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Your Ultimate Guide to Getting to Nosara: Things to Do & Vacation Rentals

Nosara Location

If you feel a calling to come to Costa Rica, follow your intuition and visit us in Nosara!

Costa Rica is a small country in Central America which contains 5% of the total biodiversity in the world and Nosara is one of its jewels.

The district of Nosara is located on the Nicoya Peninsula, in the province of Guanacaste. This Location is well known for being one the 5 Blue Zones in the World.

The global community of Nosara combines 5 beach towns on the Pacific coast, which are Playa Nosara, Playa Garza, Playa Ostional. Playa Guiones and Playa Pelada. These last 3 beaches are part of the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge and this is why, unlike other beach communities, here you won’t see much infrastructure right at the beach.

Nosara is an unusual privileged destination as it has good consistent waves for surfing all year round; lush jungle nature surrounding the beaches and town, a rich biodiversity and a wide variety of outdoors activities to do, such as surfing, yoga, fishing, hiking and biking, just to name a few.

The community is interesting and eclectic as well, as Nosara’s first settlers were the indigenous tribe of Chorotegas, which still have some influence in the place and it’s identity, as well as a multicultural mixture of people from all around the world who come to visit or decide to stay and join the beach life.

Nosara Costa Rica Vacation Rentals

Let’s find the perfect house in Nosara for your upcoming trip to Costa Rica! We have stunning properties for family vacations, extra large houses for big groups and a selection of luxury vacation rentals.

Each house has special features that will make your stay extra comfortable and memorable, such as the yoga deck, lounge and bbq area in Maison de la Plage, or the breathtaking view at Villa Vista.

Other houses are just footsteps from the beach and some even have a private trail to Guiones beach, like Calla Lily, which makes it super convenient if you like to surf or spend most of your time enjoying the beach.

Whatever your dream vacations in Nosara look like, we can customize everything so that they come true!

Once we choose the ideal vacation rental for you, our concierge will help you plan the rest of your stay, from grocery shopping, massages, restaurant reservations, tours and surf lessons, or any other requests that you may have to enjoy the time of your life in Nosara.

We know all the right people and places to be, so just relax and let us spoil you during your stay.

Nosara Beaches

Guiones Beach

This is the most popular beach of Nosara, located between Playa Garza and Playa Pelada. Playa Guiones is a beach break, well known for its beauty, its light colored sand and consistent waves for surfing all year round.

Perfect for learning how to surf or riding bigger waves when the swell comes. It is 3km away from Nosara town, where you can find more supermarkets, the gas station and hardware stores, amongst other facilities.

You won’t find any buildings or hotels right at the beach, as Guiones is a protected area of The Ostional National Wildlife Reserve.

Around town in Guiones, you will find plenty of boutiques, restaurants, mini markets, surf schools and a lively community of tourists and residents from all around the world.

Pelada Beach

Playa Pelada is located between Playa Guiones and Playa Nosara. Here you will find the famous beachfront restaurant called La Luna.

At the very north end of the beach you will find some caves and tide pools during the low tide. This beach is less popular than Guiones but also stunning.

Around Pelada town there are restaurants, bars, shops and other places to explore.

Garza Beach

This is a low key fisherman town and the beach is also beautiful. You will see all the boats floating on the water and there is a very cozy vibe that surrounds it all.

Because Garza is not part of the Ostional Refugee, you will find beachfront restaurants where you can enjoy a drink or a local typical meal and fresh seafood.

Ostional Beach

Ostional is the turtle paradise. Unlike the other beaches, this one has dark sand.

It is also a beautiful beach and if you are an intermediate to advanced surfer you might want to go catch some waves there whenever there isn’t a turtle arrival.

This is the heart of the Ostional National Refugee so it is a protected area that you can also enjoy if you don’t disturb the turtles.

San Juanillo Beach

To get to San Juanillo Beach is a 45 minutes drive north from Guiones, you’ll find this stunning beach that you can visit on a day trip.

This one is also a fishermen town, with ocean on both sides and a beachfront restaurant with a view.

San Juanillo is also perfect to go have a picnic with friends, snorkel during the dry season or just enjoy a beach day building castles with kids.

The sea is mellow and almost like a swimming pool most of the time.

Barrigona Beach

Another amazing day trip beach. Barrigona is famous for its beauty and for its fast waves for advanced surfers (when the conditions are right).

If you don’t surf, you can also have a blast, if you walk from the main entrance to the right at the very end, you’ll find palm trees and lots of shade to enjoy a picnic or just chill.

Make sure to take enough water and snacks as there aren’t any restaurants or minisupers at Barrigona beach.

How to get to Nosara by plane or bus?

One of the most particular aspects to take into account when it comes to traveling to and around Nosara is the fact that most of the roads are gnarly and unpaved.

With that said, just make sure you don’t come here driving a tiny city car, because it will suffer. Nevertheless, there are other good options to get here.

If you are landing at the Juan Santamaría Airport, near San José (SJO) province, it is possible to get here by bus, driving (a 4×4 better) or taking a direct flight to the National Airport of Nosara.

Same if you are landing in the Airport of Liberia (LIR) which is a lot closer. In both cases you can take a shuttle or a direct flight to Nosara. Once you are here, you can find an ATV rental, rent a car or a bike to get around.

