Nosara

Welcome to Nosara, on the western coast of the Nicoya Peninsula. It’s known for surfing, yoga retreats, and environmental preservation, with an upscale yet bohemian vibe that’s different from most of Costa Rica.

Unlike bustling beach towns, you won’t find neon lights, paved beachfront strips, or large resort complexes here. Boutique eco-lodges blend into the dense jungle, and the daily rhythm follows the ocean tides and the setting sun.

Here’s our guide to Nosara and how to travel here safely.

Top things to do in Nosara

1. Surf the waves of Playa Guiones

Playa Guiones is the main beach and the center of Nosara’s surf culture. Stretching nearly seven kilometers, this beach break has a wide, sandy bottom that produces consistent, clean waves. It handles both small and large swells, good for beginners taking their first lessons as well as advanced longboarders and shortboarders.

2. Recharge at a yoga studio

Nosara is one of the world’s known yoga and wellness centers, sitting within one of the Earth’s “Blue Zones,” regions where people tend to live longer, healthier lives. Spend your morning practicing vinyasa or meditation at open-air jungle pavilions like Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort or the Nosara Yoga Institute, surrounded by the sounds of howler monkeys and tropical birds.

3. Spot wildlife at the Nosara Biological Reserve

Take a break from the beach to explore the mangrove forests and dry tropical trails of the local biological reserve. Rent a kayak or stand-up paddleboard to glide down the Rio Nosara and Rio Montana, where you’ll spot camouflaged river crocodiles, iguanas, white-faced monkeys, and hundreds of species of water birds.

4. Watch sea turtles at Playa Ostional

Just 20 minutes north of Nosara is the Ostional Wildlife Refuge, one of the world’s major nesting sites for Olive Ridley sea turtles. If you time your visit right, you can witness an arribada, when tens of thousands of sea turtles come ashore over a few nights to lay their eggs.

The road reality: getting to Nosara safely

Nosara has an upscale experience inside its hotels and villas, but the local roads are a different story.

• From Liberia Airport (LIR): roughly 2.5 hours away.
• From San José Airport (SJO): about 4.5 to 5 hours.

The roads into the Nicoya Peninsula and around Nosara/Guiones are unpaved, bumpy, and heavily rutted. In dry season, driving behind another vehicle means a thick cloud of dust. In green season, those same dirt roads turn to mud with deep water craters. Reaching some boutique lodges or turtle tours can mean crossing seasonal rivers that flood fast enough to trap a standard rental car.

Skip the rough driving: ride with Beach Shuttles CR

Don’t risk your vacation over a flat tire, a flooded engine, or getting lost on unmarked dirt roads with no cell service. A professional shuttle service is a safer way to reach this off-the-grid area.

At Beach Shuttles CR, we specialize in the terrain of the Nicoya Peninsula:

• High-clearance fleet: vans built to handle deep potholes, rough gravel tracks, and river crossings.
• Surfboard and yoga gear friendly: traveling with a surfboard quiver or heavy luggage? We have secure space for it, no extra fees.
• Door-to-door pickup: step off your plane at LIR or SJO and into your private, climate-controlled ride. Our local drivers handle the mountain switchbacks and dirt roads while you relax into the Pura Vida mindset.

Book your private or shared shuttle to Nosara with Beach Shuttles CR today!