Is Nosara Safe? A Comprehensive Guide
Odds are if you’re here you’re asking yourself the question “Is Nosara Safe?” in anticipation of an upcoming trip or move to Nosara.
In a nutshell, the answer to that question is yes, Nosara is generally very safe. Of the last few years, I’ve spent over a year living in Nosara and Rowan has spent much more time in Nosara than that, and we both agree that Nosara is very safe.
However, there is still some crime and danger that it is good to be aware of in Nosara, and I’ll be covering all of that, along with my best tips on how to stay safe in this post.
Safety in the different areas in Nosara
To tackle the question of “is Nosara safe” I think it’s important to first straighten out the facts about the different areas of Nosara. Nosara itself is a small local town in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica, on the Nicoya Peninsula.
Nosara Town is located about a 10 minute drive from the beaches of Playa Nosara, Playa Pelada, and Playa Guiones. Playa Guiones is the main touristy beach in the area. It’s also the main surf beach in Nosara, where most of the shops and restaurants are, and where most tourists stay!
There are a few other beaches and neighborhoods in the Nosara area but for the purpose of this post, I’ll be focusing on Nosara town, Playa Pelada, and Playa Guiones because that’s where most tourists and visitors go, and because I personally have the most experience with those areas.
Each different part of Nosara has its own beauties, and its own challenges.
Playa Guiones
Playa Guiones includes the main surfing beach in Nosara along with the main “beach hubs” of the area. Overall, Guiones is pretty safe. However, some of the homes there deal with break-ins, and car break-ins are also pretty common- especially if you park along the beach roads at night.
Since there are now parking attendants, car theft around the beaches has gotten a lot better over the years. But it still happens from time to time, so it’s best not to leave any valuables in your car unattended.
And, be sure to tip the beach parking attendants!
Safety on the beach- Once again, Playa Guiones is pretty safe. There are tons of people around, but sadly, things still happen. I don’t recommend leaving any valuables on the beach while you’re surfing or swimming, because they might not be there when you come back.
More importantly, it’s safest to stay away from the really isolated parts of the beach, like the beach trails, and the far north part of the beach, especially if you’re alone. Just this year (2023) a woman was mugged on the far north section of the beach in broad daylight. There have been other incidents in Guiones and Pelada against young women as well.
Whenever I’m alone, I personally completely avoid the isolated parts of the beach and the beach trails.
Playa Pelada
Rowan and I have spent a lot of time living in Playa Pelada, and this is easily one of our favorite parts of the area!
In terms of crime and safety, the main issue here is petty theft and home break-ins. Those are fairly common. And similar to Guiones, it’s not a great idea to leave your valuables unattended or to be alone on the isolated parts of the beach. One of our friends was out exploring an isolated northern section of the beach, and luckily wasn’t hurt but the thief did steal her camera and some jewelry, and it was a really scary experience.
There are some other issues in Pelada as well but primarily the main safety concerns are petty theft.
Nosara
Nosara has its fair share of petty theft like Playa Guiones and Playa Pelada, but in the last few years Nosara has also had an increasing amount of violent crime. Here is a news article detailing one of the most recent incidents (at the time of writing). And sadly, there have been several similar incidents.
Keeping your belongings safe in Nosara
When it comes to the question “Is Nosara safe”, the biggest concern is usually keeping your belongings safe. Because, yes, the Nosara area is very safe! However, you do have to put in a little work to keep your belongings safe.
Here are some tips I recommend you follow for keeping your belongings safe in Nosara:
- Do not leave anything on the beach unattended, especially valuables
This is not something that is exclusive to Nosara. In most beach destinations, you really don’t want to leave your valuables unattended on the beach. Including the beaches around Nosara.
If you’re going for a swim, I don’t recommend leaving your backpack, phone, wallet, keys, and camera on the beach. Especially up high on the beach closer to the jungle, and the jungle trails.
Things do get stolen from locals and visitors alike this way.
I do recommend investing in a waterproof bag to take your valuables with you while you swim! Or, go swimming when the tide is super low, and you can bring your stuff down close to the waterline with you and it’ll probably be fine there.
That’s usually what I do when I go swimming. Or, if I’m with a group, we take turns with one person watching our stuff while the others swim.
- Don’t leave valuables in your car unattended
Another common thing that happens in not just Nosara but all of Costa Rica is car break-ins. I will say, in recent years there have been FAR fewer smash and grabs, but it still happens. I don’t recommend leaving valuables in your car unattended. Especially at night, and when you’re parked in isolated areas where there are no parking attendants to watch over your car.
