Nosara Surf & Travel Guide

Nosara is one of the best surf towns in Costa Rica for lower intermediate and even beginner surfers, though there’s some great waves for all levels on Playa Guiones, the town’s main surf beach. The town itself is a chilled, hippy place with some fantastic hotels. It’s one of our favorite destinations in Central America for a reason.

The secret of Nosara is out. Once an off-radar escape for yogis and surfers, it’s now a well-known alternative to Tamarindo and Santa Teresa. It’s easy to see why…

There are three beaches that face straight west into the Pacific, with a slight southerly bend to help hoover up those dominant swells that come up from the lower latitudes.

Each has it’s own neat array of waves, with spots suited to beginners and lower intermediates especially in abundance.

Playa Guiones is the stand-out. It’s a stunning horseshoe bay that spreads a whopping three miles from end to end. It’s got peaks by the bucket load, most of them classic Pacific sets of rippable sandbanks that come in like clockwork from June to August.

With the growing popularity, surfers are starting to spread to other nearby breaks, like Pelada and Ostional to the north but Guiones can cover most surfers, most levels.

Right now (and we’re so sure this will change pretty soon), the vibe in Nosara is awesome. There are some cracking hotels with pools and tropical gardens, all stitched together with dusty mud tracks. The place retains a touch of that rustic Pacific charm and the surf scene remains low key and welcoming.

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A quick look at surfing in Nosara

• Playa Guiones is one of the very best spots in the country for intermediates
• Super-nice town with some of the best surf hotels around
• Beautiful stretch of shore that hasn’t suffered from logging

Quick FAQs about surfing in Nosara

What’s in this guide to surfing in Nosara?

Nosara surf season

The dry season between November and December is generally seen as the best time to surf in Nosara.

It’s doesn’t get the biggest or most consistent swells but that’s good news here because Nosara is all about beach breaks, which tend to prefer things a little smaller. The dry season also brings the regular afternoon offshore winds, which can really help to glass things up and keep Nosara working from morning until dusk.

The wet season can work here and lots of people like it becuase the swells are generally bigger and more frequent. Playa Guoines – the main surf beach – doesn’t hold well when it goes a bit overhead though, so there will long stretches when it’s unsurfable. Plus, prepare for dirty water as the rain flows down from the mountain.

TL;DR – come in the dry season between November and March if possible. And definitely do that if you’re a beginner/low intermediate.

Nosara surf spots

There are a handful of pretty high-quality beach breaks in the Nosara area. they’re bolstered by sandbar, rivermouth, and occasional rock reef sections to give a good mix of options for different swell directions and tides.

That said, the vast majority of people will come here to surf just one place: Playa Guiones. It’s the best in the region, and one of the best spots in the country for beginners and intermedaites.

Playa Ostional

Playa Ostional is the big, black-sand bay to the north of town. It’s got some of the more advanced Nosara surf, which comes thanks to the NW swell pickup. It also gets the dominant SW, so also works in the green season. Waves are fantastically hollow and wally at high tide, with long, fast rides if you can catch em’. Watch out for the sea turtles!

Playa Nosara

The main beach at Nosara isn’t actually the most quality break in the area. You can go to the north end and catch some of he hollower breaks that filter off Playa Ostional. Out back on bigger days is experts only, but mainly because of the paddle power you’ll need to conquer the double overheads. Most of the time it’s nowhere near that and you’ll get all sorts of peaky beach breaks, with lots for beginners too.

Playa Guiones

The real goods are down on Playa Guiones. Located to the south of the town itself, this long arc of pristine sand is home to the best breaks in the area.

They top the bill mainly on account of consistency. The northern end of the bay pokes out perfectly to catch those oncoming SW groundswells and the product is a wave that goes from heavy and hollow at low to fat and cruisy at high with all possible variations in between.

Most of the time, Playa Guiones is a good option for all levels of surfer. The harder waves crunch at low tide and then stay out back on the primary swell, leaving lots of whitewash for learners.

Add in the usual dry-season easterly offshore and bingo: You get glassy wave faces that are just asking to be carved – a real dream for intermediates who are starting to play with their turns.

There’s plenty of space, it’s beautiful, the waves are good. It’s the best break in the town for sure.

Playa Garza

Playa Garza used to be the spot to go to for a great escape from the crowds. There have been times where we’ve surfed here with the sunrise and it’s only us and the howler monkeys.

Sadly, those days are passing as the surf schools look further afield to get more peaks to themselves. It’s still an option if you want to be alone, though. Just come early and be willing to walk a little.

