At a glance
- From Santa Teresa
- 4½–5 hours on the paved road via Paquera and Nicoya, year-round. The coast road is shorter on the map but is a dry-season 4x4 route with river crossings
- From the airports
- Liberia airport (LIR): 2–2½ hours by road. San José airport (SJO): about 5 hours by road, or a 45-minute flight to the Nosara airstrip (NOB)
- Swimming
- Every Nosara beach has waves and rip currents. Swim at Playa Guiones by the lifeguards; Playa Garza, 6 km south, is reef-protected and calmer
- Best for
- Couples who want yoga, quiet and nature; families with young kids who want a calm, no-party base (kids club, day camp); teens learning to surf
- Facilities
- Cafés, shops and yoga studios near Guiones; supermarkets, private clinics and the airstrip in Nosara village, 6 km inland. Public hospital in Nicoya, about 1¼ hours
- Getting around
- Spread out: you'll want a car, an ATV or a driver. The access road from Barco Quebrado is badly potholed; a high-clearance car helps, and a 4x4 in the rainy season
- Surf
- Playa Guiones has consistent waves for lessons at every level
Is Nosara right for you?
Nosara is the quiet sister of Santa Teresa. Both are beach towns with yoga and surf, but Nosara is calmer, greener and more spread out. Playa Guiones, its main beach, lies inside the Ostional Wildlife Refuge, so there are no hotels on the sand, just 6 km of beach backed by forest. The local civic association works to keep large-scale development out, and it shows.
- Couples who want wellness, early nights and long beach walks will love it. If you want a lively dinner scene and sunset bars, Santa Teresa suits you better.
- Families with young kids like the no-party feel, the kids club and day camp, and the lifeguards at Guiones. For calm water to swim in every day, though, look at Sámara.
- Families with teens get consistent, well-organized surf lessons and plenty to do on land.
- Not ideal if you want to walk everywhere or are counting on calm water for toddlers.
How do you get to Nosara, and how long does it take?
From Santa Teresa, Nosara is a full travel day: 4½ to 5 hours by road. From Liberia airport it's only 2 to 2½ hours. So Liberia is the natural gateway for Nosara, while San José or a flight to Cóbano suits Santa Teresa.
| From | How | Time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Teresa | Paved road via Cóbano, Paquera, Jicaral and Nicoya | 4½–5 h | Year-round. The last stretch into Nosara, from Barco Quebrado, is badly potholed. |
| Santa Teresa | Coast road via Manzanillo, Coyote and Sámara | 3–4 h or more | Dry season only, high-clearance 4x4, river crossings and some beach driving. No gas on the way. |
| Liberia airport (LIR) | Road via Nicoya | 2–2½ h | Paved most of the way. |
| San José airport (SJO) | Road via the Tempisque bridge and Nicoya | About 5 h | Or fly (next row). |
| San José airport (SJO) | Flight to the Nosara airstrip (NOB) | About 45 min | Sansa and Green Airways, daylight only; small-plane bag limits apply. |
Transfers: Santa Teresa to Nosara and San José airport to Nosara. Coming from Liberia, see Liberia airport to Nosara on our sister site. For every route on the peninsula, our Nicoya Peninsula map has the drive times.
Insider tip: If your GPS sends you down the coast from Santa Teresa to Nosara, ignore it unless it's the dry season and you're in a proper 4x4. The Arío, Caño Seco and Bongo rivers south of Coyote have no bridges, the river north of Sámara is a ford too, rental insurance doesn't cover water damage, and there's no gas station until Sámara. The paved loop through Nicoya takes longer but gets you there relaxed.
Which Nosara beach suits whom?
Nosara has four beaches you'll hear about, plus the wild black sand of Playa Nosara, north of Pelada, reachable on foot at low tide. From south to north:
| Beach | What it's like | Swimming | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playa Garza | A fishing village on a crescent bay, 6 km south of the Nosara beaches | Calmer: an offshore reef breaks the waves | Families with small kids, a quiet swim |
| Playa Guiones | 6 km of pale sand, forest behind, no buildings on the beach | Waves and rips; lifeguards near the main entrance | Beach walks, surf lessons, sunsets |
| Playa Pelada | A smaller, rockier cove with shade, tide pools and a blowhole | Reef pockets can be calm, but it's rocky; pick your spot | Couples, sunset, tide pools |
| Ostional | A wildlife refuge beach north of Nosara, famous for turtles | No: strong rips | Turtle nights with a guide |
What about yoga and wellness?
