Ever dream about a laid-back beach town where you can forget about it all and surf to your heart’s content?  Do you envy the people kicking back in their ocean view homes, watching the world pass them by?  You can have all of this and more in Dominical, Costa Rica, a town four hours away from San Jose by car and lining the Pacific Coast.  Ever want to know more about Dominical?  Here’s your article.  We hope to cover all the basics of this paradise in paradise.

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What Is Dominical Costa Rica?

Dominical opportunistically lines the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, right along the South Pacific Highway that runs all the way to Panama City, Panama.  It is famous for its surf culture, with plenty of surf schools aiming to get you upright on the waves, as well as the thriving marine life off the coast, like whales.

The people here are very much in tune with the earth, appreciating the surrounding rainforest full of flora, fauna, waterfalls, and caves, all there waiting for you to explore.

For those that want to get more in tune with themselves, yoga studios have popped up in town, and the rainforest provides the perfect backdrop for some soul-searching.  For more information on some great communities in Costa Rica, check out our Costa Rica page.

Where Is Dominical?

Roman Königshofer

As stated earlier, Dominical is located along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, 27 miles south of Quepos.  The town itself existed before the highway that has been paved in the recent decade.  That was quite a change in the town.

Better Access Leads to More Expats and Tourists

The positives of all this paving is that the town is more accessible to you, but the downside is that more people other than you have access to this town now!

However, Dominical still has dirt roads within the city limits, even some of the main roads, which adds to the laid-back charm of the city.

Casa Ramon

Head to the Hills

Another charming aspect of the city are the plunging cliffs into the sea, a beautiful blue that you only find in Costa Rica.  It’s in these hills, areas known as Escalaras or Hatillo, and Legunas, that most expats live.

Here you’ll find the other side of the coin when it comes to what’s amazing about Dominical.  The out of this world views from a jungle perched above the ocean are the magic of the area.

Around the town are plenty of natural estuaries and mangroves that are rapidly disappearing across the planet.  This naturally lends itself to some great bird watching.  For a more general overview, you can check out this site.

What’s the Weather Like?

Similar to other beach towns close by to Dominical, the dry season runs from December until April, and wet season from May until November.  The surfing season, however, runs year round, with the premium waves during June through September.  The sandy bottom of the sea here makes worries about crashing into rocks drift away.

Temperatures year-round range from 25 degrees Centigrade to 31 degrees Centigrade, typical of the region.  There is a lot of rain during the rainy season, with months averaging 22-25 days of rain, but in the dry months of January and February, only 3 days of rainfall on average.

How Did Dominical Come to Be?

The town was first put on the map by the rest of the world by, you guessed it, surfers.  In the 1970s, they found this town with reliable waves and settled in.

Besides the random group of surfer-types in the village, not many others traveled to Dominical, Costa Rica.  That is, until about fifteen years ago, when naturists started arriving in droves for Dominical, which was at one time a few fishing huts on the beach.  The natural beauty remains, though, and you can still walk end-to-end in less than ten minutes.

Now, there are over 700 residents settled here full-time, with high season filling some of the bed-and-breakfasts and cabanas in town.  The sleepy village vibe hasn’t been completely lost, though.

What’s the Life Like?

Sergio Quesada

The town itself is decidedly a surfing village, due to the consistent waves found off-shore.  That vibe, coupled with the extreme natural beauty surrounding the village, have brought a certain person to settle here.

As mentioned earlier, most expats live above the water in the hills, with supreme ocean views, but others choose to live near the beach, catching the early morning swells.  The town appreciates the beauty that is Dominical, trying to carve out an existence within it without detracting from what brought them there in the first place.

What Can I Do in Dominical?

If you haven’t gotten the point so far that there is surfing in Dominical, you should check your glasses!  Surfing is KING here in Dominical, and with plenty of places aiming to teach you just how to do it.  If you’re looking for lessons, check out Dominical Surf Adventures or Costa Rica Surf Camp.  The surf season runs year-round here, but summer months are best with the tropical storms in the Pacific bringing the high tides.

