Nosara in
Green Season

Rainy season has a reputation problem. The word "rainy" does a lot of damage before people have seen what it actually means in Nosara. Here's what it actually means: the mornings are clear and warm, the surf gets serious, the villas are significantly more affordable, and the town belongs to the people who live here rather than the people passing through. The rain — when it comes — is dramatic and fast, usually in the afternoon, and the smell of the jungle after it passes is something you don't forget.

We live here year-round. Green season is one of our favourite parts of the year.

What the weather actually looks like

A typical green season day in Nosara: you wake up to clear skies. The mornings are warm, often with a light offshore breeze. Surf is on. By midday it's sunny and hot. Sometime in the afternoon — often between 2pm and 5pm — clouds build over the mountains and the rain comes. It can be heavy for an hour or two. Then it clears, the air is fresh, and the evening is beautiful.

This is not an all-day downpour situation. It's not grey and cold. It's tropical rain — warm, fast, and followed immediately by conditions that look like a travel poster. The surf doesn't stop. The pool doesn't close. Life continues, just with better light.

The surf gets better

This is the part that experienced surfers already know. As the swells build through May and June and peak through September and October, Playa Guiones gets powerful in a way it simply doesn't during dry season. The lineups thin out — the visitors who came for the sunshine have gone home — and the waves are there for whoever showed up for them.

If you're an intermediate or experienced surfer, green season is worth planning around specifically. The conditions that Nosara is actually capable of producing — overhead and well-shaped, consistent, with room in the water — happen in the rainy season. Our concierge team works with instructors year-round and can match you with someone who knows where the banks are working on any given day.

The jungle is extraordinary

Nosara in dry season is beautiful. Nosara in green season is something else. The vegetation that was brown and dusty by April is saturated and alive. The howler monkeys are louder. The macaws are more visible — they tend to move around more when the trees are full. The path from the villas to the beach is canopied in green. The light in the late afternoon, after the rain, has a quality that photographers come specifically for.

It's also turtle season. Olive ridley sea turtles arrive in mass nesting events — called arribadas — on the beaches south of Nosara from July through December. Our concierge team can arrange guided night walks to witness it. It is one of the most quietly astonishing natural events you'll see anywhere.

The rates

Green season rates at Nalu are significantly lower than peak season. The same villa, the same private pool, the same concierge team, the same surf break — at a fraction of the December cost. For families who can travel outside of school holidays, or for couples with flexibility, this is the window that makes a Nalu stay genuinely accessible without compromising anything about the experience.

Our most discounted window is September and October — mid-season, when the surf is at its most powerful and the town is at its quietest. Book a week here and you'll have Nosara largely to yourself.

What to pack for green season

• A light rain layer — not a heavy jacket, but something to throw on during afternoon showers. A packable waterproof shell is enough.
• Reef-safe sunscreen — the mornings are full sun and the UV is strong year-round.
• Insect repellent — more relevant in green season than dry. The jungle is alive.
• A good book — afternoons when the rain comes are genuinely wonderful for doing nothing. Every villa has a covered deck and a pool. Use them.
• 4x4 if driving — some roads soften in heavy rain. A high-clearance 4x4 handles it easily. Our concierge team can arrange transfers if you'd rather not drive.