The Nosara Region
“Nature, yoga, surfing, beaches, a wildlife refuge, and pristine beauty.”
Picture a little spot on the map, surrounded by tropical dry forest that spills down hillsides to meet the Pacific Ocean on some of the most unspoiled and pristine beaches in all of Costa Rica. A place with one of the most famous surf breaks in the world, and that boasts 330 days a year of great waves. A laid-back, diverse, multi-cultural community of locals and expats, and equally famous for its yoga retreats, eco lifestyle, and organic cafés.
If the picture in your mind’s eye is putting a smile on your face, then the fact that such a place really exists should make you jump for joy. That’s right! It’s real, and it’s called Nosara!
An abundance of wildlife and nature, a healthy lifestyle, access to good international schools and private healthcare, and roots firmly planted in a yoga-surfer-organic culture, have made Nosara one of the top destinations in Costa Rica for people who want to work remotely while living the real pura vida (“pure life”) lifestyle.
“Nosara is a little off-the-beaten-path – and most people will tell you they like it that way.”
The Nosara region of Guanacaste consists of Playa Nosara, Playa Guiones, Playa Garza, Playa Pelada, and Playa Ostional. The actual town center of “Nosara town” lies inland about five miles and is where much of the Tico population resides. Most of the hotels, yoga retreats, restaurants, cafés, and surf shops are located in Guiones, making it the most popular spot with expats, as well as with foreign and national tourists alike.
The area is situated about half the way down the west coast of the Nicoya Peninsula. It borders el Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional (“Ostional Wildlife Refuge”). Ostional is famous for its arribadas (“mass nesting events”) of olive ridley and leatherback sea turtles, and is one of the largest olive ridley nesting sites in the world. It’s frequently at the top of everyone’s bucket list for Costa Rica.
Nosara is a little off-the-beaten-path – and most people will tell you they like it that way. It’s a place where you’ll find a lot of surfers, yoga practitioners, nature lovers, foodies, and granola-heads woven in amongst the locals. Paradise!
“Nosara has many of the luxuries and comforts of home tucked into a small Costa Rican beach town.”
Two of the longest rivers in Costa Rica – the Río Montaña and Río Nosara – flow into the Pacific Ocean at Playa Nosara. They teem with wildlife and are popular with nature-lovers who want to kayak, or take a boat tour, or enjoy the abundant species of birds, reptiles, and other flora and fauna that can be seen along their banks.
Like the rest of Guanacaste, the Nosara region enjoys a “wet season” (also called “winter”, “green season”, and “low season”) and a “dry season” (also called “summer”, “golden season”, and “high season”). The dry season runs from about mid-November through mid-May. The wet season occurs during the rest of the year, with the wettest month of all being October.
With a strong expat community, excellent international academies for kids, and accessible health food, Nosara has many of the luxuries and comforts of home tucked into a small Costa Rican beach town, surrounded by stunning views of nature. Many consider it the best place in the world to live, vacation, or retire.
Located in the northwest Costa Rican province of Guanacaste
• 2.5 hours from Liberia’s Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR). The closest international airport to the region. Direct flights from major U.S., European, and Latin American cities are available via most of the major airlines, thus making LIR the main air transportation portal for foreign visitors to Nosara.
• 4.5 hours from San José’s Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO).
• Domestic flights are also available to and from Nosara’s regional airport (NOB).
• The Paradise Medical Clinic in Playa Guiones serves residents of Nosara; the area has no major hospital. There is a Red Cross there for emergencies. But, for more serious medical treatment, you’ll have to get to the public hospital, Hospital La Anexión de Nicoya, within about a 90- minute drive.