- Tip the parking attendants
There are parking attendants at most of the beach parking lots in the Nosara area. They help show visitors where to park, organize the flow of traffic, and also keep watch over people’s cars and motos to make sure they don’t get stolen, and that nothing is stolen from inside them.
These parking attendants are the reason why there aren’t nearly as many car break-ins as there used to be. If they’re watching over your car/ moto, you should tip them.
- Don’t leave valuables in sight of the windows in an apartment rental or outside
Home break-ins happen from time to time in the Nosara area as well, although they’re not quite as theft from cars/ items left on the beach. In fact, a few years ago Rowan’s home was even broken into.
There are certain steps that you can take to improve the safety of your home, or as a renter, you can be sure to book homes that have security cameras, bars on the doors/ windows, security guards, and a gate/fence for the property.
However, if you’re just coming for a short trip you might not have control over these things! I just recommend not leaving any obvious valuables in sight of any windows.
Personal safety tips for Nosara
- Don’t walk on the beach trails alone- especially at night
One of the neat parts of Nosara is the network of trails that loop from town to town. They’re really beautiful trails that are great for walking and biking! However, I wouldn’t recommend walking them alone. Especially at night, and especially as a woman. Sadly, there have been multiple attacks on women on these trails.
- If you’re alone, stick to the more public parts of the beach
I don’t want to deter anyone from going to the beach alone, it’s an amazing experience! I do recommend sticking to the more public parts of the beaches if you do go alone though.
- Get a tuk tuk # so you don’t have to walk alone at night
If you’re visiting Nosara and don’t have a motorcycle, ATV, car, or some other form of transportation, I recommend getting the number of a tuk tuk driver! During the day, there are always several tuk tuk drivers right next to Cafe de Paris on the side of the main road. I recommend stopping by, introducing yourself, and getting a few phone numbers from drivers so that if you need a ride home at night, you don’t have to walk and can instead call a tuk tuk.
- Stingray shuffle
While it’s not super common to get stung by stingrays in Nosara, it does happen from time to time, and it has happened to a few of my friends here! I recommend doing the stingray shuffle when you’re walking in the water to avoid stomping on the stingrays and getting stung.
- Don’t swim in the rivers/river mouths- especially during the rainy season
Costa Rica is home to so much incredible wildlife, including crocodiles! They live in the rivers, so I recommend avoiding swimming in the rivers and river mouths.
- Avoid swimming when the currents are strong at the beaches
When there are big swells in the water, the conditions can quickly become far too dangerous for swimming in the beaches around Nosara. I’ve seen so many people go swimming at Playa Pelada and either get sucked out or almost sucked out by the currents… it’s really quite dangerous, even if it doesn’t always look it!
Before swimming, check the flags on the beach. Red flags means unsafe conditions for being in the water.
- Wear bug repellent
The mosquitoes are no joke in Nosara, and I just so happen to be a bit of a bug magnet which makes it 10x worse! It’s a good idea to wear mosquito repellent when you’re out and about to avoid getting bit because mosquitoes do carry illnesses.
This past year, 2023-2024, there has been a fairly bad dengue fever outbreak in Nosara, and I recommend suiting up with bug spray to help decrease your chances of getting it.
Is Nosara safe? Common FAQS answered
Is Nosara safe for solo female travelers?
Yes! Nosara is absolutely safe for solo female travelers. I know plenty of women who have traveled solo to Nosara and had the time of their lives, and felt safe. I also felt safe traveling to Nosara by myself the first time I ever went!
Is it safe to go to Nosara at night?
I don’t recommend walking anywhere at night alone in Nosara, as there is much more safety in numbers.
Is Nosara walkable?
Specific areas in Nosara are walkable, like the different parts of Playa Guiones, and Playa Pelada. However, it’s definitely easiest to get around with some form of wheels, whether its a bike rental, ATV rental, or car rental.
You can also call Tuk Tuks to get around!
Is Nosara safe? Final thoughts
In a nutshell, yes Nosara is safe, as long as you exercise the proper safety precautions that you need to exercise in most places! If you’re considering a trip to Nosara, I highly recommend it. It’s an amazing place, truly.
I wrote this post with the hope of informing potential and current visitors what the area is currently like, so that everyone can stay safe out there.
If you’re curious about other aspects of a trip to Nosara, check out my posts on how to get to Nosara, and the best restaurants in Nosara.
