First Time
Visiting Nosara

Nosara sits on the Nicoya Peninsula, on Costa Rica's Pacific coast. It's not on the way to anything else. You come here on purpose, and that intentionality — the fact that everyone who shows up chose to be here — shapes the whole character of the town.

There's a world-class surf break, a wildlife refuge, a Blue Zone, and a community of people who left their previous lives to be closer to something they couldn't quite name. That's the short version. Here's the longer one.

Getting here

There are three ways to get to Nosara, depending on how much time you have and how much you want to experience on the way.

• Liberia airport (LIR) — The most practical option for most visitors. Liberia is about 2.5 hours from Nosara by car. Rental cars are available at the airport, or our concierge team can arrange a private transfer door to door. Several US cities have direct flights to Liberia, which makes this the lowest-friction route.
• Nosara airstrip (NOB) — The local airstrip is 10 minutes from the property. SANSA and Nature Air run small planes from San José in about 30 minutes. If you're connecting through SJO, this is the fastest way to get here — and the approach over the jungle canopy is something first-timers remember.
• San José (SJO) by car — Five hours on a good day, longer in traffic. Some people enjoy the drive through the mountains. If you're renting a car and want to see the country, it's worth doing once. A 4x4 is recommended for the last stretch into Nosara, especially in green season when some roads get soft.

When to go

Nosara has two seasons, and both have something to offer.

Dry season runs December through April. This is when most people visit — offshore winds in the morning, glassy surf, warm and sunny days. The beach is beautiful, the conditions are reliable, and the town is at its most social. Rates are higher and some villas book up months in advance. If you're coming with children who are new to the ocean, this is the ideal window.

Green season runs May through November. Afternoons bring rain — usually an hour or two, sometimes more. Mornings are clear and the surf picks up. The jungle turns extraordinarily green. Crowds thin out noticeably, rates drop, and Nosara feels more like itself. Experienced surfers often prefer it. Families who are flexible on timing find it the best-value period by a significant margin.

What Nosara is (and isn't)

Nosara is not a beach resort in the conventional sense. There are no all-inclusives, no strip of hotels, no nightlife to speak of. What there is: a beach protected inside a national wildlife refuge, a surf community that takes its practice seriously, restaurants run by people who care about what they're serving, and a pace of life that most visitors find disorienting at first and then don't want to leave.

The main road through town is unpaved. Some people are surprised by this. After a day, they stop noticing. The town is small enough to walk significant portions of, and the community that's built up around the beach — instructors, chefs, yoga teachers, long-term expats, locals who've been here for generations — gives it a texture that resort destinations rarely have.

Staying at Nalu

Nalu Nosara is a collection of eight architect-designed villas by Studio Saxe, set in a private jungle compound a short walk from Playa Guiones. Every villa has its own saltwater pool, fully equipped kitchen, and air conditioning in every bedroom. There's no front desk, no lobby, no shared dining room — each villa is a complete home, and you use it like one.

The concierge team handles everything else: surf lessons, grocery pre-stocking, restaurant recommendations, airport transfers, private chef dinners, excursions. Tell us what you want from the trip before you arrive, and we'll have it ready.

A few things worth knowing before you arrive

• Bring cash — Some restaurants and smaller shops are cash-only. There are ATMs in Nosara but they can run out on busy weekends. Arrive with colones or dollars.
• Rent a car or arrange transfers — Nosara has no Uber. A rental car gives you freedom, but if you're staying at Nalu, our concierge team can arrange everything you need without one.
• The sunset spots are worth planning around — Pelada beach, 20 minutes south, has one of the best sunsets on the peninsula. Bring a bottle of something cold and arrive early.
• Restaurants fill up — The good ones book out, especially in dry season. Our concierge team can make reservations before you arrive so you're not disappointed on your first night.
• The wildlife is real — Howler monkeys, scarlet macaws, iguanas, coatis, and if you're here at the right time of year, olive ridley sea turtles nesting on the beach. None of it is staged. Just look up occasionally.