Nosara, Costa Rica Surf and Travel Guide
If there is one town in Costa Rica that has received the most press over the last few years, it’s Nosara. Nosara is now a hot spot among the international jet setter crowd, but miraculously has managed to maintain its Costa Rican authenticity, at least to a degree that can be expected among this level of attention, investment, and growth.
Now, to be clear, when people talk about Nosara, they are generally speaking about Playa Guiones, the actual beach and town that has sprung up right along it. Nosara, the actual town, is a bit inland (just by 15 minutes or so). Playa Nosara is a beach further up the road as well.
The reason Playa Guiones is getting all of the attention is because of the surf. The near constant, consistent surf that offers something for all levels of ability. I have yet to ever get skunked on a trip to Nosara, and at the end of the day that is all we are looking for in a surf trip. Waves.
The surf at Nosara offers something for everyone. You hear this a lot, but in this case, I assure you it is true. A beach break where the larger waves break a bit farther away from shore, the configuration allows the more experienced surfers to be grabbing the bombs of a large swell while not intermingling with (read, crashing into, colliding with) your precious little grommets while they catch white water on boogie boards that take the for 50-yard rides to the beach.
Being a beach break also gives that security of not being dragged across a reef while you are still shaking off the cobwebs from your flight and bumpy drive into town.
Is Nosara A Good Fit For You?
So I guess Nosara actually doesn’t have something for everyone. If you are looking for ultra-shallow reef break tubes, then this isn’t the place for you. I guess that means it has something for most people, and that probably includes you and most certainly includes me.
Getting to Nosara
Where do you fly into for Nosara Costa Rica?
Of course, things depend on your flight ability. Generally, the easiest and fastest way to get to Nosara is to fly into Liberia then drive or arrange for a ride down. The trip will take about 3 hours, and be warned, after the turn-off in Nicoya City, the notoriously bad roads of the Guanacaste take over.
(Are the roads really that bad you’re asking? Well, let me tell you about the time my friend got out of the car about 5km from town and decided to just jog the rest of the way…)
These roads are why most people generally drive to Nosara from Liberia via Nicoya – you stick to the pavement the longest this way. However, it is possible to head down along the coast if you’re looking to see some different towns along the way and aren’t in a hurry.
Just beware in the rainy season there are multiple river crossings and things can get crazy around Ostional.
Getting to Nosara from San Jose
Getting to Nosara from San Jose will require either a short flight into the town of Nosara or a bit of a drive. The drive up and around the Gulf of Nicoya will take at least five hours if all goes well. You can also take the ferry across from Punta Arenas to Cabo Blanco. It takes longer but is something to keep in mind.
If you want more information on which airport to take to get to Nosara and how I like to make the most of the drive from Liberia, check out the articles below:
Which Airport? Liberia or San Jose