Your Guide to the Ultimate Nosara, Costa Rica Surf Trip

All photos courtesy Kailey Aiken

Great waves? Check. Delicious food? Check. A hotel on the beach? Big check. Barefoot surfers walking around town in bikinis and board shorts? Check. 

Nosara, Costa Rica checks every box for a fun, stress-free surf trip, so here’s how you should spend your week in Playa Guiones, Nosara. 

Getting to Nosara 

The closest major airport is Liberia (LIR), about two and a half hours from Nosara. Book transportation in advance — last minute rides will be overpriced. I booked a private shuttle with Ozzy Transportation about a week in advance.

Once we arrived at our hotel in Playa Guiones, it was very walkable, but there are plenty of places to rent golf carts or ATVs as well. To get to neighboring towns, we took tuk-tuks, three-wheeler cabs that cost $6-10 for most rides. 

Where to Stay

I stayed at the beautiful Casa Romantica for my week in Nosara. Centrally located in Playa Guiones, Casa Romantica is within walking distance of tons of restaurants, bars, surf shops, boutiques, and more. 

The hotel has a private beach entrance, and is as close to the beach as you can get. There’s no buildings directly on Playa Guiones due to Costa Rica’s Maritime Zone Law (ZMT) and local conservation efforts, which protect the ecosystem and animals that live on and near the beach, including the sea turtles that nest in Nosara. 

The main highlight of Casa Romantica, though, was the warm hospitality we were met with upon arrival, which only grew as the week went on.

The staff, the owner Remo, and our fellow guests were all so welcoming and made our trip. Casa Romantica is the kind of hotel that people return to time and time again, and after a week there, I’d like to follow their lead! The sense of community was truly unlike any other hotel experience I’ve had. 

With only 16 rooms, Casa Romantica is a smaller property where you can always find a seat for breakfast and at the pool. Our room was right off the pool, making morning dips and afternoon hammock naps a daily occurrence.

Our room had air conditioning (a must have in Nosara), a comfortable bed, a mini fridge, and more than enough storage space for two people. You really don’t need much else here!

Surf Breaks and Boards

The most popular, most consistent break in Nosara is Playa Guiones, the main tourist spot. Here, the surf dictates the schedule and the ocean operates like clockwork. Morning conditions are great: a little offshore wind, not too hot.

Then the wind picks up, the sun becomes scorching, and most surfers take off. As the sun begins to set, the wind switches back and the waves clean up, refilling the lineup with surfers on boards of all shapes and sizes.

Which brings me to my next topic: what board do you need to surf Nosara? Short answer: any board will work. But, it is a crowded break. So if it’s 2-4 feet or smaller, the shoulder burn is pretty mild and a longboard, fish, or short board with a little extra volume will do you some favors in the line up. Your wave count will be higher, and won’t get crushed on your paddle out. 

I rented a 6 '8 shortboard with decent volume to it for the week from Juan Surfo’s, and other than missing out on some set waves to longboarders sitting way outside, it served me well and I was happy with my board choice. 

If you want to escape the surf school lessons, and crowds, Playa Ostional offers a more hollow, steeper (and way emptier) wave when conditions are good, and is only about 20-30 minutes from Playa Guiones. 

Where to Eat

I truly didn’t have a bad meal in Nosara, and every spot we ate at was within a ten minute walk with the exception of La Luna. My lunch and dinner diet consisted of a lot (and I mean a LOT) of fish tacos and ceviche, which were delicious from Al Chile, Blue Zone, and Beach Dog Cafe.

For a “fancier” dinner, we did sushi at Elixir, and had a delicious Mediterranean meal at La Luna in Pelada, which is located right on the beach and easily had the best sunset view.

But if you remember any restaurant on this list, it should be Howler’s. This outdoor corner spot next to Juan Surfo’s doesn't take reservations and it's always packed, but the wait was worth it both times we went. The tuna carpaccio is the most popular item on their menu for a reason — it was phenomenal. Don’t forget to order a passion fruit margarita either. 

Most checks at restaurants include a 10% service charge on the receipt, with additional tipping being optional. Everywhere we went accepted credit cards and/or the US dollar, and you can expect to find US prices almost anywhere.

At some spots, prices are on par with cocktail bars in New York City. A cocktail at the famed Gilded Iguana goes for $22!

Activities and Excursions

When you’re not surfing, there’s no shortage of adventure to be had around Nosara. 

1. ATV Tour

We booked an ATV tour to a coffee plantation and waterfall with Tierra Costa, and it was one of my favorite days in Nosara. Our tour guide met us right in Playa Guiones where we hopped on our ATVs and rode up to a local, family-owned coffee plantation.

From there, One of the owners led us through the plantation, explaining the coffee bean growth process and pointing out all of the other fruits and vegetables they grow on the property. We got to juice sugar cane, try a coffee bean, and go through the entire coffee making process from bean to cup. The fresh coffee did not disappoint. We enjoyed a home-cooked, farm-to-table meal for lunch, at the owner’s mountaintop home. 

After lunch, we hopped back on the ATVS to ride to the waterfall, and passed cows, horses, and even some howler monkeys on our way there. Diving into the water was so refreshing, and our tour guide led us up to the top of the waterfall where we could jump off a ledge into the water.

We rode back to Playa Guiones after the waterfall, caked in mud from the dirt roads, so  remember to wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. 

2. Horseback Riding

Tierra Costa also offers two hour horseback riding tours where you can ride along Nosara’s beautiful coast at sunset, crossing rivers and jungle trails. I did this years ago in Nosara and loved it.

3. Ziplining

Miss Sky in Nosara offers the longest zipline in Costa Rica. You can glide over valleys and through the jungle, with views of Playa Ostional, tree canopies, and waterfalls. This was another tour I didn’t make it on this time around, but I wish I did!

Nosara: The Bottom Line

Take it from my personal experience: From the world-class surf, to the natural beauty, to the adventure excursions, you’ll never be bored on a trip to Nosara.

And if I had to bet, you’ll want to book a trip back before you even leave.