A brand new TV and DVD player are now just charred pieces of metal. The fridge is still standing but it is ruined. All that is left are ashes in what used to be 89-year-old Argentina Matarrita Arroyo’s home in Panama in the district of Samara, just past Barco Quebrado. On Thursday, January 31, in the early hours of the morning, Argentina’s son, Alvaro Matarrita Arroyo, 67, went through his no...

Nosara’s popular fiestas are fast approaching and this year there are some new additions. One of the most exciting is the construction of a motocross track next to the bull ring. The track, built in one week, is 1.3 kilometers long, and the course includes the classic obstacles, although this particular track has the advantage of being completely level ground. In addition, it has some small s...

The Samara Chamber of Tourism recently issued an advisory cautioning people to keep their valuables with them in the bus at all times and not to use the overhead bins because of recent thefts. “The thefts are perpetrated by people who get on the bus posing as helpers, offering to stow items in the overhead bins. They disappear with the bags before the bus has left town,” according to the advis...

"Nosarans were treated to a colorful display this past Saturday December 8th, as the Nosara High School Christmas Festival kicked off with a series of “bangs”, followed by floats, music, and dance." Over 1.300 people came out ready for lights, sounds and sights with families, teens, and the young-at-heart lining the main strip of town from Super Nosara to the airport in order to see all the mar...

Danger was averted during a river cleanup on Sunday, November 18, when a plastic container of toxic insecticide was found near the mouth of the Nosara River. About 15 people were participating in the cleanup when one stumbled upon the jar and noticed its red label warning of the highly toxic contents, related Javier Hernandez Jiron, president of the fishing association Asociación de Pescadores ...

Whether surfing familiar swells or venturing out on a surf vacation, Surf Survival Camp could help you gain basic medical skills to keep you and your buddies safer. Dr. Andrew Nathanson, co-author of the best selling handbook Surf Survival, will arrive in Nosara on November 10 and plans to share his knowledge of emergency and marine medicine during Surf Survival Camp hosted by Harmony Hotel that w...

For ten years now, the Voice of Nosara (VON) has been serving Nosara and the surrounding communities with the goal of connecting and uniting people—not just people in different towns but people of different backgrounds, nationalities and languages. At first, the newspaper was more of a newsletter, printed on letter-size paper and stapled together. But even that simple newsletter served an imp...

A long, tranquil beach, great surfing, a plethora of yoga classes, and all within walking-distance from your day-to-day life, It sounds like the perfect creative environment, and for many, it is. The ability to take some time off from the everyday, and turn Nosara or Samara into your base can be attractive, but can it be affordable? For longer-term renters, the balance between location and ...

Costa Rica's National Seismological Network (RSN) published a detailed report about the changes to the country's active volcanoes induced by the great M7.6 earthquake of September 5 and recommends the access closure to the craters of Rincón de la Vieja and Turrialba volcanoes, which increased activity. On September 5, 2012 at 8:42 am (local time) there was a great earthquake at 10 km south...

On the weekend of August 25 and 26, Samara filled with athletes from around the country, with about 350 participating in the various disciplines: running, mountain biking and swimming. Although it looked like it might rain, the weather turned out well for the event. A DJ played music while CREAR volunteers sold food to raise funds for their nonprofit educational programs, and local guys k...

Updated November 2017: With a total of 1228km of coastline to offer, it is no wonder Costa Rica is known for its countless beach destinations. It is also no surprise that travellers have a hard time deciding on which beach town to visit, since there are so many different options to consider. For the purpose of this post, we will focus on Costa Rica’s northern pacific beaches stretching from the...

Photo by Rolf Sommer. The beach of Nosara is known for its surf but also for the yoga spirit of many retreats that are available.If you purchase a product or service in a shop in Samara or Nosara and decide to use a credit or debit card as payment, you could be in trouble because there are still businesses that only accept cash. The merchant’s expression might change when the customer asks “Do...

A beach community in Guanacaste will be getting a special Christmas gift in January. Nine brilliant young minds from the New York Institute of Technology are coming to Costa Rica in January to share their knowledge and environmental moxie with the people of Playa Nosara in an effort to promote sustainability. One of the most difficult lessons being learned by people in Costa Rica is that their...