Guiones Beach — Attraction in Nosara

Playa Guiones in Costa Rica is a superb destination for surfing with a laid-back atmosphere and natural beauty. We recently brought 15 international surfers here for a coaching trip, and Playa Guiones exceeded our expectations.

Surfing Experience: Playa Guiones offers consistent waves suitable for surfers of all levels. Our group enjoyed personalized coaching sessions against the backdrop of the beach's spacious shoreline.

Beach Atmosphere: The beach exudes a relaxed, upscale vibe, appealing to both locals and tourists. Despite its popularity, Playa Guiones remains uncrowded, allowing us to focus on surfing and enjoy the serene surroundings.

Local Life: The town is ideal for those who appreciate a slow-paced lifestyle. Evenings are quiet, with limited nightlife options apart from occasional house parties or events at places like Selina.

Local Amenities: Conveniently located restaurants and hotels provide opportunities to explore Costa Rican cuisine and immerse oneself in the local culture after a day of surfing.

Overall Experience: Our surf coaching trip to Playa Guiones was unforgettable. It offers excellent surfing conditions and a peaceful ambiance, making it an ideal spot for a relaxing and rejuvenating stay...

If you want to surf, play in the water, just relax on the beach, or explore the very long stretch of sand and surrounding natural sights, this is an epic world-class beach.

It is Centro America and not a heavily developed area, so there are not concessions available on the beach, historically there haven't been lifeguards though that is lately changing, and it's more "raw" than a glamorous beach in say Hawaii. But, it's beautiful nonetheless, has great surf, varied conditions for play or relaxing in the water depending on the conditions and tide.

On the south end of the beach is an area that features a lot of (usually) submerged rocks. Be careful, of course, but this is a great area with the right conditions and tide to play in tide pools, fun shallow water, and enjoy the scenery.

There isn't a lot of shade, so in the middle of hot days you need to protect yourself and your feet, so plan ahead so you don't get burned and ruin your time. Be prepared or go earlier in the day or closer to sunset to have a more comfortable experience. If you're going mid-day, be well prepared.

All year, this is one of the best places to be anywhere with the sights, sounds, and opportunities to...

We visited after several weeks of heavy rain, so unfortunately, there were still some dirty patches in the ocean, especially around the rip tides (with green-yellow foam). The water failed the biweekly official quality tests, but that didn’t stop most people from enjoying the beach and water. The water temperature was fantastic, and we had amazing conditions for surfing.

One very windy day made it tough for me as a beginner to paddle out to the lineup, but otherwise, the beach was super beginner-friendly. My husband and I took semi-private lessons with Kim from Nosara Surf Academy, and they were the best surfing lessons I’ve ever had! Kim was incredibly effective, and I felt safe pushing past my previous limits—highly recommend.

One downside: the beach has almost no shade. I strongly suggest bringing a beach tent or canvas for sun protection; otherwise, it’s easy to get burned. Most people seemed to stay just a few hours before heading out.

If you walk toward the end of the beach, there are several shortcuts to Playa Peladas, where you can see the water geyser! Also La Luna is the perfect spot for a drink will...