The 16 Best Things to do in Nosara Costa Rica
Nosara Costa Rica is home to some of the worst roads, best surfing, and most spectacular beaches in all of Costa Rica. If you’re planning a trip to Nosara Costa Rica, you’re in for a treat, because this little town is pure magic! Between the two of us, Rowan and I have called Nosara home for the past 5 winters. We’ve had plenty of time to explore every nook and cranny of this mesmerizing Costa Rican surf town, and we’re so excited to share what we know with you! Here is our list of the absolute best things to do in Nosara Costa Rica.
How to get to Nosara
While a large part of Nosara’s charm lies in its remote location- that also makes it pretty difficult to get to! Here’s how to get to Nosara:
Getting to Nosara Costa Rica by car
You can easily drive from Liberia to Nosara. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive, and the road is mostly paved until you’re about 30 minutes away from Nosara. I recommend renting a car from Alamo Costa Rica. I’ve rented from them several times, and never had an issue. We’ve always paid exactly what we were quoted, and have never been hit by any surprise fees!
If you’re planning on driving from Nosara to Liberia, be sure to download the route on google maps offline, so the map still works when you lose service. The drive is very straightforward though- you’ll follow Route 21 until you get to Nicoya, change to Route 150 in Nicoya, and then change to Route 160 at the Samara gas station, and take Route 160 all the way to Nosara.
Getting to Nosara Costa Rica by shuttle
The easiest way to get to Nosara from the Liberia airport is to book a shuttle. I always use the Terratour Nosara shuttle service. They’ll pick you up at the airport with a sign with your name on it, and drop you off safely right at your accommodations. You can choose to pay with cash or card online, but be sure to bring a little extra cash to tip your driver when you arrive!
Where to stay in Nosara
There are several amazing places to stay in Nosara. I recommend checking out Airbnb, Booking.com, and Hostelworld to see all the options. However, here are some of the best places to stay in Nosara Costa Rica:
Nosara Beach Hostel
If you’re traveling on a budget, Nosara Beach Hostel is by far the best option for accommodations. It’s located right by the beach in South Guiones, and the dorms are clean, peaceful, and spacious.
Family of 3 Hotel
Formerly known as Gabi’s place, Family of 3 Hotel is one of the best mid-range accommodation options in Nosara. The location is nice and central, so if you don’t have a rental car, you can still walk to the mini super, restaurants, and the beach.
Lagarta Lodge
Lagarta Lodge is one of the most beautiful hotels in Nosara, with some of the most incredible views. The rooms are equipped with modern yet traditional Costa Rican decor, air conditioning, a balcony, and the hotel has a gorgeous pool.
The 16 Best Things to do in Nosara Costa Rica
1. Surfing
Nosara is most famous for its surf. There are several different places to surf in the area, but the most popular surf spot is the long, sandy beach break at Playa Guiones. While it’s not a world-class wave, the break is famed for its consistency. You can pretty much surf here 365 days a year… it’s pretty much NEVER flat.
If you’ve never surfed before, you can sign up for a surf lesson at one of the various surf schools in the area. I recommend taking a lesson from one of the surf instructors from The Gilded Iguana Surf Club. The instructors there are not only excellent surfers, but also fantastic teachers, and wonderful people.
Alternatively, you can book a surf camp in Nosara.
2. Take a yoga class
Right up there with surfing, Nosara is super famous for yoga and wellness. Some of the best places to take yoga classes are Bodhi Tree, Norte, The Harmony, and Nalu.
Drop-in classes are usually $15-$20 a class, although you can sometimes purchase a bulk class pass that will bring the average price per class down a bit. If you’re looking to go to Nosara to solely work on your yoga practice, I recommend booking a yoga retreat or staying in one of the hotels in Nosara that offers yoga classes on-site.
3. Enjoy the beaches
It doesn’t get much better than swimming in beautiful, clear, 80 degree water, surrounded by nothing but ocean and palm trees as far as the eye can see. The beaches in Nosara are absolutely incredible! Thanks to the Ostional Wildlife Refuge, nobody is allowed to build within a certain distance of the coastline. As a result, the beaches in Nosara are completely pristine. If you’re headed to the beach, I recommend bringing plenty of sunscreen, a shade tent, water, and a hat or sunglasses to protect yourself from the sun. Unfortunately, car break ins are a big issue in Costa Rica, so don’t leave anything unattended in your vehicle! Similarly, don’t leave anything on the beach unattended that you don’t want getting stolen.
4. See the Ostional Sea Turtles
Every month, hundreds of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles flock to Ostional to lay their eggs in the same place they were born. It’s a really magical phenomenon, and 100% worth seeing if you can.
If you want to see the sea turtles in Ostional, you have to come to the Arribada. This is the period of time that happens once a month, when hundreds of turtles come and lay their eggs.
In the rainy season, the Arribada lasts about a week, and during the dry season, the Arribada lasts only a few days. You can check to see when the Arribada is on this Facebook page.
The only way you can watch the Arribada is through an official tour. The list of tour guides is on the Facebook page tagged above- you can message a guide on Whatsapp to book the tour. I’ve seen the Arribada twice now, and both times I’ve booked with Gilbert, who is a super kind local to Ostional and an excellent tour guide.
