The Best Beaches in Nosara Costa Rica
Nosara, Costa Rica is a little beach town on the Nicoya Peninsula, in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica. This remote town is well-known for its incredible surf, thriving yoga scene, but most of all, its spectacular beaches.
The beaches in Nosara are what keep this place special, and the main reason why so many are drawn to Nosara. Thanks to the Ostional Wildlife Reserve, 15 km of coastline are protected, spanning from Ostional down to the tip of Guiones. This means that nobody can build within a certain distance of the beach, to protect the olive ridley sea turtles that come and nest here every month.
As a result, the beaches in Nosara are untouched. Unlike other beaches in Costa Rica, you won’t find skyscraper hotels, restaurants, and beach bars right on the sand. Instead, you’ll find wide expanses of empty beach, leading right up to the jungle. There aren’t many places left like this in Costa Rica- everything has been extremely overdeveloped, especially in recent years. It’s like a breath of fresh air.
Over the last 5 years collectively, Rowan and I have spent a lot of time at these beaches, and we’re excited to share what we know. Here’s our guide to the best beaches in Nosara!
1. Guiones Beach
Guiones Beach, or as we call it here Playa Guiones, is going to be the main beach for visitors to the area.
In fact, when most people talk about ‘Nosara’, they’re usually referring to Guiones. Nosara is a small local town located about 7.5 km from Guiones. Guiones is where all the surfing takes place, and also where most of the things for visitors are. Yoga studios, hotels, restaurants, bars, and boutiques all line the streets of Guiones.
Guiones Beach is the main hub and surfing beach of the Nosara area. The beach is about 7 km long, running from Punta Guiones in the south to Playa Pelada in the north.
There are three main entrances to Guiones Beach: Baker’s Beach (also known as the south entrance), Central Guiones, and North Guiones.
If you’re here to surf, this is the place to be. From the Baker’s Beach entrance up to the north beach entrance, you’ll usually find clean, consistent surf.
However, Guiones Beach isn’t the best of the Nosara beaches for swimming. There’s almost always a lot of current and swell in the water, which makes for difficult swimming conditions. That’s not to say you can’t enjoy wading out and enjoying the water- you definitely can! Just don’t expect calm, crystal clear swimming pool-like conditions.
Playa Guiones is by far the busiest of all the Nosara beaches- in the mornings the beach is full of surfers and people going for their morning walks. For sunset, it seems like the entire town is here! The middle of the day when the sun is at its most powerful is when there are the least amount of people at Playa Guiones.
If you want to be close to all the action, including the surf, restaurants, shops, and yoga studios, I highly recommend booking a place to stay in Playa Guiones.
2. Pelada Beach
Just north of Playa Guiones, you’ll find the smaller, more secluded, and more local Pelada Beach. Playa Pelada is a little less exposed then Playa Guiones, so you can often find some nicer swimming conditions.
Playa Pelada has way more of a local feel than Guiones. The beach is scattered with fishing boats, and there is often a soccer match going on between the local kids. There are way less tourists at Playa Pelada than in Playa Guiones, so if you’re looking for a more tranquil environment, Pelada is great for that.
Unlike Guiones, the beach is very rocky- while some sections are nice and sandy, there are several rocky outlets that line the beach. It’s much less popular for surfing than Playa Guiones, although there are a few spots to surf if you know where to go.
If you want drinks, typical food, or some fresh ceviche, you can check out Olga’s right on the beach. Olga’s was built before the Ostional Wildlife Reserve was founded, and it’s one of the only structures on this stretch of coastline. However, because of the Ostional Wildlife Reserve, they can’t legally do any construction or additions with Olga’s, so when it’s gone it’s gone.
Pelada is a great beach to go for a swim, walk, or to have a beach day. If you’re looking for a Nosara beach with a slightly more local feel than Guiones, but don’t care to surf, I recommend visiting or staying in Playa Pelada.
3. Nosara Beach
Playa Nosara is often confused with Playa Guiones as being the main beach in the area. Although this beach shares the name of the town, all you’ll find here is a black sand beach, surrounded by jungle that’s not accessible by road, and maybe a few crocodiles. This is due to the fact that Playa Nosara is home to the mouth of the Nosara River (Rio Nosara). Locally referred to as the “Boca” (Mouth) this is where the river meets the sea, making it a prime habitat for marine wildlife. The most common way to access this jungle beach is by crossing the river mouth by foot, typically at low tide. Once you’re there, you’ll find a beautiful black sand beach that stretches for miles. Playa Nosara is an option for surfers willing to brave the elements of nature and the wildlife that lives there. The waves are generally smaller and steeper than Guiones, but if you’re looking to get away from the crowds, it’s an option.
