Once known only to surfers, the sleepy fishing village of Dominical in Costa Rica is on the verge of becoming a top retirement destination for North Americans.

Whether you come to surf or look for a place to live out your golden years, FlipKey has a rental property to suit all your needs. 

About Dominical

Found on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, roughly 30 miles south of Quepos, Dominical has long been famous within the surfing community for its year-round waves.

Visitors to Dominical usually arrive at San Jose Airport where they either rent a car or take a bus to San Isidro. Traveling through the clouds over mountains or following a river in the valleys the entire journey takes around four hours, longer if traveling by bus. Up until recently, the entire area contained no paved roads. But, with luxury villas now popping up all along the mountainside, tarmac has been making more of an appearance.

Surfing, however, remains the area's main draw and has the biggest effect on the local scene. Don’t expect to find much to do other than surfing, but there are several restaurants and bars to hang out in at night.

What to do in Dominical

The real magic of this part of Costa Rica lies outside the town in the marine rich Pacific Ocean waters. Here, you will find the best place on the planet to catch a sailfish.

On the hillside above the beach, you will find lush rainforest with protected nature reserves. Zip-lining through the trees, horseback riding and hiking to see spectacular waterfalls have to be on a visitor's agenda. The same goes for a trip to Parque Reptilandia where you can get up close with snakes, frogs, crocodiles and even a Komodo Dragon.

Also, not far away is the Marino Ballena National Park, one of the only places on earth where whales from both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere meet on their annual migration.

The whales can be seen from shore or up close in a boat tour for nine months of the year. While the humpback is the main act, six other species of whales can be seen as well.

Top travel tips for Dominical, Costa Rica

It is no wonder that Costa Rica is so green with the area around Dominical receiving 14.5 inches of rain in September alone. If you want to avoid the rain, visit during the winter from December through until April.

With Dominical only having one ATM that is often out of order—and pretty much nowhere that accepts credit cards—you need to bring cash in small denominations.

Pick up a souvenir of your trip to Dominical from one of the beachfront vendors who set up stalls between the palm trees on the beach. Then, all that’s left to do is relax with a beer as the sun sinks into the Pacific.

Costa Rica is a world leader in ecotourism as is evident in and around Dominical. Whether it is a surfing adventure, big game fishing or a nature retreat you are looking for, FlipKey has a great range of rental properties to suit all needs and budgets. Start browsing and find the perfect one for you, today!