The Rio Nosara estuary mouth, backed by mangroves that draw herons and other wading birds.
Turtle nestingProtected area
Ostional Wildlife Refuge
Playa Nosara sits at the mouth of the Rio Nosara, where the river meets the ocean north of Playa Pelada. Mangroves line the estuary and support birdlife, and the sandbar at the river mouth shifts with the seasons. The beach is quieter and less developed than Guiones, with no restaurants directly on the sand.
SwimmingModerate surf, swim with care
SurfNot a surf beach
Good for
Wildlife
Walking
Boat launch
Getting there
From central Nosara, follow the road north past Playa Pelada toward Punta Nosara; the river mouth beach is reached via unpaved local roads and is best visited with a 4x4.
Sea turtles
Species: Olive ridley
Nesting season: July to December, peak September-November
Playa Nosara is one of the four beaches inside the Ostional refuge's protected boundary, with scattered solitary olive-ridley nesting alongside the estuary.
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.
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.
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.