Nosara Surf Guide: Best Surf Spots, Seasons and Schools

Nosara’s best-known surf spot is Playa Guiones, a long, sandy beach break that works for beginners on the inside and experienced surfers on the outside. Playa Pelada, Playa Nosara and Ostional to the north and Playa Garza to the south add rockier, hollower or quieter options. Come December to April for clean, smaller waves, or May to October for bigger swell.

This guide covers the main Nosara surf spots, which one suits your level, when to go, where to take lessons and stay, and how to get to this corner of the Nicoya Peninsula.

Surf spot	Best for	Break	Notes
Playa Guiones	All levels	Sandy beach break	Most consistent; busiest at the main peaks
Playa Pelada	Intermediate to advanced	Rock shelf and reef	Needs bigger swell; quieter
Playa Nosara (river mouth)	Intermediate to advanced	Peaky beach break	Hollower at the north end; stay clear of the river mouth
Ostional	Advanced	Hollow beach break	Fast, powerful waves; turtle nesting beach
Playa Garza	Longboarders, beginners on small days	Beach break and right point	Usually smaller and quiet

Surf spots

Best Nosara Surf Spots

“Nosara” covers several beaches strung along a few miles of coast, plus the inland village of the same name. Most surf travelers base themselves at Playa Guiones and drive, bike or ride an ATV to the other breaks.

Playa Guiones

Guiones is the reason Nosara is a surf town. It’s a long, open beach break with shifting sandbars and multiple peaks, so you can usually find a wave that fits your level. Beginners stay in the whitewater on the inside, while the outside can get well overhead on good swells.

• Tide: Mid to high tide gives friendlier, softer waves. Low tide is faster and hollower.
• Swell: It picks up most Pacific swell, which is why it’s surfable most days of the year.
• Crowds: The main peaks get busy, especially from January to March and in July. Walk up or down the beach and you’ll usually find more space.

Playa Pelada

Pelada is a smaller, rockier cove just north of Guiones. It has a left that needs a big swell with plenty of west in it, and a right that breaks over a rock shelf at high tide. On small days there may be nothing to ride. On the right swell it’s a good alternative to the Guiones crowd, but it’s better for surfers who are comfortable around rocks.

Playa Nosara and the River Mouth

North of Pelada, past the mouth of the Nosara River, Playa Nosara has peaky beach breaks. The south end is more forgiving, while the north end gets hollower and is for experienced surfers only on bigger days. Crocodiles live in many of Costa Rica’s coastal rivers, so don’t paddle out near the river mouth itself. Our guide to surfing and crocodile safety explains what to watch for.

Ostional

Ostional, a long black-sand beach north of Nosara, has hollow, fast and powerful beach-break waves that suit advanced surfers. It’s also part of the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge, one of the most important nesting beaches anywhere for olive ridley sea turtles. During mass nesting events, called arribadas, give the turtles plenty of room. See our guide to sea turtle nesting sites.

Playa Garza

Garza, a fishing village south of Guiones, sits in a bay that faces south. The waves are usually smaller than at Guiones, which makes it a good longboard spot and a quiet option for beginners on small days. A right-hand point breaks at the west end, but it rarely stays clean when it gets big. Expect a long paddle and fishing boats in the bay.

When to go

Best Time to Surf in Nosara

Nosara has surfable waves all year. The season you pick depends on your level and how much rain you can live with.

Season	Surf	Best for
Dry season (December to April)	Smaller, cleaner waves; steady offshore winds keep faces smooth	Beginners and intermediates; most reliable weather
Early rainy season (May to August)	Bigger, more frequent south and southwest swells; June to August is classic Guiones season	Intermediates and advanced surfers
Late rainy season (September to November)	Big swells, but more rain, runoff and murky water; Guiones can max out	Experienced surfers who don’t mind rain

Check the forecast with our Costa Rica surf report guide, and see the best time to visit Costa Rica by region for weather beyond the surf.

Lessons and gear

Nosara Surf Schools and Board Rentals

Guiones has more than a dozen surf schools and camps. Most offer group and private lessons, multi-day packages and board rentals by the day or week. Long-running names include:

• Safari Surf School: Lessons, surf camps and a women’s retreat, with ISA-certified instructors.
• Nosara Tico Surf School: A locally owned school with group and private lessons.
• Coconut Harry’s: Lessons for kids and adults, plus board rentals.
• Surf Simply: A coaching-focused surf resort with certified instructors.

Look for instructors with surf-instruction and water-rescue certifications, and ask about group size before you book. Prices change by season, so compare a few schools. For a full week of coaching, read why a surf camp might suit you, and our surfing FAQ answers common questions about gear and etiquette.

Getting there

How to Get to Nosara

• From Liberia airport (LIR): The closest international airport, about 2 to 3 hours by car or shuttle.
• From San José (SJO): About 4 to 6 hours by car, depending on traffic and route. A direct public bus runs once a day and takes 6 to 8 hours.
• By air: Sansa and Green Airways fly small planes to Nosara’s airstrip. Baggage limits are strict, so check the airline’s surfboard rules before you book. See our guide to Costa Rica’s domestic airlines.

The main highways are paved, but many roads around Nosara are gravel or dirt, dusty in the dry season and muddy in the rainy season. A 4×4 or high-clearance SUV is the safer choice, especially from May to November. Read our tips on driving in Costa Rica before you go.

Where to stay

Where to Stay for Surfing in Nosara

• Playa Guiones: The best base for surfing. You can walk to the beach and to most surf schools, cafes and restaurants. It’s also the most expensive area.
• Playa Pelada: Quieter and a short ride from Guiones, with a mix of small hotels and rentals.
• Nosara village: Inland, cheaper and more local, but you’ll need transport to the beach.

Well-known places near Guiones include The Gilded Iguana, a surf hotel close to the beach, and the Harmony Hotel, a boutique hotel focused on wellness. Budget travelers will find hostels and simple guesthouses, while groups often rent houses.

Beyond Nosara

Other Surf Towns Near Nosara

Want a calmer beginner beach? Sámara, south along the coast, has a reef-protected bay with gentle waves. For more nightlife, Tamarindo is farther north. Santa Teresa, farther south on the peninsula, has a similar surf-and-yoga feel. Nosara also sits within the Nicoya Blue Zone, known for its long-lived residents. To string several breaks together, use our guide to planning a Costa Rica surf trip.

FAQ

Nosara Surf FAQ