Everything we’d tell a friend
coming to Nosara.

What sets Nosara apart from other beach towns in Costa Rica is the rule against high-rise development. Buildings here are limited in height and density, and a long-running protected zoning agreement keeps the jungle pressed up against the beach instead of paved over. The result is a town where howler monkeys still wake you at sunrise and the loudest sound after dark is the ocean.

It is also one of five Blue Zones on Earth — places where people measurably live longer. The reasons are mostly social: tight community, purposeful daily activity, a diet built on beans and corn and tropical fruit, hard mineral-rich water, and a culture that does not rush.

Playa Guiones

Four-and-a-half kilometers of consistent beach break. Works at most levels with the right tide. The south end is slightly more advanced; the middle and north have peaks that reset cleanly. Offshore winds in the dry season usually hold until late morning. Almost everyone who stays in Nosara surfs here.

Best on mid-to-high tide · south swell preferred

Playa Pelada

A rocky point break for intermediates. Shorter rides, more powerful, more critical takeoffs. Watch the rocks at low tide. The cliffside above Pelada is also where La Luna sits — the sunset table of record.

Best at low-to-mid tide

Playa Garza

Calmer than the other two. Shallow protected bay. The right call for first-time surfers, kids, and anyone who would rather float than fight the ocean.

Family-friendly bay

Ostional Wildlife Refuge

Eight kilometers north of town. One of the world's largest olive ridley turtle nesting sites. Mass nestings — arribadas — happen on a roughly monthly cycle, and we time visits around them. Off-arribada days you can still see hatchlings and adult turtles. The sand is darker and the beach is wilder than Guiones.

Ask BZN for current arribada timing

If you've never surfed

Take a lesson on your first morning. Two hours is enough to know if you want to keep going. Small group is better than big group; private is better than small group. Most schools meet at the south or middle entrance to Guiones. Boards and rash guards are included.

If you have surfed before

Rent a board for the week — it's less than a daily lesson and saves you the morning shuttle. Most rental shops will deliver to your residence. Get a board appropriate for the day, not your home break — Guiones rewards forgiveness.

Etiquette

Locals give and expect respect. Don't drop in. Don't paddle around the lineup to claim priority. If you're learning, stay on the inside; the outside peaks are for people who can take a wave and exit the lineup cleanly. The community here is small enough that bad behavior is remembered.

Drop in for a single class

All the major studios accept walk-ins for $18-25 per class. Bodhi Tree is the most accessible — multiple shalas, a juice bar, regular schedules in English. Harmony Hotel runs beachfront classes that non-guests can join. The Retreat Nosara is smaller and more intimate, often with sound healing or breathwork on the schedule.

Stay at a wellness resort

Bodhi Tree, Harmony, Blue Spirit, and Pranamar are the four boutique-level options. Bodhi Tree and Blue Spirit are the most retreat-oriented; Harmony and Pranamar feel more like luxury hotels with yoga attached. Rates run $300-500 per night including most of what you'd want.

Train as a teacher

Nosara Yoga Institute has been running 200- and 500-hour trainings since 1994. It is the original Nosara teacher training, and what put the town on the global yoga map.

Sunset

La Luna, on the cliff above Pelada, is the table everyone wants. Make the reservation before you fly. Wood-fired fish, ceviche, a wine list that holds up. The view is part of the menu.

Mornings

Robin's is the breakfast institution — açaí bowls, strong coffee, and a regular crowd that's half surfers and half people on laptops. Open until early afternoon. Café de Paris is the French alternative — real croissants and quiche.

Casual any time

The Gilded Iguana is the bar everyone returns to. Cold Imperial, nachos, sports on TV, conversations that start at four and end at midnight. Marlin Bill's overlooks Guiones for post-surf drinks. El Chivo is Mexican food and tequila with live music on weekends.

Local

Rosi's Soda Tica is the authentic local soda — casado, gallo pinto, fresh fruit batidos. Cash only. Pacifico Azul has the best fresh fish in town. Both are worth the visit even if you're staying somewhere fancier.

Private residences

What we manage. Three to five bedrooms, full kitchens, pools, gardens, and the privacy of having the place to yourself. Best for families, groups of friends, or anyone planning a longer stay. We arrange concierge end to end — chef, transfers, lessons, anything.

Boutique hotels

Nosara Beach Hotel sits on the point between Guiones and Pelada — the iconic Nosara landmark since 1977. Olas Verdes is all-suite and quietly luxurious near Ostional. Sendero Hotel is the highest-end option in town, with the only true fine-dining restaurant attached.

Wellness resorts

Bodhi Tree, Harmony, Blue Spirit, Pranamar. Three to four meals a day included, yoga on the schedule, communal feel. Best for solo travelers and people coming specifically for a reset.

Witch's Rock & Ollie's Point

A boat trip to two of Costa Rica's most legendary surf breaks, north of Tamarindo. Six-hour day on the water, lunch onboard, intermediate-and-up surf only. We arrange these directly.

Nosara River kayak

Mangroves at first light. Crocodiles, herons, and the kind of quiet that recalibrates a week. About two hours, easy paddle, dawn departure for wildlife.

Horseback at sunrise

Boca Nosara runs beach rides for all levels at sunrise and sunset. Rescued horses, small groups, no rushing. The sunrise ride beats the sunset ride if you can manage the early start.

