Nosara/Playa Guiones
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Wave Type - Beachbreak w/peaks
Bottom - Sand Swell Window - Southwest to North Tide - Mid to High Wind - Northeast Nosara/Playa GuionesNosara is a sand bottom beachbreak that is made up of several different breaks. The two main breaks are Guiones and Olgas. * Guiones is a white sand beachbreak that breaks both left and right. It is a rolling, forgiving wave, great for longboarders as well as shortboarders. It is a good beginner wave on the inside, but it can get to double and triple overhead on the outside when there is a good swell. It is deep with a sand bottom. Optimum size for longboarders is waist to head high waves that peel. For shortboarders head high to double overhead barrels. On a big swell waves can peel for 200 yds with only the biggest sets closing out. * Best tide is mid to high tide. * Olgas is an inside, right point break that works when it's closing out at other places. This break is called Olga's because you can see it breaking from the restaurant,"Olga's". It breaks when there is a big westerly swell and can break for 150 meters. It is rarely crowded because it only breaks with a big swell. There is almost always an offshore, easterly wind blowing that helps Nosara produce very consistent waves. Optimum swell direction is south/southwest and it works best at mid to high tide with waves that are head high to a couple of feet overhead. For daily surf reports go to: http://magicseaweed.com/Nosara-Surf-Photos/445/ Getting There Nosara is a little difficult to access but over the last few years Costa Rican roads have improved markedly. It is, however, still a quaint, quiet beach town that has not experienced the flood of people looking to find their "surfing nirvana", yet. The following are direction from Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose. |
Directions to Nosara, From San Jose International Airport
The drive from San Jose to Nosara is pretty straightforward but it takes about five hours. You might want to print these directions and have them with you for the trip. The trip can be made in a regular car, but the road by the beach can be very bumpy and full of holes, especially during the "green" ( rainy) season. A 4X4, while not essential, is always a good option (for other areas as well). There are numerous car rental companies to choose from at the airport. National Rental and Toyota Rent A Car both have offices in Nosara as well.
*Note: Remember that the odometer on your rental will almost certainly be in kilometers. Make sure you check it.
The drive from San Jose to Nosara is pretty straightforward but it takes about five hours. You might want to print these directions and have them with you for the trip. The trip can be made in a regular car, but the road by the beach can be very bumpy and full of holes, especially during the "green" ( rainy) season. A 4X4, while not essential, is always a good option (for other areas as well). There are numerous car rental companies to choose from at the airport. National Rental and Toyota Rent A Car both have offices in Nosara as well.
*Note: Remember that the odometer on your rental will almost certainly be in kilometers. Make sure you check it.
- Drive west out of San Jose/the airport on Highway 1 From the Airport follow signs to San Ramon.
- Continue without turning for 124km (78 miles).
- ***If coming from San Jose take the new San Jose to Puerto Caldera highway, Costa Rica 27. This is a straight shot to Puntarenas and the Pan American Highway north. It is a toll road and you will need colones. Dollars are not accepted at the tolls.
- Turn left at the Shell gas station and “3 Hermanas” restaurant. It is signposted to Nicoya.
- Continue over the "Bridge of Peace" over the Tempisque River. This a very large bridge
- *IMPORTANT* About 8km after the bridge the road bends slightly to the left make sure you follow it. It is easy to accidentally turn off to the right, especially in the dark, as there is a big gas station in the wrong direction. The gas station looks as if it should be on the main road itself but it isn’t.
- Drive on for an hour or so until your reach a 'T" junction at end of this road.
- Turn right here, signposted to Nicoya and “Nosara 72km”
- Continue for 13km (8 miles) and then turn left, signposted to Nicoya (and Burger King)
- Continue straight through Nicoya and out the other side without turning.
- 10km (6 miles) later you will reach a T Junction at the end of the road where you need to turn right (you will immediately go past a church, a soccer field and two speed bumps).
- Follow this road for 19km (12 miles) until you pass the gas station on the left. This will be your last convenient stop for gas. It is a good idea to fill your tank here. They only accept cash. Remember that it is pointless to shop around for gas. It is government controlled and the prices are the same everywhere. Prices will be in colones, but as of this time gas is about $5.13 per gallon.
- About 100m after the station you need to turn right off the paved road and on to a dusty track. There are signs to Nosara.
- Once on the dirt road, take it slowly. There are lots of places where the road has fallen away at the side which means that a two way road becomes a one way road without any warning.
- After 8 km (5 miles) the road bends sharply to the right and at the same time there is a place to make a left hand turn. Just follow the road round to the right.
- After 12 more km you will arrive at Playa Guiones (the main surfing beach of Nosara). You will see Coldwell / Banker office and Coconut Harry’s Surf Shop on your right. The Cafe de Paris on your left, on the corner. The little high street on your left is pretty much the center of town.
- Nosara town itself is another 20 minutes drive on down the road but Guiones is where most of the surf is.
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