There are also tuktuks, which work as taxis here, but it is always better to call them upon referral, just to make sure your experience will be good and that the price will be right.

Our recommendation in terms of flying to Costa Rica is that if you are just coming to Nosara or traveling only around Guanacaste or even to Nicaragua, it is better to land in Liberia. However, if you are planning to explore other destinations such as Arenal, Manuel Antonio, Península de Osa or Puerto Viejo before coming here, then it will work better to land in San Jose.

If you are on a surf trip, the best option is to rent a 4×4 to go to the different surf beaches nearby, such as Ostional, Marbella and Avellanas, just to name a few. 

Airplane at Nosara National Airport

Things To Do and One Day Tours in Nosara

Surf Lessons

Nosara is one of the best places in the world to learn how to surf; as the water is warm, the waves are consistent all year round and there is a friendly surf community to support your learning process.

There are plenty of surf schools and experienced surf coaches who can help you upgrade your surfing, whether you’re taking your first surf lesson or if you’ve been surfing for a while, we’ll help you find the right fit to have fun and improve your surfing skills.

Yoga Retreat

Yoga is another major topic here in Nosara. This is a paradise for any yogi, as there are so many different classes to take and amazing teachers from all around the world, with diverse approaches and yoga traditions to learn and experience.

Also the place is perfect to take a yoga retreat and connect with yourself and nature.

Fishing

If you like fishing, this is also a fun activity you can do with family or friends. In playa garza there are many boat companies that can take you for a boat tour for sports fishing, surfing or a sunset trip to the pink island.

Shopping

In the last few years more shops have popped up around town in Playa Guiones and Pelada. You can find here high end designer boutiques and also casual surf shops for men, women and kids.

This is a fun plan for your last day; you can go shopping with friends and take home some unique pieces to remember your trip to Nosara.

Turtle Nesting

If during your stay there is a turtle arrival, make sure not to miss this, as it is one of the most impressive shows of nature you will ever experience.

In Playa Ostional this amazing phenomenon occurs all year round and sometimes you can even spot the baby turtles hatching out of the egg and finding their way for the first time to the sea.

ATV Tours

If you like adventure, this is one of the best ways to explore Nosara and discover new spots like waterfalls, rivers, other beaches and towns.

We can connect you with the best tour operators in town to find the perfect jungle experience for you.

Hikes

Hikers also get delighted here, when discovering all the natural trails full of lush nature and life that take you to the beach.

There are also more challenging hikes that we can plan for you to get both a workout and probably even spot some wild animals such as monkeys, pizotes, iguanas, exotic birds and wild cats.

Safari Boat

What a wonder to take a boat tour and see the dolphins jumping all around!

Sometimes you can see them or a sea turtle swimming, different birds and if you are very lucky maybe even a whale.

Zipline/Canopy

Highly recommended for adventure lovers! The ziplining in Nosara is one of the best in Costa Rica.

If you want to fly from one tree to the other and see the whole jungle beneath you this plan is for you.

Kayak

Through the mangroves of Nosara beach you will go on your kayak or stand up paddle board.

Legend has it that if you touch the water of the Nosara River you will always come back! This is a fun tour to take with friends, family or just by yourself.

Nosara Weather

Unlike other countries, Costa Rica doesn’t have the 4 seasons. The year is basically divided into 2 main seasons: the rainy and the dry.

From May to November it rains, especially during September and October. May, June and July are rainy months as well but they usually have more sunny days. Whilst November through April are mostly dry and sunny.

In Nosara you must befriend the tropical weather, as it is very warm and humid. The temperature ranges between 24C and 32C, being March and April the hottest months.

We also call the rainy season “green season” as when it begins to rain, all the trees and plants get greener than ever and everything looks lush and vibrant.

It is a great time for taking retreats, getting cozy or surfing bigger waves! In the dry season of course there is more fun in the sun. You can surf smaller summer waves, have plenty of opportunities to work your tan, ​​ watch every sunset and then a sky full of stars.

Nosara Blue Zone

The term “blue zone” is becoming trendy and more popular everyday, to the point where you can find brands and different products with this name.

There are only 5 blue zones in the world and we are lucky enough to be part of the Nicoya Peninsula, which is one of them! But what is a blue zone?

A blue zone is an area or place where people tend to live longer than usual, as some habitants live more than 100 years.

This is particularly interesting because many would dream about this and it’s not exactly a secret elixir, but it is related to a healthy diet, physical activity, contact with nature and other factors that you can discover as you explore this paradise.

Frequently Questions Asked About Nosara Costa Rica

Is Nosara Costa Rica worth visiting?

If you like warm weather, being in contact with nature and the ocean, for sure! Highly recommended for yogis and surfers.

Is Nosara expensive?

Many would say it is an expensive destination: More expensive than Mexico, less expensive than New York.

What is Nosara known for?

Yoga, surf, global community, warm ocean, tropical weather and lush vegetation all around

Is Nosara or Santa Teresa better?

Nosara is a better destination for families, Santa Teresa could be better for partying.

How to get to Nosara Costa Rica?

You can take a flight to either the Daniel Oduber Airport (Liberia) or Juan Santamaria Airport (San José) and then get here by plane, car or bus

How far is Nosara from San José, Costa Rica?

Around 170 km, or 4 to 5 hours driving