Nosara, Costa Rica
Nosara, Costa Rica
Abby West
Available for hire
📍A guide to all the spots we checked out in Nosara in July 2021. Not comprehensive, but lessons learned from a 7 day stay.
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Expectation Setting
That said, it’s very easy to get around (everyone I encountered spoke English).
Food
The food scene is not great, though there are lots of healthy-ish, California-style options.
We were a bit timid on fresh fruit and veggies at first but then started eating them since they were so popular and had no issues.
Water
Lots of places have filtered water on tap, including many places to stay. Just make sure to check.
Nosara at night
Bring a headlamp! Many streets aren’t lit at night so it will save you. Also, many places close early so don’t expect a rollicking nightlife scene.
Car
It would be helpful to have a 4x4 car to get around but it’s not necessary. You can arrange a shuttle to town from the airport in Liberia (~2 hours away) but then you’ll be much less mobile.
Playa Guiones
This is the main beach in Nosara with more of the shops, restaurants, etc.
🎫 Nalu Nosara
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We loved this beautiful house! Perfect layout & indoor/outdoor vibe. Beautiful grounds and pool. Friendly staff.
Has a fitness studio attached but we never took classes there. You can hear them midday. Good WiFi.
Getting there:
When you come to Guiones, you will arrive by the main road, route 160. Turn onto the road next to Giardino Tropical Restaurant/Hotel and then take your first right. We will be immediately on the right. Just look out for the Nalu Nosara flag. You will have private secure parking.
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Guiones Beach
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Main beach in Nosara. Great surfing. Wind picks up in the middle of the day.
You walk out through protected jungle, which is cool! Nothing is beachfront.
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Rosi's Soda Tica
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Great food! Across from the Gilded Iguana. Had the Casado de Pescado and it was great. Simple and cheaper than most things in town.
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Gabi's Place
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Food court. We tried Pulpos, which was fine. The Tico place was doing a big local business but we never tried it. The Argentine place was good - we had the empanadas and wanted to try the tomahawk but they closed unexpectedly for a few days.
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Destiny Café & Restaurant
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Moved into the spot where La Negra is. The starters were good - great ceviche - but the tuna main was kinda meh. Expensive. Nice ambiance. Supposed to be good for breakfast and lunch (we had dinner here)
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Nosara Surf Shop
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Good selection of boards, really nice staff. Did surf lessons here with Rolando. They also run really cool ATV tours.
$60/session for private sessions
$20/day for a board rental
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Beach Dog Cafe
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A go-to breakfast spot right by the beach. The Beach Dog burrito and Gallo pinto breakfast are good. Skip the burrito that has chicken and sweet chili sauce in it.
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10 Pies
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Chill spot, very easy eating. We liked the chicken tenders, Baja fish tacos and summer rolls with shrimp tempura.
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Howler's Beach Lounge
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Fun little bar. Gets a little rowdy. Open later than most spots. Didn’t try the food.
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Guiones Brewing Company
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Surpringly good pizza. Chill vibe. Bar gets somewhat crowded at night. Cute shops nearby to wander and a gelato place in the back.
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The Gilded Iguana
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This is a hotel you can stay at, but they also have a decent restaurant right in the center of town. A little expensive but sceney.
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Skippable spots
I ate here so you don’t have to…
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Playa Pelada
This was a chiller beach and zone, accessed by walking trail (depending on rain), Tuktuk or car. I really liked the vibe of this beach!
La Luna
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Cute Italian-ish restaurant. More expensive than others. Great sunset views but TONS of ppl come here for sunset. Most just ge tip and leave their seats even if dining in to take pictures. Pretty good cocktails.
They also have an apartment so you could stay here. It’s on Airbnb.
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La Bodega Nosara
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Cool little shop where you get get house made salsa, chips, guacamole from their cold case + other groceries. They also have a deli to order food to go. Part of the El Chivo family.
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Bar Olgas Restaurante
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Cute, local spot. Cheap drinks. Service can be very slow. Food is not great.
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Other Spots
🎫 Rio Perdido
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About 1 hour drive from the LIR airport if you have an extra night
Directions:
Once in Bagaces, take the main route 14 kms north, towards Guayabo and the Miravalles volcano, at the junction called El Torno you must turn right. Go 4 kms towards Fortuna de Bagaces and at the junction labeled San Bernardo, turn right. Continue 2 kms through the town of San Bernardo and when you reach the intersection of two roads turn right, continue approximately 3.5 kms until you reach the entrance of Rio Perdido.
It is important to respect the speed limits throughout the journey. The route is marked from Bagaces to Rio Perdido with brown signs with white letters.
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Playa Ostional
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Beach up the coast from Guiones, requires a drive. Black sand and nesting turtles though TBH not the most beautiful of all beaches in the area.
Can require a river crossing depending on season. Make sure your car is 4WD.
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Playa Garza
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Surf spot about 10 mins driving from Nosara to the South. Can get good waves but not super reliable. Walk down the beach to the right to paddle out.
Beach bar on the beach. Beach disappears at high tide.
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Coyol Restaurant
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Kinda IG famous. Didn’t make it up here but rode past it on our ATV ride - great view. Not really necessary but if we want to do a big dinner we could.
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Selina Nosara
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Supposedly has fun late night scene. About 10 mins driving from Guiones. Would be a bit isolated to stay here, except for all the other ppl staying there.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abby West
Available for hire
Cofounder @ Thatch 📍Washington, DC
My favorite way to get under the skin of a place is to eat! I always seek out new dishes and ingredients that are local to the place I'm visiting. My ideal day in a new city involves wandering the streets of a new neighborhood to get a feel for its energy, ducking into an art gallery or museum to see something inspiring, and then stopping for an afternoon coffee and chocolate chip cookie. At night, you'll more likely find me in a cocktail bar than a club. I also love to hike, camp, and be near the ocean!
I lived for 8 years in San Francisco, and spent extended time in Lima, Peru and Mombasa, Kenya. Even though I've moved back to my hometown of Washington, DC, I still stay up to date on the SF food scene and travel back often for work! I'm pretty tapped into the DC food and coffee scene.
Conversational in Spanish. Have some rusty Swahili.
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