Hotels in Nosara / Samara / Ostional Beaches

The tiny picturesque town of Samara is located 35 km south of Nicoya and 245 km west of the capital San Jose. Samara is known for its beautiful tropical beach, which is one of the safest and most attractive beaches in Costa Rica. Here you can find some of the best water sports activities in the entire country, as well as horseback riding, deep sea fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, paragliding, waterfall visits and canopy tours.

One of Costa Rica’s best kept secrets, Playa Nosara, is a hidden paradise lying 55 kilometers southwest of Nicoya. Accessed through the road to Samara, Playa Nosara along with Playa Guiones, Playa Pelada and Playa Ostional, make up the Ostional Wildlife Refuge, where every year hundreds of thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles come here to lay their eggs.

There are no paved roads to Nosara, so the best way to get there is to take a domestic flight or rent a 4x4 car. Extending north from Punta Nosara, this beautiful black sand beach offers visitors a fantastic variety of flora and fauna and is backed by a mangrove swamp. The sunsets here are incredible as this beach offers tourists’ spectacular vistas to enjoy. In the neighboring tropical forest, a large variety of animals and birds can be seen, making this beach one of Costa Rica’s most diverse ecological environments.

The rainy season lasts from May to November, and the best time to visit Playa Nosara is from November to April. The surfing here is pretty good as is the deep sea fishing for angler enthusiasts. However, if you want to relax, take a trip to the Yoga center in the village, or enjoy a day’s excursion to the Ostional Wildlife Refuge.