Live Pura Vida in Nosara
Welcome to Nosara
You'll love this haven for nature lovers, yogis, foodies, and surfers. It's rural, remote, and adventurous; a place to retreat and relax.
Nosara encompasses many things: it's a district (like a county) and an inland village (what we think of as Nosara town) where most locals live and you'll find the bigger grocery stores, a farmer's market on Saturdays, the hardware store, the library, and Costa Rican food and culture. Until you spend time here and understand the different beach communities, some people might refer to Playa Guiones and Playa Pelada as Nosara.
There are several beach communities within the Nosara district: Playa Guiones, with its long surf break, consistent year round and with something to offer beginners and professionals. Playa Pelada has a reef just offshore, a tidal blowhole, and tide pools to explore. The water is warm year-round and suitable for both surfing and swimming, though be aware of the rip currents. To the north, Playa Ostional is part of the Ostional Wildlife Refuge, a nesting site for olive ridley turtles. To the south, you'll find Garza, a small local fishing town where you'll most likely depart for deep-sea fishing and snorkeling. They have our favorite fish monger, too. Look for the green building with pescaderia written on it on the main road, and ask for Alex.
Playa Guiones
One of the things that makes Playa Guiones special is the restricted development within 200 meters of the beach. You won't find homes, resorts, or restaurants "beach front," only miles of unspoiled beach dotted with surfers, swimmers, shells, and sand castles.
Casa Bamboo in located in the coveted, quiet K-section of Playa Guiones, (specifically K53) and a short 2-5 minute walk to the Baker's Beach entrance. In walking distance are also surf shops, several restaurants, and the Outpost co-working space (though we might argue the private office/media room at Casa Bamboo is even better.)
There are many excellent restaurants in the communities. See our Restaurant page for some of our favorites. Our favorite places to practice yoga are the Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort, about a fifteen minute walk or quick golf cart ride up the hill, and at Harmony Hotel, about a ten minute walk toward the north. You can also find Alma Spa inside the Bodhi Tree Resort. A fabulous OxyGeneo facial in the heart of the jungle.
Need a book to read? Tiendita inside the Harmony Hotel has an amazing selection of books in English and Spanish, art supplies, and gifts. On this same "Cafe Paris" road, and in north Guiones, you'll find boutiques full of sun dresses, surf shorts, swim suits, bags, and hats.
A private medical clinic, Paradise Medical Services, is located in Guiones and they offer a variety of medical services, including COVID tests. The only hospital is located in Nicoya.
Animal lovers might enjoy a visit the SIBU Wildlife Sanctuary, a local organization that rescues and rehabilitates animals like coatimundi and white-faced monkeys. And don't miss the turtles laying their eggs or the babies hatching at the Ostional Wildlife Refuge. Our concierge will be happy to arrange these visits for you.
Surf Report
Playa Guiones offers one of the most versatile and consistent surf breaks in Nosara, where surfers of any skill level can enjoy the waves. Whether it’s high or low tide, there are plenty of whitewater waves for beginners plus challenging surf with swells up to 10-feet for the more experienced. The high tide waves are softer, low tide steeper with the potential for barrels. Offshore winds are usually in action every morning until around 11am. On average, waves are usually 3-4 feet with glassy faces, perfect for intermediate surfers to work on turns. Checkout Surfline for day to day surf specifics.
Casa Bamboo is less than a five-minute walk to the Baker’s Beach Entrance, the entrance farthest south to the beach's stunning three-mile long horseshoe bay. Typically, the waves get bigger the farther north you go.
Rip currents are common in Playa Guiones and Playa Pelada and are the number one cause of accidents in the area. Check with Nosara Ocean Safety if you have questions and better yet, hire a local surf instructor if you are new to surfing or the area. We highly recommend our neighbors at Agua Tibia Surf School. They're great people and a great place to rent your boards!
The Blue Zone Vibe
As part of the Nicoya Peninsula, Nosara lies within one of the world’s six Blue Zones, places with higher-than-average life expectancies and fewer cases of heart disease and diabetes. In Nicoya’s case, the proportion of centenarians is around three and a half times the global average. According to explorer and author Dan Buettner, who coined the term in 2005, a number of factors in each zone – such as diet, movement, purpose and community – contribute to such high concentrations of longevity.
This Blue Zone vibe translates into a slow pace, walking around town, healthy eating, exercise, a nap, the community coming out each evening to watch the sunset together. It's Pura Vida, which you will hear often throughout your day here, in greeting and goodbye.
Getting to Casa Bamboo
From the Liberia airport, the drive to Playa Guiones takes about 2.5 hours. Past the town of Nicoya, about 1.75 hours into your trip, you'll turn off the paved Highway 150 onto the rugged, pot-holed Road/Ruta 934. Expect these last miles to be bumpy, know you're sharing the road with pedestrians and dogs and motor bikes, and go slow, especially if it's dark or rainy. You'll bounce along for about 5.5miles/9km, where you'll take a right onto Road 160. Once on 160, drive north about 8mile/13km drive toward Nosara. (You'll pass through the small town of Garza on your way.) As you near Playa Guiones' downtown, you'll see a large sign for 506 Tennis Center on your left, keep going about a half mile/900m where you'll turn left onto a dirt road, marked with signs for Bodhi Tree and Olas Verdes and many others. The easiest way to find Casa Bamboo is to follow the signs to Olas Verdes, the small hotel directly across the road from our blue door.
The easiest way to travel from Liberia is to hire a shuttle. Most restaurants and shops in Playa Guiones can be accessed by walking. If you want to rent a car, our preferred company is Adobe Car Rental, very near the Liberia airport.
From the San Jose airport, the drive to Nosara takes about 4 to 5 hours and can be "adventurous," especially during the rainy season. Give yourself plenty of time during daylight to make this drive unless you are familiar with it.
Flying into Nosara from either Liberia or San Jose is also an option. Sansa Airlines offers short domestic flights (25-45 minutes) with amazing views. The very small Nosara airport is located in Nosara town and Casa Bamboo is about a 10-15 drive. If you fly into Nosara, our concierge can arrive for a driver to pick you up and take you to Casa Bamboo, even stopping first at the large grocery store in town if you'd like to arrange.