Adventure From Your Hotel in Quepos: Day Trip to Dominical
Adventure from Your Hotel in Quepos: Day Trip to Dominical
Your hotel in Quepos is a fantastic home base for a vacation along the mid-Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Given the number of activities within a stone’s throw of Quepos/Manuel Antonio, it makes for a perfect central location for day trips and adventures. Dominical is a small town south of Manuel Antonio that boasts amazing surf, and chill vibes; it is totally worth a visit while in the area.
What Makes Dominical a great destination from your Hotel in Quepos?
Great waves:
While Manuel Antonio is home to some great waves, Dominical feels like the town and beach were built for the surfing enthusiast. More advanced surfers will definitely want to try their hand at the waves on Playa Dominical. Even if you are not a surfer, the waves are so majestic in their consistency and grandeur that it is great to spend the day on this beach. Beach lovers will also appreciate the more rugged quality of the beaches when compared to Manuel Antonio’s. The driftwood and scattered coconuts along the sand make it feel authentic and untouched.
Laid-back feel:
While the Pura Vida vibe certainly pervades Costa Rica in its entirety, Dominical has a very different feel than Manuel Antonio or Quepos. It is truly the sleepy beach town of your dreams and feels totally off the beaten track. Surfing, yoga, and doing nothing at all seem to be the activities of choice in Dominical. It has a sort of Caribbean air to it that you can’t seem to find elsewhere on the Pacific coast; it feels a lot less tourist-centric and structured than many other areas. It is very common to see people camping in tents or trailers along the beach.
Beachfront market:
There is a great market with vendors set up on the main drag in front of the beach. You can find great handmade jewelry, clothing, and other souvenirs at the market. On Fridays, Dominical also hosts a fresh produce market, so this can be a great day to take a day trip out to Dominical.
How to Travel from Quepos to Dominical
You can get to Dominical from your
hotel in Quepos easily either by car or by bus.
By Car:
If you have a car, the journey from Quepos to Dominical will only take around 35 minutes. You’ll need to hop on Route 34 and take it south along the coast until you arrive in Dominical.
By Bus:
If you do not have a vehicle, taking a bus to Dominical is equally painless. You’ll just have to make sure you time your trip to catch one of the departing and returning buses, of which there are plenty. You will catch the bus from the Quepos bus terminal (search Terminal de Buses de Quepos on Google) and look for the bus heading to Uvita. This is the bus that will stop in Dominical. The ride will cost 1600 colones and will take around 1 hour and 15 minutes. You will see the signs for Dominical and will probably be able to tell as soon as you get into town - the bus will take a right turn onto the main road in Dominical. The center of Dominical really consists of one small strip, so it's hard to miss. Other travelers will likely be getting off in Dominical as well, so you could always ask someone on the bus to let you know when you have arrived.
Writer’s Tips:
We suggest finding
accommodation in Quepos and making Dominical a day trip; accommodation options are limited as the town is very small. You can easily explore the area and enjoy all it has to offer within a day.
The Nauyaca waterfalls are located just outside of Dominical, and are only a 15-minute taxi ride or drive away. If you are going to be visiting Dominical, checking out the waterfalls is a must. If you arrive in the morning, you might consider spending a couple of hours at the falls and the remainder of the day in Dominical just strolling the main street and hanging out on the beach. Check out our
blog post on the Nauyaca waterfalls for more info.
LOCATION
Corporation: Bosque Perfecto SA
RECEPTION
Daily from 7 AM to 10 PM
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