Okay. So… you’ve quit your job, notified your kid’s school they’re not coming back, sold the house, cars and leather couches and now you’re ready to move to Nosara! The World is your oyster. Now you need to choose where you want to live. Where will you unroll your yoga mat? Each little neighborhood or “barrio” in the greater Nosara area has its own flare and charm. Here’s my take:
Playa Guiones: Most people that discover Nosara first fall in love with it on Playa Guiones or on Playa Pelada. The majority of hotels/rental homes are in this area so tourists have their ‘first date’ with Nosara on the beach. Playa Guiones has more than one vibe. The “G Section”, which is near Gilded Iguana/Burgers and Beer/etc is denser and tourist based, while the “K Section” (a little further to the south) tends to be more residential. Most of the homes in Guiones are vacation rentals. While there are still fulltime residents in the area, the percentage has gone down over the years. It is super nice to be able to walk to the beach or out eat, but you’ll have to pay a premium for these conveniences as it is one of the priciest areas of Nosara (to own or rent) and your neighbors will likely be a revolving door of weekly vacation renters (who may drive their rented quads like Evil Knievel).
Playa Pelada: Pelada has emerged as a “full time resident” community over the past few years. Of course, there are a handful of homes rented weekly there too, but there are many more full-time residents than you’ll find in Guiones. There aren’t as many businesses (yet) in Pelada but you do have some great restaurants like La Luna, El Chivo and Peperoni. Prices tend to be a considerably less expensive in Playa Pelada than that of Playa Guiones. The “A Section” of Pelada (up near Lagarta Lodge) is on a hillside so some homes may have a better breezes or perhaps even an ocean view.
Las Huacas and “D Section”: These two hilltop communities boast some of the fanciest homes in the area. Nosara’s very own Beverly Hills. Many of these homes have phenomenal ocean views and tend to have larger lots/more privacy than there neighbors below on the beach. The Las Huacas community is well organized and has its own security and road committee. This area is only about a 5-10 minute drive to the beach so for those who can splash the cash, it’s good living.
The Outskirts: One of the biggest trends in the past 2-3 years is that more folks are buying outside the above areas. These would be places like Garza, Esperanza and the hills around downtown Nosara. You may even recognize some of the developments: Vista Royal (Garza), Fina La Encantada (Esperanza), The Colony (Santa Marta), Bosque Verde (Nosara), Nosara Hills (Nosara) and Kalia (Ostional). These communities have seen a huge uptick in sales in recent years and the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down. The home owners in these neighborhoods tend to be full time residents or snow-birds. There are a lot fewer weekly renters as they are not right on the beach. One of the drivers of the increased sales is value. While $200,000 gets you a postage stamp sized lot in Guiones, it can get you acres elsewhere. With the exception of Garza and Ostional, all of these area are within a 15 minute drive to the beach and grocery store in downtown Nosara and Del Mar Academy.