A locally-written guide to the surf breaks, the wellness spots, the best things to eat, and the adventures that make Nosara feel like home.
Nosara sits on one of the most consistent stretches of Pacific in the Americas — warm water year-round, offshore mornings almost daily, and a wave for every level within a short drive of the suite. Playa Guiones alone is seven kilometres of sand-bottom peaks, and it starts three minutes from your door.
Dec – Apr
Offshore winds, head-high beach breaks, sunny mornings
May – Nov
Bigger swell, fewer crowds, afternoon storms
80 – 84°F
Trunks year-round, optional rash guard
The home break — a three-minute walk from your door and one of the most reliable beach breaks in the country. Seven kilometres of sand means the peaks spread out, so there is almost always an empty shoulder waiting.
Mid-to-high tide on a small morning swell is the sweet spot for longboards and learners; low tide on a bigger day gets punchy and fast toward the south end.
The rocky cove just north of Guiones, where a short right peels off the volcanic shelf at higher tides. Smaller and quieter than the main beach, with tide pools, iguanas on the rocks and two beach bars above the sand.
Only worth paddling out an hour either side of high tide — at low tide the rock shelf is exposed and it becomes a walking beach instead.
A horseshoe fishing bay fifteen minutes south, protected enough that it stays glassy when Guiones is blown out. Small mellow waves, pangas moored offshore, and a village that has barely changed in decades.
The move on a big-swell day when the main beach is unsurfable — bring a longboard, and stay for grilled fish at one of the sodas on the bay.
Where the Río Nosara meets the Pacific at the north end of the beach, the sandbar can throw a long, walled-up left that runs far further than anything at Guiones. Fickle, but a gift when it lines up.
Best after a run of green-season rain when the river has pushed sand out; go on a dropping tide and keep an eye out for crocodiles inside the estuary.
Dark volcanic sand thirty-five minutes north inside the wildlife refuge, with heavy shore-break peaks and almost nobody out. A raw, wide-open beach where the turtles nest and the surf is left entirely to locals.
Time the drive for a low-tide river crossing and check with the concierge first — the road is unpaved and impassable after heavy green-season rain.
The serious wave of the region — a powerful, hollow beach break an hour north past Ostional that picks up more swell than anywhere nearby. Consistently empty, consistently bigger than it looks from the sand.
Watch a full set from the beach before paddling out, and go with someone who knows the rip lines. Bring water and fuel; there is very little out there.
Start on the inside at Playa Guiones on a soft-top with an instructor. Sandy bottom, gentle whitewater, easy paddle-outs, and boards for rent along the beach path. Two or three sessions and you'll be standing up. ¡Pura vida!
Guiones on a bigger swell gets fast and punchy toward the south end. Boca Nosara throws a long left when the sandbar sets up, Playa Pelada holds a rocky right at higher tides, and a forty-minute drive north to Playa Marbella finds heavier, emptier peaks.
Right of way to the surfer closest to the peak. Don't drop in. Don't snake the lineup. A smile and a nod in Spanish goes further than you'd think — ¡pura vida!
Rip currents are common on all the beach breaks here. If caught, paddle parallel to shore. Never surf alone at sunrise or sunset. The Guanacaste sun is brutal — reef-safe SPF 50 and a long-sleeve rash guard, always.
Nosara's longest-running school and the one most people learn on, run out of Guiones since the nineties. Small-group and private lessons, video coaching, a big rental fleet, and instructors who read the sandbars daily.
Book the 7am lesson for the cleanest water and the emptiest beach — they will meet you on the sand with a board and rash guard ready.
The shop everyone in Guiones ends up in — boards by the day or the week, repairs while you wait, leashes and wax, plus lessons with instructors who have been surfing this beach their whole lives.
Rent by the week rather than the day; it is far better value and they will swap the board for a different shape if the swell changes.
Boutique coaching with a one-to-two instructor cap and a fleet of performance boards, built for intermediates who want technique feedback rather than a push into the whitewater. Video debriefs included.
Ask for the multi-day intensive if you're here a week — the progression between sessions is where the real improvement happens.
When you want to leave the coast for a day — volcanoes, jungle canopies, and waterfalls all within a couple of hours. These are the trips worth the early start.
