Welcome to a special place in Costa Rica where the jungle meets the Pacific and the monkeys out number their cousins for a change. This special place is called Nosara and it is where an expatriate community staked their flag in the ground and declared, enough. Enough destruction of the very reason why they moved to Costa Rica in the first place and as such,Nosara became an accident that bloomed into one of the Orchids of the Americas.



Today, Nosara is best described as a lush jungle garden, with a controlled human presence and the expatriate community of Nosara deserves most if not all of the credit. Much of what Nosara is about is largely what Nosara is not about. You will not find any high-rise condominium developments. There are and will never be any shopping centers. Most important, there are no buildings within 200 meters of the ocean and there is an organization to oversee the preservation called the Nosara Civic association.

 In the 1960’s much of what we now call Nosara was purchased and a planed development was in the works. Lots were drawn up for houses, the handful of golf courses were laid out and yes even the occasional shopping center marked off. Local roads were built, an electrical grid hoisted into the sky and big plans for the future were described to all who would listen. But the developers dream met reality when he failed to foresee the lack of interest in an isolated area with no paved roads in or out and the fact that it was far from what little of Costa Rica was developed in the 1960’s. As a result everything was for sale and large sections were bought up by various individuals with one common focus, preservation of the Costa Rica they saw was withering away.

When one comes upon Nosara one quickly notices that there is no one focal point of reference as you explore the area. Tucked away in the jungle are little pockets of human habitat, small businesses and the occasional restaurant/bar. When you arrive from Nicoya on the main road, you first come to one of the Guiones beach turn offs to the left, followed by several other left hand turns, all heading in the direction of the Pacific Ocean just 400 meters down from the main road. Each of these turn offs is a separate community, unconnected to the others, that can only be accessed by going back up to the main road by car or simply walking down the beach.

These separate areas are best described as South Guiones Beach, North Guiones Beach and Pelada Beach. These three sections make up the “Gringo” section of Nosara. The actual town of Nosara is still 5 km on down the main road and has more of the Tico atmosphere you would expect in rural Costa Rica. The Gringo section is as close to the beach as you can legally get. There is a 200 meter exclusion zone from the high tide line that is set aside for the preservation of the natural habitat. This one preservation feature has as much an influence on the character of Nosara as perhaps all of the other covenants and restrictions combined.

Because of this exclusion zone, Nosara has been spared the commercial development that has devastated such communities as Jaco and Tamarindo. Commercial development has actually been run off by the Nosara Civic Association, an association of expatriate foreigners with one goal in mind, the preservation of peace and tranquility. Because over half of the area of Nosara is set aside for wildlife, you have to contend with the wildlife as the howler monkeys hang above your head and the coatimundis walk across your path. From the many variations of birds to the critters of the jungle, all of the animals pay little attention to the humans as both have learned to live together here in Nosara. There are even aerial sky bridges for the monkeys to help them cross the road or the electrical wire. (Most businesses have a collection jar at the register where you can donate money for these bridges as well as other products to protect the animals. )

There are three beaches (Playas) in Nosara, Playa Guiones, by far the largest, Playa Pelada, the quaint secluded paradise with great swimming, snorkeling, few people and Playa Nosara, a serious surfer section separated from the rest by the Nosara River. Guiones is over 2 miles long and is perfect for surfers of all ages and levels of experience. There can be a stronger than average under tow but a little knowledge and experience and it is easily dealt with. While Guiones is by far the most popular of the three, the beach is so big that people are very well spread out with some sections practically abandoned.

Playa Pelada is the best kept secret in Nosara. Most people who visit stay in the Guiones section,go to the Guiones beach and as a result never know that there is another beach just over the ridge to the north. Because Pelada and Guiones are separated by this ridge of rock, (Photo of the ridge to the left) the only way to get from one to the other is to go back up to the main road or simply walk over the rock ridge. (One Minute walk!)