Nosara is one of the most consistent surf destinations in Costa Rica, which is the real reason people keep coming back rather than trying somewhere new. Playa Guiones is the main beach and it takes every level, because the bottom is sand and the peaks are spread out along a long stretch of it.
The three beaches
Playa Guiones
Long sandy beach, multiple peaks, which means surfers spread out instead of stacking on one takeoff. Sandy bottom, so the consequences of getting it wrong are small. It works for a first lesson and it works for someone who has surfed for twenty years.
Playa Pelada
Quieter, less consistent than Guiones, and punchier depending on the swell and the tide. Better on the smaller days, and better suited to intermediates and confident beginners than to someone on their second session.
Playa Ostional
North of Nosara. More power, stronger currents, less forgiving. Advanced surfers.
Go early
Morning is when the wind is lightest and the faces are cleanest. This is not a preference, it is how the day works here: the onshore builds through the afternoon and the surf gets messy. Afternoons are still fine if you are learning in the whitewater.
The two seasons
December to April, the dry season. Smaller and cleaner, with predictable mornings. This is the beginner and intermediate window.
May to November, the green season. More swell energy and more power. Mornings still win, before the afternoon wind. This is when intermediates progress fastest and advanced surfers get the most out of it.
The water is warm all year. Nobody here wears a wetsuit. A rash guard is for the sun, not the cold.
Which months suit you
- First time on a board: December to April.
- Intermediate: any month works, May to November gives you more to work with.
- Advanced: May to November, more swell and more often.
The reefs you cannot paddle to
There are three reefs off Garza that you cannot reach from the beach and cannot see from the road. We do not publish where they are. Which one works depends on the swell direction that morning, and on the days when the direction is right, it is a different session entirely from Guiones with everyone else on it.
That is what the boat is for. Four hours on the 27 ft Ticorette, six on the 32 ft Osprey, whole boat, your group only. Bring your own boards.
What to bring
- Rash guard or a surf shirt. The sun here does the damage, not the water.
- Reef-safe sunscreen.
- Water.
- Wax, if you brought your own board. Boards rent locally if you did not.