Nosara: surf, yoga and an international crowd
Playa Guiones is one of the best-known surf beaches in the country, and an international community has grown around it, with yoga studios, cafés and restaurants. There's a lot on offer, but also more people and higher prices. It's 30 minutes from Pura Noche.
Sámara: a calm bay for families
Further south, Sámara has a bay sheltered by a reef, with gentle waves for swimming or learning to surf, and a small town with beachfront restaurants. A good choice if you want everything within walking distance.
Ostional: the turtle refuge
Ostional is a small village inside a wildlife refuge. People come for the olive ridley arribadas. The sea is rough and it's not a swimming beach, and services are limited.
Marbella and San Juanillo: the quiet coast
Marbella is a wide-open beach for surfing and sunsets, empty most days. San Juanillo has clear-water coves for swimming and snorkeling when the sea is calm.
There are no shopping streets or nightlife here: just beach, forest and silence. That's where we are, 10 minutes from Marbella and 25 from San Juanillo and Ostional.
When Pura Noche is the right base
- You want empty beaches and don't mind a 10 to 30-minute drive.
- You're a group (up to 10 guests) or a family and want a whole house with a private pool.
- You're traveling with a wheelchair user: the whole property is accessible.
- You want to see the Ostional arribada without sleeping in the village.
If you'd rather walk out to dinner every night, Nosara or Sámara will suit you better.