This is Nosara's strength. You'll find yoga studios around Guiones, retreat centers such as Bodhi Tree (which also runs drop-in classes), and hotels built around yoga and healing, like Harmony. Add aerial yoga, trail runs and early nights, and it's easy to see why wellness-minded couples come here for a reset at the end of a Costa Rica trip.
Is Nosara good for families with young kids?
Yes, if you plan for the water. Nosara's calm, family-minded feel is the draw, with no bar strip and plenty to do on land:
- A kids club for ages 4 to 10 at The Gilded Iguana, and the Nosara Day Camp with water trampolines, farm visits and horseback riding.
- Easy forest walks on the Nosara Civic Association trails, and animal-rescue sanctuaries to visit.
- Surf lessons in the whitewater at Guiones for school-age kids and teens.
- Calm water at Playa Garza, 6 km south, and paddling by the lifeguards at Guiones.
Private clinics are in Nosara; the public hospital is in Nicoya, about 1¼ hours away. For more on the whole peninsula with children, see Santa Teresa with kids.
When can you see the Ostional turtle arribadas?
Ostional, 20 to 30 minutes north of Nosara by road, is one of the most important olive ridley nesting beaches on Earth. During an arribada, anywhere from 15,000 to around 200,000 female turtles come ashore together to nest on a stretch of beach about 800 meters long. According to SINAC, the park service, it ranks second in the world after Escobilla in Mexico.
- When: all year, once or twice a month. The largest arribadas come in the rainy season, roughly August to November.
- Dates: they tend to start around the last-quarter moon, about a week before the new moon, but not reliably, so exact nights can't be fixed months ahead. Ask the Ostional local guides' association a few days before.
- Guide: a certified local guide is compulsory during arribadas and the nesting season.
- Rules: no flash, no white lights unless the guide says so, no vehicles or pets on the sand, no reflective clothing.
- Kids: a guided evening at Ostional suits children old enough to stay quiet and patient in the dark.
- Roads: the Nosara and Montaña rivers are bridged, but the dirt road and the stream crossing at Ostional can still close in the wettest weeks, which is also peak arribada time. Plan a flexible night.
Where should you stay in Nosara?
Start with the area, then the hotel:
- Playa Guiones is the heart: the most cafés, shops and studios, and beach paths you can walk. Best if you don't want to drive every day.
- Playa Pelada and Boca Nosara are quieter and more residential, near the river mouth and the reserve.
- The hills and Nosara village give you views and more space, but you'll drive to the beach.
By traveler:
- Couples and honeymooners: design-led boutique hotels near Guiones such as Sendero, Silvestre and Tierra Magnifica; Esh, which takes guests 13 and over; Lagarta Lodge on its ridge above the river reserve for sunset views; Harmony if yoga is the point of the trip.
- Families with young kids: The Gilded Iguana for the kids club and surf school; Harmony's bungalows, which sleep two adults and two small children; or a villa with a pool, which suits families of four or more.
- Yoga retreats and solo travelers: Bodhi Tree, or a smaller eco-hotel such as Olas Verdes.
- Families with teens: anywhere you can walk to the Guiones surf schools, so teens can come and go.
Staying in Santa Teresa first? Our where to stay in Santa Teresa guide covers that end of the trip.