Miss Sky zipline

Eleven kilometers of cables through primary canopy. The longest zipline in the country. Half-day, mid-morning departure.

Ostional turtle arribada

The most extraordinary wildlife event you can witness in Nosara. Mass nesting of olive ridley turtles, on a roughly monthly cycle, often around the third or fourth quarter moon. We watch the timing and tell guests when to go.

What you'll see without trying

Howler monkeys, white-faced capuchins, scarlet macaws, toucans, parakeets, iguanas, Jesus Christ lizards, geckos, and an enormous variety of insects you've never seen before. The howlers wake you at 5am for the first few mornings; eventually you wake up before they do.

What you'll see if you go looking

Nosara River is full of crocodiles — best seen by kayak at first light. Coyote, agouti, and armadillo move through the inland trails at dawn. Sloths are present but rarely visible. Spider monkeys are around but quieter than howlers.

What to know

Don't feed any of it — howlers will not leave your kitchen if you start. Don't touch insects you don't recognize. The water in the rivers is fine for kayaking, not for swimming (bull sharks have been recorded near the river mouth). The ocean is the safer swim.

Liberia (LIR)

International airport, three hours by car from Nosara — including the ferry across the Tempisque River, or the inland route via Nicoya. We arrange private transfers ($200-280 for up to 6 people) that we'd recommend over a rental car for the drive in. The roads are well-paved until the last 10km, where they aren't.

San José (SJO)

International airport, 45-minute domestic flight to Nosara via SANSA or Skyway. Costs $150-200 per person one-way. Limited daily departures — book ahead in high season. Worth it if your international flight only routes through SJO.

Direct to Nosara (NOB)

There is a small airstrip in Nosara itself. Domestic flights from SJO land here directly. From the airstrip, all residences are within 15 minutes by car.

4x4 rental

Not a suggestion. The roads are gravel and seasonal — what's passable in dry season can be washed out in green season. A sedan will not get you to most rental homes. Adobe Rent a Car is reliable; book in advance for high season.

ATV / quad

Fun and practical. Good for short trips around town, gets you up rough roads to wellness centers and clifftop residences. Around $80-100 per day. Ride carefully — the gravel is loose.

Scooters

Available, cheap, and fine for in-town distances in dry season. Skip them in green season. Skip them entirely if you've never ridden one.

Private drivers

We have a network of trusted local drivers for evenings out, group dinners, and airport runs. WhatsApp us anytime — usually $25-40 within Nosara.

Money

USD is widely accepted. Many places price in dollars and accept colones at a slightly worse rate. ATMs in town dispense both. Cards work at most established places; cash for sodas, taxis, and small markets.

Wifi

Surprisingly good across most rentals and cafés — fiber arrived in town a few years back. Outages happen during heavy rain. Cellular data is reliable on Kolbi and Movistar.

Water

Tap water is potable in most rental homes — the well water in this part of the peninsula is some of the cleanest in the country. If you're sensitive, stick to bottled.

Weather by month

Dec–April: dry, sunny, busiest. May–June: short transitional rains, lush, fewer people. Jul–Aug: "little summer" — drier window inside the rainy season, beautiful conditions. Sep–Nov: heaviest rain, biggest swells, smallest crowds.

What to pack

Less than you think. Two swimsuits, two pairs of shorts, a few light shirts, one pair of long pants for evenings, a rain shell if traveling May-November, sunscreen (reef-safe), a wide-brimmed hat, sandals plus one pair of closed shoes for hiking. Yoga mat optional — every studio has them.

Tipping

10% service charge is added to most restaurant bills (look for *servicio* on the receipt). Tipping additional is appreciated but not expected. Tip drivers, surf instructors, and house staff — $5-20 depending on the day.

The local pace is slower than what you're used to. Restaurants take their time. Drivers stop for monkeys crossing the road. Store hours bend. The right response is to slow down to match — not to push for faster service. Anyone who's been here more than a season has stopped checking their watch.

Dress is casual everywhere except a small handful of dinner spots. Beachwear is fine in town for breakfast and lunch. For dinner, change into something dry. There is no place in Nosara that requires more than a clean shirt.

Costa Rica is one of the few countries with no standing army — a deliberate choice from 1948. The local pride in this is genuine and worth understanding. The country is small, peaceful, deeply democratic, and self-aware. Nosara reflects all of this.

Medical

Nosara Medical Center handles most non-emergencies — English-speaking doctors, modern equipment. Open seven days. For emergencies, the nearest full hospital is in Nicoya (45 minutes by car). Your travel insurance probably covers a private medical evacuation if it's serious.

Pharmacy

Farmacia Nosara is in town. Most over-the-counter and prescription medications are available without a prescription. They speak English.

Dental

Dr. Mónica Dental in town, US-trained, handles emergencies same-day. We've sent guests there for chipped teeth more than once.

Police

911 works in Costa Rica. Local response is reliable; the police presence in Nosara is small but consistent. Tourist Police (Policía Turística) operate during high season and patrol Guiones.

Reach us

If you're a BZN guest and anything goes sideways — even a small thing — message us on WhatsApp at +506 8621 6929. We answer within minutes during the day and as soon as possible at night.