One of Costa Rica's longest zipline circuits — eleven cables strung ridge-to-ridge across a river canyon high above Nosara. Two and a half hours in the canopy, with howler monkeys for close company.
Book the 8am tour for the coolest air and the chance of monkeys on the platforms; wear closed-toe shoes and tie back long hair.
The rocky cove just north of Guiones, where low tide opens warm tide pools and a blowhole that fires spray straight up through volcanic rock. A twenty-minute walk, with iguanas sunning the whole way.
Check the tide chart and go an hour either side of low tide; stay on for sunset drinks at one of the two beach bars above the cove.
Boutique eco-lodge on the bluff above the Nosara river mouth, with a private 90-acre reserve threaded by boardwalks through mangrove and dry forest. Trópico's terrace is the quietest cocktail here.
OrderReserve boardwalk at dawn · Trópico sunset cocktails · Estuary kayak
Non-guests can visit the reserve and stay for sunset drinks at Trópico — reserve a terrace table a day ahead for the best light.
One of a handful of beaches on earth where olive ridley turtles nest en masse. During an arribada, thousands come ashore over a few nights on dark volcanic sand — a genuinely rare thing to stand near.
Access is guided-only and arribadas cluster around the last quarter moon — ask the concierge to watch the reports and book a certified local guide the day it starts.
A slow boat up the Río Nosara through the mangrove channels of the refuge — crocodiles on the banks, howlers overhead, herons, kingfishers and more iguanas than you can count in an afternoon.
Take the first departure of the morning for the most wildlife, and bring binoculars if you have them — the birdlife is the real reward.
Sunset rides along the empty north end of the beach and up into the jungle trails behind it, with calm criollo horses and local guides who have ridden this sand their whole lives. Ninety minutes out and back.
Book the 4:30pm slot so you're on the sand as the light goes gold, and wear long trousers — the trail section gets brushy.
Half-day quad circuit on the dirt roads behind Nosara — river crossings, ridge views out to the Pacific, jungle track and a long run of empty beach at the end. Dusty in dry season, muddy in green.
Take the morning tour before the heat, wear sunglasses and a bandana for the dust, and bring a change of clothes for the ride back.
A short hike inland to a hidden fall spilling into a cool swimming pool ringed by jungle. Twenty minutes from the beach and a total change of temperature — the antidote to a long afternoon in the sun.
Fullest in green season; wear shoes you can get wet, go on a weekday morning, and take a local guide if the trail is muddy.
Half-day catamaran out of the fishing bay at Garza, with snorkel stops along the rocky headlands, ceviche and cold drinks on board, and the Pacific sunset from the bow on the way back in.
Book the afternoon-into-sunset slot, take motion tablets if you're sensitive, and claim the bow netting as soon as you step aboard.
The Pacific shelf drops off fast off Nosara, putting yellowfin tuna, sailfish, marlin and dorado within an hour of the beach. A short list of charters we trust out of Garza and the river mouth, from half-day inshore panga trips to serious offshore runs.
Offshore charters launching from the beach at Garza, running to the blue water inside an hour for sailfish, marlin, mahi and yellowfin. A local captain who has fished this stretch of coast for decades.
OrderSailfish release · Yellowfin run · Mahi on the troll
Sailfish peak Dec–Apr, marlin May–Sep, tuna run all year — tell the captain what you'd rather catch and he'll set the spread to match.
Half-day inshore panga trips off the river mouth for roosterfish, snapper and jack — light tackle, close to the rocks, and back on the sand in time for lunch. The friendliest first charter in the area.
OrderRoosterfish on light tackle · Snapper inshore · Sunrise departure
Take the inshore trip on a rising tide for roosterfish, and ask them to fillet the catch — most Nosara kitchens will cook it for you that evening.
The village fishermen at Garza take small groups out on working pangas — no air-conditioned cabin, just a boat, a captain and a fast run to the reefs. The most authentic way to fish this coast.
OrderReef bottom-fishing · Dawn departure · Fresh catch to the kitchen
Arrange it the day before down at the bay, bring your own water and sun cover, and go early — the wind builds by mid-morning.
The day starts slow here — a paddle, a salutation, a long breath before the heat. These are the studios and quiet places we send guests to most.
Two open-air shalas on the hill above Guiones, with drop-in vinyasa, yin and breathwork running from sunrise to sunset. The most complete daily schedule in Nosara, and open to everyone, not just guests.
