Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
are several signs along the way indicating the direction of the park. After the village of
Barra Honda, the road is unpaved, but in good condition. However, there is no telling what
the next rainy season will do, so ask locally before setting out.
If you are coming to the park from Puente La Amistad, you will see the access road to
Barra Honda signed about 16km after leaving the bridge. From this point, follow the above
directions.
Nosara Area
Nosara is a cocktail of international surf culture, stunning back-road topography, jungled
microclimates, moneyed expat mayhem and yoga bliss. It effortlessly recalls Malibu,
Oʻahu's North Shore and Byron Bay, Australia, while remaining completely its own - only
in Costa Rica - incarnation. Here, three stunning beaches are stitched together by a net-
work of swerving, rutted earth roads that meander over coastal hills and kiss the coast just
west of the small Tico village of Nosara. From the south, the first beach you'll come to is
Playa Garza
, still a sleepy Tico fishing village with an arc of pale brown sand and head-
lands on either side of the rippling bay. Fishing boats bob 100m from shore and there's a
point break to the Northside. There are a few
cabinas
and
sodas
here too and lots of sand
space with precious few tourists.
But there's a reason the majority of visitors descend on
Playa Guiones
. It's quite simply
a slice of raw nectar: a wide, generous, undeveloped arc of marbled sand, with a few
pebbles and shells mixed in, excellent beach breaks and plenty of space. It's an easygoing
place for surfers, surf dogs and surf babies - you might just see unattended strollers lodged
in the wet sand at low tide.
Playa Pelada
, just north, is rough and rugged, dry and less endowed with surfers and
luxury, which could be viewed as a luxury in itself. Things feel at once a touch spookier
and more profound in Pelada. This beach lacks surf, so it's wonderful for children. It also
has those sheared-away boulders tumbling into a foaming sea, two alluring beachside res-
taurants and a fishing village intimacy that Guiones lacks.
Inland are remnant pockets of luxuriant vegetation that attract birds and other wildlife.
The area has seen little logging, partly because of the nearby wildlife refuge.
The area is spread out along the coast and a little inland (making wheels a necessity).
Nosara village, where you'll find supplies and gas, as well as the airport, is 5km inland
