Most tourists come to Playa Nosara to watch the turtles — not the 60’s rock band, though you and Nosara will certainly be Happy Together. Together just like the locals — many of them descendants of the Chorotega indigenous people — and the foreigners — one of the largest community of expatriates in Costa rica — who get along famously. The main reason for this symbiotic co-existence is that everyone in this corner of the world is bent on preserving the beauty that nature has bestowed upon this land. It’s really no coincidence that one of the main attractions of this peaceful Guanacaste site is the practice of yoga. That’s not the only way to become one with nature, though.

Here you can also enjoy:

• River boat tours
• Boat tours
• Sports fishing
• Surfing
• Snorkeling
• Horseback riding
• And turtle watching, of course

A tale of two Nosaras

There is the village of Nosara 6km inland where most of the houses and hotels are, as well as cabinas, restaurants, supermarkets, a disco, an ATM, and a landing strip. But there is also the beach, or rather beaches.

• Playa Nosara. Somewhat ironically the most remote of the local beaches, past the Rio Nosara through mangroves and into the turtle beach of Ostional, but the hike is worth it just for the tallest waves in Costa Rica. Exclusive for surfing.
• Playa Guiones. A 6km strip of white, sandy beach that connects Punta Guiones and Punta Pelada. An ideal spot for surfing.
• Playa Pelada. A shell-sprinkled beach with a blow hole in the rocks that makes for a natural shower, an offshore reef, tidal pools and rocks with caves. What more can be said?
• Playa Garza. A fisherman’s paradise that would make Papa Hemingway proud, this natural harbor is a perfect spot to catch a marlin or sailfish. To add color to the experience, a tour can be arranged for the local fishermen to take you in their pangas where you might just be able to spot a dolphin or a whale.
• Playa Ostional. Where the turtles come to nest (see more below).

There is never a dull moment in Playa Nosara, but the thing to see hands down is the arrival of the turtles to lay their eggs on the Ostional beach on new moon nights from July through December. It is a sight to behold and words to describe it have yet to be coined, but if a parallel must be drawn, let’s just say that it’s like watching a meteor shower in slow motion, only the stars rise from the ocean instead of falling from the sky. You will find yourself rooting for these reptilian friends as they struggle through the cycle of life.

Additionally there is a Biological Reserve that is home to bats, monkeys, raccoons, armadillos, sloths, deers, coyotes, jaguars, and many species of birds, insects, and snakes. For only $6 you can enjoy a 2-hours self-guided tour that isn’t like any zoo you’ve ever seen. Playa Nosara has come a long way from being grazing land for cattle pasture to become a bonafide sanctuary, thanks in no small part to the arrival of the first expats in the 60’s and 70’s. They started a labor of love that has been kept alive by the local civic association. Like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, they have always known that true men don’t kill coyotes.

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