How does Nosara compare with Santa Teresa?
| Santa Teresa & Malpaís | Nosara | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Social, international, boutique; restaurants and nightlife | Quiet, wellness-minded, no party scene |
| Swimming | Rips on open beaches; tide pools and the calm Gulf side 45 minutes away | Waves and rips; lifeguards at Guiones; calm Playa Garza nearby |
| Best for | Couples, families with teens | Wellness couples, families with young kids |
| Getting around | One long beach road; taxis or ATVs | Spread out; a car or ATV |
| Getting there | 30-minute flight from SJO to Cóbano (ACO), or 5–6 hours by road and ferry | 45-minute flight from SJO to Nosara (NOB), or 2–2½ hours from LIR |
Doing both? Put them at either end of the trip rather than back to back, or accept a full day on the road between them. Our Santa Teresa vs Nosara page goes deeper, and our itineraries show how they fit with Arenal and Monteverde.
When is the best time to visit Nosara?
December to April is dry, sunny and easiest on the roads, and it's when most travelers come. From May the green season brings afternoon rain, fewer people and bigger surf; September and October are the wettest months, when rivers rise and the dirt roads get hard going. Turtle lovers aim for August to November for the biggest Ostional arribadas and accept the mud. See the best time to visit for the month-by-month picture on the peninsula.
Can you learn to surf in Nosara?
Yes. Playa Guiones has a consistent beach break that works most of the day and plenty of schools, so it's an easy place for a first lesson for kids, teens or a curious couple. Waves are smaller from November to April. More on first lessons: surfing on the peninsula.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Santa Teresa to Nosara?
Plan on 4½ to 5 hours on the paved road, which runs up the Gulf side through Paquera, Jicaral and Nicoya. The coast road through Manzanillo, Coyote and Sámara is shorter on the map, but it's mostly dirt, crosses rivers with no bridges, and is only realistic in a 4x4 in the dry season. See Santa Teresa to Nosara.
Can you drive the coast road from Santa Teresa to Nosara?
Only in the dry season (roughly January to April), in a high-clearance 4x4, and with care. The Río Bongo and other rivers have to be forded, some stretches mean driving on the beach, and the rivers can be impassable in the rainy months. Rental insurance usually doesn't cover water damage, and there's no gas between Santa Teresa and Sámara. For most visitors, the paved route via Nicoya is the right call.
What's the closest airport to Nosara?
Nosara has its own airstrip (NOB), with scheduled flights from San José airport (SJO) on Sansa and Green Airways, about 45 minutes. The closest international airport is Liberia (LIR), 2 to 2½ hours away by road. Flights to Cóbano airport (ACO) serve Santa Teresa, not Nosara.
Can you swim in Nosara?
Yes, with care. All of Nosara's beaches have waves and rip currents. Playa Guiones has lifeguards near the main entrance, so swim there and stay in their sight. Playa Garza, 6 km south, sits behind a reef and is calmer. If calm water for small children is your top priority, Sámara is the better base.
Is Nosara good for families with young kids?
Yes, on land especially. There's no party scene, a kids club at one of the Guiones hotels (ages 4 to 10), a day camp, easy nature trails, wildlife sanctuaries and gentle surf lessons. The sea is the catch: waves and rips on every beach, so little ones paddle by the lifeguards or at calm Playa Garza. Private clinics are in town; the public hospital is in Nicoya, about 1¼ hours away.
When can you see the turtle arribadas at Ostional?
Arribadas happen all year, once or twice a month, but the big ones come in the rainy season, roughly August to November. Dates follow the moon and can't be booked far ahead, so ask the local guides' association a few days before. A certified local guide is compulsory during an arribada. Ostional is about 8 km north of Nosara, but in the wettest months the rivers on the way can close the road.
Is Nosara or Santa Teresa better?
Santa Teresa for restaurants, nightlife, sunsets and the calm Gulf beaches nearby; Nosara for quiet, yoga and a more family-oriented feel, and a shorter drive from Liberia airport. They're 4½ to 5 hours apart, so many couples pick one, or split a longer trip between both. See Santa Teresa vs Nosara.
Do you need a car in Nosara?
Mostly, yes. Nosara is spread out between the beaches and the village, 6 km inland, and the roads are dirt or potholed. If you stay near the Guiones beach paths you can walk to cafés and the sand; anywhere else, plan on a rental car, an ATV or a driver. A high-clearance car makes the Barco Quebrado road easier, and a 4x4 helps from May to November.