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Home / Travel
Travel

A Holistic Oasis in Costa Rica

By Christina Perez on March 21, 2018

In the town of Nosara, on the country’s rugged Pacific coast, a wellness movement blooms by the waves.

© Getty Images/Blend Images

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During the dry season in Nosara, a village on Costa Rica’s Pacific-facing Nicoya Peninsula, it’s impossible to keep anything clean for very long. Dirt kicks up from the town’s unpaved roads and coats everything it touches: low-lying palms and ferns, surfboards tied to passing cars, the bandana-clad faces of beachgoers speeding by on dirt bikes and quads.

This abundance of dirt is a bit ironic, however. Over the past decade, Nosara has become a destination for clean living. Home to just under 6,000 residents, the town boasts more organic restaurants, juice bars, yoga centers, fitness studios, and surf retreats than many resort towns triple its size.

Much of the growth is credited to the Nosara Yoga Institute. Opened in 1994 as a modest, yoga-focused bed and breakfast near good surf, the Institute slowly evolved into a world-renowned yoga teacher training facility and sustainable retreat center famed for its innovative teaching philosophies, peaceful surroundings, and back-to-nature approach. And though the Institute recently changed owners and was renamed Bodhai Tree, its legacy remains as more wellness facilities open each year.

“Nosara is an early-to-bed, early-to-rise kind of place,” says Rupert Hill, the British-born owner of the famed surf resort Surf Simply. “The omnipresence of the Internet notwithstanding, Nosara is relatively free from the types of distractions that keep most people from living how they might really like to live.”

Hill, like many of the town’s expatriate residents, came to Nosara because of Playa Guiones, a four-mile-long white sand beach known for its reliable and largely safe surfing conditions. “Guiones is special because it is consistently fun, warm, and generally uncrowded,” he says. “From a surfer's point of view, it’s incredible—not because the waves are death-defying but simply because they are always there. It’s the only place in the world where I don’t have to check the forecast—I just walk down to the beach knowing that there will be [a] fun surf coming in.”

But Nosara’s excellent surf and natural tranquility are only part of the equation. The journalist and author Dan Buettner named the Nicoya Peninsula, where Nosara is located, one of the world’s “Blue Zones”—or, places where environmental and lifestyle factors result in residents leading longer, healthier lives.

For Nosara’s residents, including its expats, this makes sense. “All I know is, since I've moved here, my hair and nails grow at an exceptionally fast rate,” says Jon Mangogna, a local fitness trainer whose TRX classes at Bodai Tree and Nalu are among the area’s most in-demand.

“The thing I love most about Nosara—and especially [about] the surf break here—is the friendliness of the crowd. There isn't much territorialism or hostility in the water like I've seen in other places. People often encourage each other at all levels.”

Jessie Carnes, a coach at Surf Simply, observes another difference in the town’s culture. “There are more women in the lineup than anywhere that I have ever surfed,” she says. “I think that makes this a friendlier place in general—you’ll hear people cheering each other on rather than yelling.” Most female surfers (myself included) feel uncomfortable in most male-dominated lineups, and the friendliness of Nosara has helped make it appealing for families and women looking for surf & wellness destinations.

And as for the dirt, Hill, Surf Simply’s founder, has a tip for avoiding it: visit in the offseason. “Many North Americans think of Costa Rica only as a winter vacation spot,” he says. “But actually, the swell is even more consistent between May and September. Although that’s technically the rainy season, it [usually] only rains for an hour around lunchtime. And instead of being arid and dusty, the jungle is lush and beautiful.”

Read on for a look at the best places to eat, stay, and play in Nosara.

 
Courtesy Harmony Hotel

Hotel: Harmony Hotel

This elegant 1960s-inspired hotel is the town’s most famous. Each of the ten guest rooms has a private outdoor space—perfect for storing surfboards—and a hammock, while the hotel’s sprawling kidney-shaped pool and healing center offer plenty more options for rejuvenation. An on-site farm provides organic produce for the hotel’s bamboo-accented restaurant and open-air juice bar. harmonynosara.com

Courtesy Blue Spirit

Retreat: Blue Spirit

This retreat center, whose name is a nod to the Nicoya Peninsula’s “Blue Zone” status, is located atop a hill above Playa Guiones and offers wellness-focused packages like yoga teacher training, meditation retreats, and themed week-long programs. The property also boasts a saltwater infinity pool, vegetarian restaurant, and an open-air yoga pagoda with sweeping views of the Pacific. bluespiritcostarica.com

Courtesy Surf Simply

Surf: Surf Simply

This all-inclusive surf resort provides everything you need to become a better surfer, no matter your current skill level. One-or two-week stays include private coaching, technical theory, and video analysis, plus yoga, massage, organic meals, and plenty of downtime to enjoy the gorgeous resort and locale. surfsimply.com

Andres Garcia Lachner/Courtesy Nalu

Workout: Nalu

This recently-opened fitness center offers a full schedule of classes—including TRX, circuit training, boxing, barre, and martial arts—in a sleek space. To be close to the action, book a stay at one of Nalu’s villas designed by San José-based architect Benjamin Garcia Saxe. nalunosara.com

Courtesy Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort

Yoga: Bodhi Tree

Located in the Nosara foothills near Playa Guiones, this full-service retreat center and sustainable resort is housed in the former Nosara Yoga Institute and offers a full schedule of fitness classes (like yoga and pilates) that are open to the public and held in a beautiful open-air jungle pagoda. bodhitreeyogaresort.com

Courtesy La Luna

Eat: La Luna

Due to Costa Rica’s zoning laws, there are hardly any buildings on the beach. While this makes for plenty of pristine coastline, it also means that Nosara has few beachside restaurants. Luckily, there’s La Luna. Situated on a small bluff overlooking Playa Pelada, it features bohemian design, a Mediterranean-inspired menu, and plenty of al fresco tables. facebook.com

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