026. The 2027 dates had not been announced when we last checked, so follow the festival’s Facebook page.
When is the Festival de las Esferas?
It is a spring festival in the southern zone, and the exact dates change each year. In 2025 it ran from April 10 to 13. It has been held for more than fifteen years, with activities in and around Palmar and the stone-sphere sites.
Can visitors attend the Diablitos ceremony?
Yes. It is free and open to the public, but it is a community ceremony, not a show. Follow the organizers’ instructions, ask before photographing people and do not enter the field. The communities have little lodging, so most visitors sleep in Térraba, Palmar Norte or Buenos Aires, about 25 minutes away.
Are there farmers’ markets in Uvita and Palmar Norte?
Yes. Uvita has a Saturday farmers’ market (morning) and a Wednesday market at the community hall in Bahía, and Palmar Norte has a Saturday producers’ market. These schedules were published in 2023 and can change, so confirm locally.
How far ahead should I book for festival weekends?
For the Whale and Dolphin Festival, book tours and rooms weeks ahead, because tours sell out. The same goes for Holy Week, the first weeks of January and the early-July school break, when Costa Rican families travel.
Where can I find the official dates?
Each festival publishes its dates through its organizers, usually on social media, and the municipality and the Tourism Board (ICT) often repeat them. Dates move from year to year, so we update this page as they are announced.
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