The Eco Life

Ecotourism abounds here in Dominical, with a whole jungle plunging into the sea.  Corcovado National Park is nearby, a 103,000 acre park rated by National Geographic as the third best national park in the world.  There are 140 different mammals here, and 400 different types of birds.  You can hike around, seeing jaguars, sloths, anteaters, monkeys, and amazing sea turtles along the beach.  Tours leave from the city, taking a 1.5 hour boat ride to reach the park, and includes about three hours of hiking inside the actual national park.

If you’re into fishing, the healthy ocean awaits you!  You can fish for mahi-mahi, sailfish, marlin, and yellow in tuna just outside the borders of Marino Ballena National Park.

Like to be in the ocean rather than on top of it?  Well there’s plenty of snorkeling options near Dominical, with many tours making all-day trips of the adventure.  You can even combine the excursion with whale watching, knocking out two activities in one!  Snorkel through sea caves, alongside dolphins and turtles, all within a national park.

How about the Cuisine?

You’ll find plenty of seafood up and down the coast near Dominical (and we’d expect that, wouldn’t we?).  As mentioned in the fishing tour paragraphs above, mahi-mahi and tuna should be a common site on menus.  Land-based food is also plentiful, with fresh vegetables coming from farms up in the mountains.

For Dominical (and neighboring Uvita, 12 miles south), you’ll find low to mid-ranged priced food, very typically Costa Rican.  Nayoa and Salon Cocal have casados (which is meat, rice, beans, salad and plantains), all for less than $7.  Other internationally-focused restaurants include the Mexican restaurant San Clemente’s, Thai restaurant Coconut Spice, and vegetarian Maracatu.

If you’re looking for more expensive dining options, Ojochal, 19 miles south of Dominical, has what you’re looking for, with more fine dining rather than beachside fare.

How Developed Is Dominical?

Roman Königshofer

Dominical is rapidly catching up with the world, though still lags in many of the creature comforts of home.  However, most basic needs can be found in town.  There is constant electricity in the area, as well as internet and phone services.  There is no major hospital in town, but one in Cortés (3o minutes away) is due to be completed soon.  For now, a doctor’s office for minor emergencies and a pharmacy should suffice.  Blood testing can be done 40 minutes away in San Isidro, which also offers CAT scans.

There is a Bank of Costa Rica branch in town, which also features an ATM machine, accepting VISA debit cards.  For internet junkies, you can hook up service to your home, or there are two internet cafés in town.

For security, you’ll find a 24-hour checkpoint at the beginning of town, manned by police.  There are about five police officers based at the police station in town.

You’ll find the eco-friendly and arts-centric town offers recycling programs, as well as movie nights and English-language theater!

One major benefit of living in this area is that the entire “Southern Zone” as this area is dubbed is not overrun with development, at least not yet.  Despite it growing in popularity over the past decade, there isn’t a major chain hotel to be seen to spoil the virgin coast.

What Do I Need to Live in Costa Rica?

As a North American, you can stay in Costa Rica for at most, three months at a time.  You won’t need to get a visa before traveling here, but proof of onward travel is required to gain entry.  Though, don’t worry if you run out of days, you’ll just have to leave the country for 72 hours and then return back for another three months!  You can even own a car, property, business and be self-employed.  How’s that for friendly service?

If you want residency, you’ll have to have at least $1,000 coming in the door.  Investment income must be above $2,500 a month.  However, you can get around all of this by investing $200,000 in something like property.  After three years of this, you can receive unrestricted residency, which requires a $1100 fee for adults and $600 fee for children, and must be renewed each year.

If you earn money outside Costa Rica, that isn’t taxed.  Inside Costa Rica, personal taxes are very low.  Sales tax is high, at 13%, and you can face import duties of up to 90% for a vehicle.  Property taxes are quite low here as well.  If you want to leave the country, you’ll have to pay a $25 exit fee.

Map of Dominical, Costa Rica

Dominical, Costa Rica Fast Facts

• Population: A few hundred residents
• Typical temperature: Average temperature is 80 degrees
• Nearest airport with U.S. flights: San Jose, Costa Rica
• Nearest U.S. consulate: San Jose, Costa Rica