Costa Ballena real estate for sale Homes and land in Uvita, Ojochal and Dominical
From someone who lives here.
Homes, land and ocean-view property in Uvita, Ojochal and Dominical. Every agency's listings, not just mine.
- 444properties for sale or pending
- Here since 2017local knowledge that saves you from costly surprises
- RE/MAXoffice in Ojochal
- CRGARCosta Rica Global Association of Realtors
Featured listings
Featured properties on the Costa Ballena
$1,100,000Riverfront Rainforest Property with 660 Acres of Jungle, Rivers, Waterfalls & Timber near Chacarita & the Osa Peninsula in
$849,000Gorgeous Jungle Hotel with 11 Beds including Owner/Manager Unit, Sparkling Pool & River Setting
Ocean view$620,000Luxurious Home with Great Outdoor Living Space and Incredible Panoramic Valley & Ocean Views in Chontales near Ojochal
Ocean view$599,000Panoramic Ocean View 4-Bedroom Home with Big Pool & Ample Space to Entertain
Ocean view$550,000Spectacular 2-Bedroom Home Boasting Panoramic Ocean Views and Private Pool
Ocean view$449,000Ocean-View 3-Bedroom Home with 1-Bed Guesthouse, Pool & Spectacular Panoramic Views of Osa Peninsula in Balsar above Ciudad Cortés
$385,000Unique Income Producing Home with 3-Bedrooms plus 1-Bedroom Cabin & Pool in Walk-to-Beach Location in Bahia near Uvita
$275,000Serene 2-Bedroom Jungle Sanctuary with Private Pool & Gorgeous Balcony Views on Calle Buganvillea
$219,900Gorgeous 1-Bedroom Natural Jungle Sanctuary with Private Pool Among the Trees just off Calle Tucan Browse all 444 listings →New listings in your inbox
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Pick your altitude
On this coast, the view comes from the hill
In my experience, the flat by the beach is where you walk to the sand, and the hills behind town are where the big blue views are. Prices tend to climb with the road. Decide which life you want first and the search gets much shorter.
Browse by town, price and type
Costa Ballena towns, north to south
Dominical is the surf town in the north, Uvita is the hub with the most services, and Ojochal is the quiet, wooded one to the south.
Browse by price and type
- Uvita real estate146The hub, plus Bahía by the Whale's Tail
- Ojochal real estate130Quiet, wooded, the restaurant town
- Dominical real estate75The surf town and Dominicalito
- Tres Ríos real estate27Tres Ríos and San Buenas, south of Ojochal
- Platanillo and Tinamaste15Inland, cooler, more land
- Hatillo and Portalón21North of Dominical, toward Quepos
Counts are properties for sale or pending, as of October 11, 2026.
How the Costa Ballena towns differ
In my experience, Dominical is the surf town: livelier and more walkable, with a real beachfront village center. It has 75 properties for sale or pending, from $180,000 to $6,149,000. Uvita is the hub, with the supermarkets, banks and services, and Marino Ballena National Park and the Whale's Tail at its beach.
Bahía is Uvita's flat beach side, close to the water. Ojochal is the quiet one, wooded and spread out, and in my experience it has more good restaurants than you would expect for its size. There are 130 homes and lots in Ojochal for sale or pending, from $39,000 to $2,650,000. Inland, Platanillo and Tinamaste are cooler, and in my experience you get more land for the money.
I cover the whole coast, from Dominical and Hatillo in the north to Ojochal and Tres Ríos in the south, and inland to Platanillo.
Looking for the Zillow of Costa Rica?
There isn't one. Zillow does not cover Costa Rica, and no national MLS shows everything, so the same house can appear on several sites at different prices. I work with every agency on the Costa Ballena, so you can search here or send me any listing you find.
Is there a Zillow for Costa Rica? Read the answer
Your agent
I live here. I'll tell you which listings are worth the drive.
I'm Chris Schauer, a RE/MAX Hall of Fame agent, a member of the Costa Rica Global Association of Realtors, and a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) with the National Association of Realtors (NAR listing). I have lived on the Costa Ballena full time since 2017. That means I know these neighborhoods through every rainy season: which roads hold up, where the water is reliable, what homes really cost to run, and which listings are priced to sell. I use that to point you toward the right property and away from the expensive mistakes newcomers make. My office is 50 meters north of the entrance to Ojochal (map).
- I can check water, roads, access and the survey before you make an offer
- Bilingual attorneys and escrow agents I trust
Buyer guides
Read this before you fly down
Retiring in Costa Rica: what it really costs
Groceries, electricity, health care and the things nobody mentions until you live here.
Read the guide → ResidencyResidency for property owners
Pensionado, rentista and investor visas, and which one fits a buyer.
Read the guide → BusinessesBusinesses and B&Bs for sale
What the market for small hotels and businesses actually looks like here.
Read the guide →Buying in Costa Rica
Costa Ballena real estate FAQ
The questions buyers ask me in the first five minutes.
Can foreigners buy property in Costa Rica?
Yes. Foreigners have the same rights as citizens to buy, hold and sell titled property, with no residency requirement. The exception is the Maritime Zone along the beach.
What is the Maritime Zone?
The first 50 meters from high tide are public and cannot be owned by anyone. The next 150 meters are concession land, which only citizens and permanent residents can hold. Most beachfront here is titled land just behind that line.
What are closing costs in Costa Rica?
Budget about 4% of the purchase price in total, customarily split between buyer and seller, about 2% each. That covers the 1.5% transfer tax, registry stamps, and notary and legal fees. Who pays what is negotiable. Check current figures with your attorney.
How much is property tax in Costa Rica?
0.25% of the registered value per year. On a $600,000 registered value that is about $1,500 a year.
How much does a home cost on the Costa Ballena?
The median asking price of the 444 properties for sale or pending is $659,000, as of October 11, 2026. Uvita's median is $595,000, Ojochal's is $599,000 and Dominical's is $895,000. In my experience, an ocean view and elevation move the price more than anything else.
How does the money move safely?
Through a SUGEF-registered escrow agent, never anyone's personal account. I will introduce you to escrow agents I trust.
Selling on the Costa Ballena?
I'll give you a local valuation based on what is actually selling here, not on a national average.