Reserve the sunrise class online the night before and arrive ten minutes early for tea on the deck — the 4pm yin is the quietest of the day.
The most polished spa in Nosara, set in a garden of frangipani a short walk back from the sand. Massage cabanas open to the trees, a juice bar on site, and treatments built around local plants and cacao.
Order90-min deep tissue · Cacao body scrub · Post-treatment juice
Book the 90-minute deep-tissue after a hard surf day, then eat lunch at the hotel's juice bar rather than rushing straight back out.
Donation-based beach yoga most mornings just after first light, on the flat sand at the main beach access. Bring a towel, practise to the sound of the break, and finish with a swim before the sun gets high.
Schedules move with the tide — check the boards at the beach path entrance the evening before, and get there ten minutes early for a spot near the front.
Glassy morning paddles up the Río Nosara through mangrove channels, with howler monkeys overhead, herons on the banks and iguanas dropping off branches into the water. Calm, flat and genuinely peaceful.
Go on the first tour of the day for the most wildlife and the least wind; the guided option is worth it for the birds you would otherwise never spot.
The volcanic shelf at Playa Pelada is the best inshore snorkel near Nosara — puffers, parrotfish, sergeant majors and warm tide pools that hold their own small worlds through the whole low tide.
Go at the top of high tide for the clearest water, bring your own mask, and wear reef shoes; the rock is sharp under a foot of water.
The teacher-training shala that gave Nosara its reputation as a yoga town, up on the hill with a view over the treetops. Drop-in classes, meditation sittings, and workshops that run through the week.
The evening meditation is free to drop into and rarely busy — a very different pace to the morning vinyasa crowd down at the beach.
Where to find a real flat white, a cold-pressed juice, and an açaí bowl deep enough to share. Post-surf fuel and slow mornings, all within a short walk or drive.
The Guiones breakfast institution — a shaded open-air deck a few steps back from the sand, doing deep açaí bowls, cold-pressed juice, huge breakfast plates and proper coffee after the dawn patrol.
OrderPitaya bowl with almond butter · Huevos rancheros · Cold-pressed green juice
Go before 9am for a garden table and the fastest kitchen; the pitaya bowl with almond butter is the local order.
The bakery at the Guiones crossroads, pulling croissants and pain au chocolat from the oven each morning alongside fruit plates, omelettes and the strongest espresso within walking distance of the beach.
OrderAlmond croissant · Tropical fruit plate · Double espresso
The pastry case is picked clean by 9am on weekends — go early, take a bag of croissants back to the suite, and eat them on the balcony.
A tiny garden café doing homemade ice cream, sorbets built on local fruit, gluten-free baking and enormous smoothies. The reliable afternoon stop when the heat sets in and nobody wants a full meal.
OrderPassion fruit sorbet · Mango-banana smoothie · Gluten-free brownie
The passion fruit sorbet is the one to get; there is shaded seating in the back garden that most people walk straight past.
Poolside breakfast at the surf hotel everyone in Guiones passes through — bowls, eggs, smoothies and the most consistent flat white in Nosara, served under a canopy of palms with the surf crowd filtering in.
OrderAçaí bowl · Huevos with plantain · Flat white
Breakfast runs long here, which is the point; take a table by the pool after a dawn session and let the morning stretch out.
Plant-forward kitchen and juice bar with buddha bowls, raw desserts, kombucha and smoothies blended from whatever the local farms dropped off that morning. A small garden patio and a very slow pace.
OrderSpirulina bowl · Mango chia smoothie · Raw cacao slice
The daily bowl special is better than anything on the printed menu — ask what the kitchen is making before you order.
A walk-up window near the Guiones path doing turmeric lattes, layered smoothie bowls and grain bowls topped with whatever is in season. No real seating — take it down to the beach two minutes away instead.
OrderTurmeric latte · Quinoa grain bowl · Coconut smoothie bowl
Bring cash, and if you're heading straight for a session, order ahead by phone so it's waiting when you walk past.
Seven addresses — from a pigs-on-the-sand institution to a quiet candlelit Italian and the only soda we'd send our parents to.
Elevated Costa Rican cooking on the hill above Playa Guiones — open-fire proteins, garden vegetables, and one of the better wine lists in town. The room opens to the treetops; the crowd is half local.
