Welcome to Costa Rica! We’re here in Nosara to give you three things to know about where we stayed, The Olas Verdes Hotel! This is the PERFECT spot if you are looking for a boutique hotel with a sustainable mission. Check out our video on this fantastic hotel, or read on for more info!

Thing #1: Location

Olas Verdes is located in Nosara, in an area known as Playa Guiones. It’s part of the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica and located on the southern end of the Nicoya Peninsula. What does all this mean if you’re looking to visit? Long story short, it’s located on the Pacific Ocean and located in a tropical forest, about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Liberia Airport.

The entire Guanacaste region of Costa Rica is an overall great destination for families. Check out our post on a road trip through this area here. There are spacious beaches, tons of unique wildlife, and fresh coconuts galore. It is also one of the world’s 5 Blue Zones, where people live longer and healthier than anywhere on earth!

About a decade ago, Playa Guinoes & Nosara were relatively unheard of as tourist destinations in Costa Rica. The only visitors were those who were intrigued by the wellness, surfing, and eco-conscious energy this town offered. Now, Nosara is much more popular with tourists, and hotels like Olas Verdes are stepping up to ensure Nosara remains true to its eco-friendly roots.

Playa Guinoes is made up of dirt roads, a small central area with some shops and restaurants, and LOTS of surf boards. This place has a vibe that’s so different than any place we’ve visited in Costa Rica. It feels off the grid but also very hip. There’s so much to explore around every corner, but it also feels like life is super simple here. It’s quiet and unpretentious, but because of that, it’s awesome and really amazing businesses keep popping up here.

People get around in all kinds of fun ways in this area, too. Tons of visitors rent golf carts, but there are tuk-tuk taxies (just like in Siem Reap!) and tons of people on bikes. There are also fun little dune-buggies that can be rented or ATV’s (4-wheelers). We honestly can’t wait to go back when the kids are older and try a different, more adventurous form of transportation!

The Olas Verdes hotel is located on the beach here and is walking or biking distance to everything the town has to offer.

Safari Surf school is on-site at Olas Verdes and one of the many great amenities of the hotel

Thing #2: Hotel amenities

We love Olas Verdes because it suits a huge range of people and their interests. This hotel is great for families with kids of all age ranges and interests.

If your kids just want to hang by the pool and read, there’s a place for that. Want to try surfing? Safari Surf School is on-site and the small, well-spaced waves are perfect for beginners. Bikes are available to borrow and ride around town. Does mom need to get her Zen on? Group yoga practices happen almost daily here.

The on-site restaurant, El Manglar, features fresh, local cuisine. I can personally vouch for the tuna tartar and ceviche as being some of my favorite in all of Costa Rica. Also, breakfast here is amazing (hint: order the French toast) and included for free as part of every guest’s stay!

The rooms are well equipped with a refrigerator and sink. The luxury suites and beach apartments have a queen bed as well as a twin bed and most rooms also feature a pull-out couch in the living room so you can easily sleep 4 people. On top of all this, laundry service is also included! Laundry service is a huge plus to us, since Mason goes through multiple outfits each day!

Get there greener. Use bikes to hop around town instead of driving!

Thing #3: What makes this hotel stand out

Olas Verdes is second to none when it comes to their commitment to social responsibility. They truly believe that we are all connected with one common goal: responsible travel. Their location in Nosara fits this mindset perfectly, as Nosara has always been focused on socially responsible travel.

They are the first platinum-certified LEED hotel in all of Costa Rica. They have solar panels, special water fixtures to reduce water usage, in-room compost and recycling, and more. On top of that, their restaurant features local produce and they employ only local staff. The guest bikes even help this commitment, and reduce the hotel’s carbon footprint when guests choose to bike to town rather than drive.

On top of their commitment to eco-tourism, they maintain a high standard of social responsibility. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Olas Verdes didn’t welcome any guests or make any money, but they kept their staff employed and never fired a single employee. You can learn more about everything Olas Verdes is doing to promote socially responsible travel on their website, here.

Their on-site surf camp, Safari, is the first sustainable surf program in the world! Like Olas Verdes, they have an unwavering commitment to sustainability. They donate a portion of proceeds to a nearby wildlife refuge, work with local schools, employ local members of the community and more. To see all the amazing things Safari is doing for the planet, check out their site here.

Also worth noting is that the beach here is part of the Ostional National Refuge for Wildlife. Since it’s protected, there are no cabanas, no vendors, etc. It’s peaceful and beautiful and Olas Verdes, as well as the community of Playa Guiones, do their best to take great care of the beach and refuge area.

The pool at Olas Verdes is perfect for families of all ages

Wrapping it up

The Olas Verdes Hotel is the best spot in Nosara if you are looking for a boutique hotel experience and commitment to social and environmental responsibility. We loved our time here and hope to return when the kids are older so that we can take advantage of more activities. But even with babies, there is so much to love about this hotel.

Check out our ultimate guide to a family road trip in Costa Rica here!

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