Whale Watching in Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
The Golfo Dulce — the protected gulf between the Osa Peninsula and the mainland — is one of only a handful of places in the world where humpback whales from two different hemispheres overlap. Northern hemisphere humpbacks arrive from their Arctic feeding grounds from July through October; southern hemisphere humpbacks from Antarctica arrive from December through March. The result is a whale watching season that runs for much of the year, with the July through October window producing the highest concentrations as northern and southern populations briefly coexist in the same warm water.
Tours operate out of Puerto Jimenez and from the lodges along the Golfo Dulce shoreline — smaller, more intimate boats than the whale watching operations at more developed destinations, running into a gulf so protected and calm that the whales often breach close enough to register as something you felt rather than just saw. August and September deliver the most reliable sightings, coinciding with the deepest part of the rainy season — which means coming prepared for wet weather is simply the price of entry.
Weather & Conditions
| Month | High / Low | Rain Days | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul | 88° / 73°F | 16 | Peak |
| Aug | 87° / 72°F | 22 | Peak |
| Sep | 86° / 71°F | 24 | Peak |
| Oct | 85° / 71°F | 26 | Peak |
| Nov | 86° / 71°F | 18 | Good |
Where to Go
Airstrip and jump-off point.
World-class right-hand points.
The biological heart of Osa.
Rainforest lodge reserve
Know Before You Go
Lapa Rios is open to the jungle. You will share your space with insects, monkeys, and macaws. It is not a manicured resort experience.
To minimize environmental impact, the bungalows at Lapa Rios do not have AC. They rely on ocean breezes and ceiling fans. The nights can be warm.
Even in the dry season, the jungle can be muddy. The lodge provides rubber boots, but bring clothes you don't mind getting dirty and wet.
Hotels & Lodges for Whale Watching
Lapa Rios
A pioneering rainforest lodge set in a private 1,000-acre reserve at the tip of Cabo Matapalo — one of the original and still definitive wilderness lodge experiences in Central America, where the bungalows are open to the jungle and the wildlife arrives uninvited.