Centrally nestled on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Nosara is one of the world’s unique and inspiring locations. Here, there’s a magic in the air that’s palpable — an invisible energy that surrounds you.
Nosara offers some of the world’s best surf (for all levels), beloved yoga studios, awe-inspiring wildlife, and wonderful people. A trip here changes you — it’s a hard reset for modern life that follows you back, then stays with you forever.
It's an experience so unique and life-sustaining that for most travelers a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip to Nosara tends to turn into “once-a-year-for-the-rest-of-your-lifetime” trip.
Situated a short bike ride from the busier commercial center of North Guiones, the Harmony Hotel is bounded by the peaceful Ostional Wildlife Refuge on the beach side, and the Nosara Civic Association’s protected green zone to the north. From your room, a short trek down a quiet jungle path carries you through the trees, past scurrying Halloween Crabs that scatter around your feet, to the pristine sand of Playa Guiones.
The green season welcomes travelers to a lush jungle, where the Tabacon leaves dance under the weight of frequent, heavy rains — seemingly growing right before your eyes. You still get sunny days, but the rains can have a converse effect — causing the forested areas to come in thick and dense while simultaneously thinning the Nosara crowds.
Meanwhile in the dustier dry season, tropical temperatures climb as some leaves yellow and fall. Hot sunny days are punctuated by warm nights, the ocean stirs up sizeable waves, and the season’s dazzling light sings a siren song to travelers looking to escape the colder months of the northern hemisphere.
We recommend both.
Starting from Playa Ostional and passing through Playa Nosara, Playa Pelada, and Playa Guiones, the Costa Rican government in 1984 made this stretch of coastline a protected area known as the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge—a safeguard for the well-being of the Olive Ridley sea turtle.
Migratory humpback whales track along the shoreline. A diverse cast of wildlife including birds, monkeys, iguanas and even small wildcats roam the forest in search of food and shelter. And from June to December, thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles come to nest at Playa Ostional, just 5 km north of us, in unforgettable mass nesting events known as “arribadas” (or “arrivals”).
The protection of the refuge prevents development within 200 m of the high tide mark, giving our shores a wilder, untouched quality, and making our beaches a favorite destination for whale, bird, turtle and human alike.
In 2021, together with representatives from the refuge, Fundecodes, and Tempisque Conservation Area, Harmony helped to establish a fund that supports strategic initiatives of the refuge. We donate $1 per person per night of each stay to this growing fund, and invite other local hospitality businesses to join us!
