Surf Lesson at Guiones
Learn on one of Costa Rica's gentlest beach breaks.
Overview
Why visit Nosara
Nosara stayed small on purpose. An early 1970s beach community, the 'Nosara Project', set aside jungle corridors instead of oceanfront lots, so today the beaches of Guiones and Pelada are backed by trees, not towers. The result is one of the calmest beach towns in Costa Rica.
Playa Guiones runs for nearly 7 kilometres with a forgiving, consistent beach break that surf schools love. The town is one of Latin America's biggest yoga destinations — institutes like the Nosara Yoga Institute made it famous, and open-air shalas host retreats year-round.
Just north, the black-sand Ostional refuge hosts arribadas — mass nestings when tens of thousands of olive ridley turtles storm the beach at once, one of nature's great spectacles. Add the SIBU wildlife sanctuary, Pelada's blowhole and trails through the Blue Zone forest, and Nosara earns its reputation as the peninsula's peaceful soul.
Things to do
Top things to book in Nosara
Popular tours and tickets. Compare prices and book ahead to skip the lines.
Ostional Turtle Arribada
Witness a mass nesting with a certified wildlife guide.
Yoga Retreat Day
Take a class at one of the town's landmark studios.
Wildlife Sanctuary Visit
Meet rescued monkeys and learn local conservation.
Plan your trip
Compare prices for Nosara
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Fun facts
Things you didn't know about Nosara
- 01
A Blue Zone
Nosara sits inside the Nicoya Blue Zone, where residents famously outlive the rest of the world.
- 02
Jungle Instead Of Hotels
Beachfront lots were never built on — a 1970s plan left the shoreline wild.
- 03
The Arribada
Ostional's mass turtle nestings can bring over 100,000 olive ridley turtles ashore in a few days.
- 04
A Yoga Capital
Nosara hosts some of the oldest yoga teacher-training schools in the Americas.
- 05
Seven Kilometres Of Break
Playa Guiones's sandy, gentle waves make it a favourite for learning to surf.
- 06
A Blowhole Beach
At Playa Pelada, waves blast through a sea cave blowhole at high tide.
- 07
Its Own Airport
Tiny Nosara Airport connects the town to San José in about 40 minutes by prop plane.
- 08
Monkeys Get A Sanctuary
SIBU Sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates orphaned and injured wildlife.
- 09
One Of The First Expat Communities
The Nosara Project was one of Costa Rica's earliest planned international communities.
- 10
A Town With No Centre
Nosara sprawls through the jungle with no real downtown — directions use beaches and landmarks.
Random Nosara fact
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FAQ
Quick answers about Nosara
Where is Nosara located?
Nosara is in Costa Rica, in North America.
What is the population of Nosara?
The greater Nosara area is home to about 6,000 people.
What is Nosara famous for?
Costa Rica's quiet wellness capital hides behind a wall of jungle — no buildings on the beach, world-class yoga, gentle surf at Guiones and mass turtle arrivals at Ostional.
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