Sola Retreats
Nosara, Costa Rica

9.9800° N, 85.6530° W

Surf and Still

Nosara, Costa Rica

Nights

7

Price

$2,450

Season

November to April

Deposit

$350

A week in Nosara built around the water: five surf lessons at a maximum of four students per coach, four yoga sessions to undo the paddling, and one guided breathwork morning. Evenings are farm-to-table, and the sloths are a short walk away.

Group of 6 to 12. Complete beginners welcome.

Find out more: your day, the food, the area

On this route

  • Surf coaching at Guiones

    Five sessions, max four students per coach, boards included. The beach break is forgiving and sandy-bottomed, ideal for first waves.

  • Yoga to undo the paddling

    Four sessions timed for after the surf, shoulders and hips the priority.

  • Guided breathwork morning

    One session on the deck before the wind picks up; bring a jumper, it gets emotional.

  • Sloth sanctuary visit

    Sibu Sanctuary rescues and releases; visits fund the work.

  • Sunset at Playa Pelada

    The locals' beach, tide pools and a blowhole at mid-tide.

Included

  • Own room, no single supplement
  • Airport pickup
  • All breakfasts and welcome dinner
  • Board and rash guard hire

Departures

  • 21 to 28 November2026First departure, $150 founding discountFounding departure
  • 16 to 23 January2027Places open
  • 20 to 27 February2027Places open

The Solo Standard

A room of your own, always. A table you can join, or not. A host we have met in person, with licences, insurance and emergency plans checked before this page went live.

How we vet routes

Find out more

A day on this route

Every day flexes around you; this is the shape it usually takes. Anything marked optional truly is.

  1. 05:45Dawn patrol surfCoach, coffee, and the glassiest hour at Guiones.
  2. 08:30Big breakfastGallo pinto, eggs, fruit, more coffee. You earned it in the water.
  3. 10:30Free morningHammock, town, or video review of your waves with the coach.
  4. 12:30LunchCasado plates at the lodge or fish tacos in town.
  5. 15:00Yoga for surfersShoulders, hips, breath. The paddling forgives you.
  6. 17:30Sunset at PeladaTide pools, the blowhole, the day's stories.
  7. 19:00Farm-to-table dinnerWhatever the boats and farms brought in; early night, dawn comes fast.
Food served on this retreat

The table

Surf-town fuel done properly: big honest breakfasts, fresh catch, and produce from farms within an hour of the lodge.

  • Breakfast

    Gallo pinto, eggs, tropical fruit, sourdough from the town bakery, Costa Rican micro-lot coffee.

  • Dinners

    Grilled mahi mahi or chicken, plantains, big salads; one ceviche night, one barbecue night.

  • In the water days

    Fresh juices, fruit and empanadas appear between sessions without being asked for.

Pescatarian heaven, easy for vegetarians and vegans; gluten-free is simple here because corn does the heavy lifting.

The area · local desk, updated July 2026

Know before you go

Nosara is a surf town that decided not to become a party town. Beaches are protected by a maritime zone that keeps buildings behind the treeline, so Playa Guiones still looks wild from the water. The town runs on surf timetables and early nights.

Getting there

Fly into Liberia (LIR, 2.5 hours by road) or San José (SJO, 5 hours or a 25-minute domestic hop to Nosara's airstrip). Your pickup is included from Liberia; ask us about the domestic flight if you land in San José.

Worth your free time

  • Playa Guiones. 7km of sand, no buildings visible from the water.
  • Playa Pelada. Quieter, rockier, better sunsets.
  • Ostional refuge. Sea-turtle arribadas on the right moon; we check dates for you.
  • Nosara Biological Reserve. Mangrove trails ten minutes from the lodge.
Open full map

Eat this

  • Sodas. Family-run counters; casado with fresh fish for about $8.
  • Fish tacos on Guiones. Every third building; follow the surfers at 1pm.
  • Café con leche culture. Costa Rican coffee is a point of national pride; the lodge brews a local micro-lot.

Good to know

  • No visa needed for most nationalities for 90 days.
  • US dollars widely accepted; colones better for sodas and taxis.
  • Rainy season afternoons (May to November) are short and warm; mornings usually glassy.
  • Roads to Nosara are part gravel; the transfer is bumpy and beautiful.