Playa Garza

A calm, sheltered bay in front of a working fishing village, unusual for this surf-heavy coastline.

Playa Garza is a small crescent beach fronting the fishing village of Garza, between Nosara and Samara. The bay stays calm most of the year, making it one of the more swimmable beaches on this stretch of coast, and local fishing boats anchor just offshore. A handful of small sodas and a campground sit along the sand.

SwimmingCalm, good for swimming
SurfNot a surf beach

Good for

Facilities

Getting there

Garza sits on the coastal road between Nosara and Samara; turn off toward the water at the signed Garza village turnoff.

On the map

Tide times · All beaches in Nosara

Nearby in Nosara

Turtle Watching $

ADIO Ostional Guides (Asociación de Desarrollo Integral de Ostional)

Nosara

The Ostional Integral Development Association is one of two official community guide groups authorized to lead visitors into the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge, where entry without a licensed guide is prohibited by law. Guides walk small groups onto Playa Ostional to see nesting olive ridley turtles or, during an arribada, the mass nesting event that draws hundreds of thousands of turtles ashore between July and December. Reservations go through the association's own phone lines rather than a website.

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Turtle Watching $

AGLO - Asociación de Guías Locales de Ostional

Nosara

AGLO is the second official community guide association authorized to lead turtle-watching tours inside the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge. The group posts real-time updates on its Facebook page when an arribada begins, including which nightly time slots have guides available, since the mass nesting event cannot be scheduled in advance. Guides lead small groups onto Playa Ostional to view nesting olive ridley turtles under red-light-only conditions required to protect the animals.

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Yoga & Retreats $$$$

Blue Spirit Costa Rica

Nosara

A hilltop yoga and meditation retreat center overlooking the Pacific and a protected turtle-nesting beach. It hosts week-long retreats, workshops, and teacher trainings led by visiting facilitators, and offers a shuttle reservation service for arriving guests. The center focuses on meditation, kirtan, and spiritual programming.

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