Description of Nosara. The town is small, about 5,000 people, rural, isolated and poor. It is located about 2.5 miles from the beach. The weather in town is hot, dry, windy, and dusty. There are bugs but not a problem at this time of year. The beach town is a tourist area famous for surfing and yoga.
Living Arrangements. The house where the student teachers will stay is near the center of town and very near the Library and several restaurants. The accommodations are very basic, there are two rooms filled with beds and one bathroom and a tiny kitchen. The group divides up the sleeping quarters as they wish. There is a grocery store near the residence and several restaurants in the area. Most amenities are within walking distance as is the library where you will be teaching. Interns can also travel via tuktuk, an inexpensive form of transportation.
Trip from U.S. to Nosara. We recommend flying to Liberia rather than San José. Liberia is a 2.5 hour drive to Nosara. If you fly to San José, we can recommend several hotels, however, in the past people have preferred to do it on their own. The last leg of the trip is a six-hour bus trip in a second class bus. The bus leaves San Jose at 5:30 a.m. and arrives here in Nosara at 11:30 a.m. Nature Air has two daily flights from San José to Nosara. Or you can all rent a cab or van and drive out which is much more expensive and takes about the same amount of time. (Some years they had to change buses at the “bomba” (gas station on the main road).
From Liberia you can take a taxi or even a short flight to Nosara airport. Taxi is about $150 but can be split by others if you arrive at the same time. We encourage you to make your travel plans together so you land in Liberia in proximity to one another and can share the cost of a van taxi.
Note that there is an exit fee at the airport of approximately $36. Most airlines include this in your fee, but just in case, save some money!