Activities in Central Peninsula
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Playa Camaronal
reviewed
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Kingfisher Sportfishing
A well-known local outfit, offering half- and full-day excursions from US$600.
reviewed
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Carrillo Tours
On the road up the hill, Carrillo Tours organizes snorkeling, dolphin-watching, kayaking, horseback riding and trips to Palo Verde.
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Wing Nuts
The local zip-line operator is Wing Nuts, located on the eastern outskirts of town off the main paved road.
reviewed
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Tica Massage
After a hard day of surfing, treat yourself to a (totally legit) massage or spa treatment at Tica Massage, across from Casa Tucan. Next door there’s a small gym (US$10 per day) with free weights and machines. Credit cards and traveler’s checks are accepted.
reviewed
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Samara Fishing Trip
The French-owned Samara offers a variety of inshore and offshore sportfishing trips.
reviewed
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Reserva Biológica Nosara
The reserve behind the Lagarta Lodge has private trails leading through a mangrove wetland down to the river (five minutes) and beach (10 minutes). This is a great spot for bird-watching, and there’s a good chance you’ll see some reptiles as well (look up in the trees as there are occasionally boa constrictors here). Nonguests can visit the reserve for US$6.
reviewed
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Pura Vida Dive Center
This highly recommended dive center arranges diving, snorkeling, fishing and dolphin- and whale-watching tours. Or get your PADI open-water certification (US$400) in three or four days. Ecuadorian dive master Oscar has thousands of dives under his belt, speaks English and has excellent equipment. His shop is located across from Posada Matilori, about 100m east of the main road.
reviewed
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Playa Guiones
Check out Playa Guiones for the best beach break in the central peninsula, especially when there is an offshore wind. Although the beach is usually full of surfers, there are fortunately plenty of take-off points.
reviewed
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Nosara Yoga Institute
In the hills near Playa Guiones is the famous Nosara Yoga Institute. The institute offers regular classes, open to the public, as well as workshops, retreats and instructor training courses. To practice in such a beautiful jungle setting, in airy studios ventilated by ocean breezes, is a wonderful experience for beginners or yogis (and yoginis) alike.
reviewed
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Nosara Surf Shop
From here, turn left on the main road into Guiones past Café de Paris and you’ll find Nosara Surf Shop. It rents surfboards (US$15 to US$20 per day), does board repairs and arranges surf lessons (US$40 per hour) and tours.
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Jesse’s Sámara Surf School
The experienced and personable Jesse has been teaching wannabe surfers for years, as does his daughter Sunrise. Their friendly, expert instruction is highly recommended by readers (private one-hour lesson US$40). Jesse also arranges custom surfing safaris to secret spots all over the coast and offers yoga and pilates classes.
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Flying Crocodile
Several kilometers west, in Playa Buenavista, the Flying Crocodile offers ultralight flights (20-minute tour US$75). It also offers flight lessons (US$170 per hour).
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El Punto
Across the street from Kaya Sol, Tico-owned El Punto is a highly recommended surf shop that offers lessons (US$40 per hour) and rents surfboards (US$15 per day) and bicycles (US$10 per day).
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Coconut Harry’s
At the main intersection in Guiones, this surf shop offers private surfing lessons (US$35 per hour), board rental (US$20 per day) and repair, and long-term board storage (US$90 per year).
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Centro de Idiomas Intercultura
Has a campus right on the beach. Language courses begin at US$285 per week, or US$425 with homestay accomodations.
reviewed
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C&C Surf School
Another great choice, which gives one-hour private lessons for US$30; the fee includes another hour of board rental afterwards, and the school donates 10% from every surf lesson to a local children’s school and a turtle conservation project. It also rents kayaks and surfboards and arranges a variety of tours and trips throughout Costa Rica. Its shop at the north end of town also has a basketball court, skate ramp and gym.
reviewed
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Miss Sky
Miss Sky has brought a canopy tour to Nosara. It’s the longest one in the world – at least for now – with a total length of 11,000m above a pristine, private reserve. The zip lines don’t go from platform to platform, but from mountainside to mountainside, and have double cables for added safety. The last of 21 zip lines whisks you directly into the top floor of the onsite disco-bar! Tours leave twice daily, at 8am and 2pm.
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