There’s a right-hand point break in the offing if you go all the way to the west end of the bay. It’s good but rarely manages a decent size while staying clean. The beach breaks in the middle of the bay are the best but rememebr that they’re usually a touch smaller than in Guiones simply because of the angle of the beach – it’s south-facing, not west.

Very nice spot for longboarding a lot of the time.

Where to stay when surfing in Nosara

Best hotels in Nosara

Nosara has some of the best surf hotels in Costa Rica. It’s definitely one of the strong points of the town – the stays tend to be pretty luxurious, very stylish, close to the waves, and usually have on-site surf schools.

We include quite a few of them in our guide to the current best surf resorts in the country!

• The Gilded Iguana – This is everything we think a surf hotel should be. A luxury, tropical, jungle feel combos with great food, on-site board rental, and just a good vibe. It’s luxury in a sand-in-your-feet sort of way.
• The Nomadic Hotel – A very stylish hotel option that’s among our top surf hotels in the area. Set just back from Guiones Beach, it’s calm and peaceful but manages to take care of all the creature comforts. The apartment rentals are cracking if you like extra space. Oh, and that pool is gorge!

Surf camps in Nosara

We’ve watched as a whole load of surf camps have popped up in Nosara over the last five years or so, offering a bit more of a chilled surf escape compared to the popular surf lodges of Tamarindo and Santa Teresa. Generally speaking, the offering here is pretty good. The camps are relaxed and, mostly, within easy walking distance of Playa Guiones, which is where you want to be.

Our top picks though:

• Ride On Surf Hotel – A tailor-made beginner surf program that lends itself to people looking to Nosara for thier first waves. 11 lessons are included, as is video analysis, theory, and accomodation.
• Shambala Retreats – This one’s for the yogis out there. It’s a surf camp that has an big focus on several types of yoga, healthy eating, and even Kung Fu practice with an in-house martial arts master.

>> We also have a complete list of the top surf camps in Costa Rica if you want suggestions elsewhere

Surf shops in Nosara

Nosara surf shops might not offer all that fancy branded surfwear and whatnot, but they take care of the basics and do it with a smile :).

• Olo Alaia – Part coffee shop, part surf shop, this is one of my favorite hangout spots on Playa Guiones. The brews are cracking and the rack of boards is so good you’ll spend all your money.
• Nosara Surf Shop – Simply named. Lovely people. That’s it. We always drop by this cracking shop when we’re in Nosara. They have a great range of boards up for rent, from short pin noses to larger minimals.

Where is Nosara?

Nosara is midway down the Nicoya Peninsula, just before the coast turns eastward to give the beaches a more SW orientation. The town itself is draped over a cluster of hills behind the shoreline. It’s got a real remote feel thanks to the thick covering of jungle and rainforest.

The main 160 highway is the sole way in. It comes down from Tamarindo and Santa Cruz, but also up from Sámara. There are regular buses that take the route from San Jose and Liberia, but most surfers rent a car – a 4X4 is required for these parts!

How to get to Nosara

To be honest, the best way with the least hassle is to get a private transfer straight from the airport to Nosara. For that, the best airport to arrive at is the Liberia Airport. It’s much closer and is becoming the hub that serves most of the Costa Rican surf towns on the Nicoya Peninsula.

It’s possible to pre-book transfers in air-con minibuses from around $39 per person, but private lifts will be more than that.

These days, lots of people choose to drive. It’s a great way to go, because you’ll have the freedom to explore all the beaches around the region and surf in unknown spots.

Driving in Costa Rica is okay. Just expect it to be a but busy around the cities and airports and then a bit rough on the country roads, which is why most will plump for a 4X4.

Use DiscoverCars if you are going to hire – I find them to be probably the most competitive out there right now.

Things to do in Nosara when you’re not surfing

There’s plenty to keep you busy in Nosara when the swell dies – or gets maxed out, which is probably a more common problem.

The town has a laid-back wellness vibe, loads of nature, and enough jungle paths to get your legs working between sessions.

• Take a yoga class at Bodhi Tree or The Harmony – Nosara is one of Costa Rica’s yoga capitals, with open-air shalas in the forest and daily classes for all levels.
• Explore the SIBU Wildlife Sanctuary – A great place to see rescued monkeys, sloths, and other native wildlife up close. Educational, ethical, and immersive.
• Ride horses on Playa Guiones at sunset – Local tours offer guided beach rides through the jungle and out onto the sand. Pretty dreamy stuff.
• Costa Rican cCooking class – Friends of mine did this cooking class in Nosara package and reported back: Tasty, great fun, top way to spend a day with no waves.