As I mentioned earlier, Crocodiles (cocodrilos) are often spotted in this area, especially on the river banks. I don’t recommend anyone enters the river without being aware of this. Playa Nosara is truly an untouched piece of wilderness and is a sight to behold. If you want to see the beauty without putting yourself in harms way, just head to Lagarta Lodge for sunset (this is where the picture was taken)
4. Garza Beach
Playa Garza is a crescent-shaped white sand beach located south of Playa Guiones. If you’re looking for a beautiful beach in Nosara to swim in, Playa Garza is the place to be. The water is insanely blue, and it’s much calmer than both Guiones and Pelada- perfect for swimming and relaxing!
Playa Garza is also lined with some nice palm trees that are great for sitting under, or stringing up a hammock to chill out and enjoy the beach.
Garza is also super local- much more so than Pelada. I love going to Garza for a fun beach day when I want to swim, relax, and visit a less touristy area than some of Nosara’s other beaches.
If you’re trying to snorkel- you’ll probably have the best luck and clearest waters at Garza. The heavy surf at Guiones, and even Pelada sometimes churns up the sand a lot, and it’s typically far too murky for snorkeling. However, Garza is usually a lot more clear and you’ll have a better chance at seeing fish.
To clarify, Garza is not part of the National Ostional Wildlife Reserve, and it does have a restaurant and shop right on the beach. Garza is also its own town- it’s not part of Nosara. However, it’s only a few km south of Guiones, and it’s definitely worth knowing about when you’re researching what beaches are in the Nosara area, and trying to decide where to go!
5. Ostional
Playa Ostional is truly a magnificent area for many reasons. The town of Ostional is popular for being one of the nesting places for Olive Ridley Sea Turtles. These turtles return to the same beach they hatched at to lay their eggs making this beach an incredibly special area in the wildlife community. When visiting Nosara, keep an eye out for an “Arribada”, this means that the turtles are coming to lay their eggs on the beach. If you’re lucky enough to be there when it’s happening, book yourself a tour to go see them. You won’t be allowed on the beach without a licensed tour guide. It’s truly an incredible experience. Fair warning, it takes place in the early hours of the morning, so be prepared to wake up around 4am.
Playa Ostional is also well known in the surfing community. The wave here is steep, much faster, and typically heavier than Playa Guiones. I don’t recommend this beach for beginners or even lower level intermediates. If you do decide to surf here, be respectful of the community and anyone else in the water. This is not a tourist beach.
The town of Ostional is a quiet, local town with a handful of places to eat or buy groceries. It’s totally worth a drive through the area to see what a non-touristed local beach town has to offer.
Tips for visiting Nosara’s beaches
Bring a shade tent
If you’re planning on having a beach day at one of Nosara’s beaches, I recommend bringing a shade tent. During the day, especially in the dry season, it gets very very hot on the beach here- too hot to comfortably sit out in the sun for hours on end. It’s really nice to have a shade tent to set up under.
Wear plenty of sunscreen
The sun down here is no joke. If you’re headed to the beach, it’s a good idea to bring a nice reef-safe sunscreen.
Bring lots of water
The beaches here are hot! You’ll want to stay hydrated to maximize your time in the sun.
Do not leave anything on the beach unattended
This one’s a bummer, but it’s true- you really shouldn’t leave anything unattended on the beach here, especially valuables. If you leave your phone, wallet, purse, backpack on the beach to go and swim, it might get stolen. That goes for all beaches in Costa Rica, unfortunately.
If you’re traveling in a group, you can take turns swimming with one person sitting on the beach. If you’re traveling solo, you can bring your belongings with you in the water in a nice dry bag, or find someone trustworthy on the beach to keep an eye on your stuff.
The beaches in Nosara are pretty safe for the most part- especially compared to other beaches/beach towns in Costa Rica. But it’s best not to risk it.
Do the stingray shuffle
If you’ve never heard of the stingray shuffle, here’s a stingray shuffle tutorial. When you’re wading in the water here, you’re going to want to do the stingray shuffle, because there are tons of stingrays here, and people do get stung.
Pack it in, pack it out
The beaches here are pristine, and that’s part of what makes this place so special. There is no organized trash service here like at other beaches, so if you bring anything with you that needs to be thrown away or recycled, please take it back to your hotel/airbnb to dispose of it here. The wildlife thanks you for it!
No motorized vehicles on the beaches
As all the beaches in Nosara are a part of the Ostional Wildlife Reserve, you can’t drive motorized vehicles on the beaches- including quads and motos.
Tip your parking attendants
Car break-ins used to be a MAJOR issue here. Now, all/most of the parking lots at the beaches in Nosara have parking attendants who look over the cars, and help organize the parking. These guys are working for tips, and if you park here, you should give them some cash or coins to say thank you for keeping the beach parking lots safe.
When I first came to Costa Rica, I thought this was a scam- but locals have told me that having parking attendants has REALLY improved the safety of the parking lots here, and they tip the parking lot attendants too.
The best beaches in Nosara-final thoughts
The beaches here are amazing, and the main reason Nosara is such a special place to us. Whether you’re coming to Nosara with your family, by yourself, for the first time, or you’re already here and looking to branch out- you’re going to love these beautiful beaches.