OrderWood-fired catch of the day · Chimichurri short rib · Guanacaste corn
Book the last seating and stay for a mezcal after — the terrace lights come down and the jungle takes over the soundtrack.
The best sushi in Nosara — a small omakase-leaning room by a chef working almost entirely off the day's Pacific catch. Cuts change with the tide; the hot dishes keep everyone else at the table happy.
OrderChef's omakase · Yellowfin tuna nigiri · Miso black cod
Sit at the counter and let the chef guide the order — walk-ins are hard, so book a day or two out.
The sunset table in Nosara: a stone-walled room set right above the Pelada cove, Mediterranean-leaning plates, and a terrace that fills an hour before the sun drops into the Pacific. Book it, always.
OrderTuna tataki · Catch of the day · Passion-fruit cocktail
Reserve for 45 minutes before sunset and ask for a table on the sand-side terrace rather than inside — the whole point is the view.
Wood-fired Italian a short drive from the beach, run by an Italian family who make their own pasta each morning. Thin-crust pizza, a short considered wine list, and easily the most family-friendly dinner nearby.
OrderMargherita with bufala · Hand-cut tagliatelle · House tiramisu
Order the pizza to share and a plate of hand-cut pasta between two; they will do half-and-half toppings if you ask.
A true Tico soda in Nosara village — handwritten menu, plastic chairs in the shade, and the platonic ideal of a casado for a few dollars. The kind of lunch that reminds you where you actually are.
OrderCasado con pescado · Gallo pinto breakfast · Fresco de cas
Go between 11:30 and 1pm for the freshest plates and order whatever fish is written on the board; that's what came in that morning.
Plastic chairs in the sand at Playa Pelada, whole fried fish, cold Imperials and a view straight down the cove. Nothing about it is polished, which is exactly why everyone in Nosara ends up here.
OrderWhole fried snapper · Ceviche mixto · Cold Imperial
Cash only. Arrive an hour before sunset for a front-row table, and order the ceviche while you wait for the fish to come off the grill.
A short list — sunset hour above the Pelada rocks, dinner under string lights in Guiones, and the occasional late night in the village. Low-key, no clubs, just the good ones.
Nosara's only real dance floor, out toward the village — live bands and DJs on the weekend, cold Imperials, and a room where surf instructors, expats and Ticos all end up on the same floor after midnight.
OrderImperial draft · House guaro sour · Plate of patacones
Nothing happens before 10pm. Weekends only for live music, and take a taxi both ways — the road out is dark and unlit.
The social centre of Guiones after dark — a big open bar beside the pool, live music midweek, games on the screens, and a crowd that rolls straight in from the last session of the day.
OrderCold Imperial · Spicy margarita · Fish tacos
Check the board for live-music nights; on quiet evenings the bar is a fine spot to eat dinner without a reservation anywhere.
The best sunset cocktail in Nosara, on the terrace above the Pelada rocks with the sun going down straight ahead. Quieter and more grown-up than the Guiones bars, and worth the short drive north every time.
OrderPassion-fruit gin sour · Ceviche · Espresso martini
Book a terrace table for 45 minutes before sunset — walk-ins get the inside room, which misses the entire point.
On clear nights someone lights a fire down on the sand at Guiones — guitars, cold beer, no shoes and no plan at all. Three minutes from your door, and the most Nosara evening you can have.
Bring a sweatshirt for after midnight and a torch for the walk back up the beach path; take everything you carried in back out with you.
Open-air garden bar with Costa Rican craft on tap, wood-fired pizza, long shared tables and a noticeably mellower scene than anywhere else in town. The right call the night before a dawn patrol.
OrderLocal IPA flight · Wood-fired margherita · Guaro-lime highball
Order the flight before committing to a pint, and get there before 7pm on weekends if you want one of the tables under the strung lights.
The nightly ritual: everyone walks down to the sand for the last twenty minutes of light, drink in hand, surfers still trading peaks in the glare. Free, three minutes away, and better than any bar.
Leave the suite about half an hour before sunset, take a cold bottle from the fridge, and stay on for the stars — there is almost no light pollution here.
We'll arrange the surf lessons, book the restaurants, send the driver, and have a chilled bottle of something waiting when you return.
booking@nomanosara.com