For the tour, you’ll have to arrive very early in Ostional- at 4:45 am! It’s easiest to drive there from Nosara if you have a car, but I’ve also done it on a quad. You can also reach out to the tour guides on the list and arrange a tour with transportation as well.
5. Visit the brand new skate park
Another of the best things to do in Nosara is to go to the brand new skate park! The skate park is located right at the top of the Guiones Norte road, right off the main road. If you like to skate, I recommend bringing a skateboard with you so you can enjoy the park. If you don’t bring a skateboard, you can also rent a surfskate from a surf shop- we’ve rented from Nosara Tico surf shop before. However, now that there is a skate park, I expect that all the surf shops will be renting skateboards very soon.
The lights at the skate park stay on until around 9 pm, so you can skate at night. At night, the skate park is pretty crowded though, so be careful! If you go in the morning, or during the middle of the day, it’s usually pretty empty- albeit hot!
6. Sunset at Lagarta Lodge
Going to Lagarta Lodge for sunset is one of my favorite things to do in Nosara. The view from their “bar arriba” is amazing- it overlooks the mountains, Nosara river, and Nosara beach. If you’re looking for a great restaurant or bar with sunset views in Nosara, I recommend coming here. Just be sure to make a reservation if you’re coming for sunset, as they usually fill up.
7. Learn Spanish
One of the most rewarding things to do in Nosara Costa Rica is to take some Spanish classes, and learn the local language! Rowan and I have both taken classes at the Nosara Spanish Institute, and each had wonderful experiences. NSI is a great place to meet people, and have a truly immersive experience in Costa Rica.
8. Take a sunset boat cruise
One of the absolute best things to do in Nosara Costa Rica is to take a sunset boat cruise with Kaya tours! The Kaya is a fully restored vintage sailboat that has crossed the Atlantic 5 times before finding her home on the Nicoya Peninsula.
The sunset tour on the Kaya is an amazing experience. You meet in Playa Garza, take a water taxi out to the Kaya, and then spend 3 hours cruising up and down the incredible Costa Rican coastline. If the tides and swells allow for it, you can go and visit a pink sand island, and snorkel at the reefs.
During my last ride with Kaya, we had the privilege of spotting a pod of whales– it was pure magic.
9. See the geyser in Playa Pelada
If you decide to explore Playa Pelada, keep an eye out for a little geyser! If you’re standing in front of Olga’s Beach Bar facing the beach, there is a little outcropping of rocks to the left. If the tide is just right, the water rushes under the rocks and explodes in a little geyser. x
10. Go to Rosi’s Soda Tica
Forget surfing- no trip to Nosara Costa Rica is complete without a visit to Rosi’s. Rosi’s is a soda, and serves delicious typical Costa Rican food. Every day except Sundays, you can enjoy delicious gallo pinto for breakfast and casado for lunch at the Rosi’s locations in Guiones Central, Guiones Norte, and Playa Pelada.
11. Enjoy live music
Another of the best things to do in Nosara Costa Rica is to enjoy all the live music! So many restaurants have live music in Nosara Costa Rica- you can pretty much enjoy live music any night of the week. Some of the restaurants that have live music include Il Pepperoni, Il Basilico, El Chivo Cantina, The Gilded Iguana, Beach Dog Cafe, and the Selina hostel.
12. Take salsa dancing classes
If your trip to Nosara Costa Rica includes a Wednesday night, head over to Selina for free salsa classes! It’s a really fun way to meet people, and embrace the local culture.
13. Shopping
Nosara is a great place to do some shopping! There are so many great boutiques, surf shops, and clothing stores here. While the prices here aren’t cheap, you can find beautiful dresses, bikinis, and sweet tee shirts and board shorts. You can also buy beautiful, handmade jewelry and souvenirs on the side of the road in Guiones Central.
14. Eat incredible food
Whenever I’m not in Nosara, I really really miss the food. It’s so clean, filling, and there are SO many options. Some of the best restaurants in Nosara include Rosi’s (of course), Blue Zone Brewery, Celajes, and El Chivo Cantina. If you’re curious about more places to eat, check out my list of the best restaurants in Nosara.
15. Go to the Tuesday organic market
Every Tuesday morning in Guiones central, there’s a big organic market with tons of vendors. Not only is it a great place to find fresh, affordable, and organic fruits and vegetables, but there are also several local artists selling their products. We’ve seen beautiful pottery, paintings made from coffee, lovely jewelry, and more at the market. If you’re planning to go, I recommend going early in the morning because it gets very hot after about 10 am.
16. Go to the rodeo
Going to the Nosara Fiesta, or the rodeo, is one of the most exciting things to do in Nosara Costa Rica. The Fiestas typically go on in late January, and include amusement rides, vendors, bull riding, with the night concluding with traditional dancing and live music. If you’re in Nosara when the rodeo is in town, I highly recommend going.
Enjoy Nosara Costa Rica
That’s a wrap on our list of the best things to do in Nosara Costa Rica! Whether you’re a surfer, yogi, or just looking to enjoy one of the most chill surf/ beach towns in Costa Rica, you’ll have an amazing time here in Nosara.