Playa Pelada’s white sand, half moon shaped bay and rocky formations make it one of the most beautiful beaches in Nosara and in the Nicoya Peninsula.
If you’re visiting Nosara, we highly recommend taking a day to Playa Pelada.
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Location
Playa Pelada is in the Guanacaste province, 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Guanacaste Airport.
How to Get to Playa Pelada
Driving
From Guanacaste Airport, it is about a 3 hour drive. We recommend to go around the Nicoya Penisula, not down the coast.
A high clearance car is recommended in dry season and a 4wd in rainy season.
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Parking
Playa Pelada sits between Playa Nosara and Playa Guiones. La Luna restaurant has a small parking lot with a short path to walk to the beach.
If you use Waze and choose the first “Playa Pelada” it will take you to a small local access towards the middle of the beach.
We recommend to choose the beach access next to La Luna restaurant as it’s bigger. On Waze, it is “Playa Pelada 1.”
4×4 required?
Yes, Nosara and the surrounding areas will require a 4×4, at least in the rainy season.
A 2wd high clearance SUV can work in the dry season.
Bus
From Liberia, you can take the bus to Nicoya (3:30 AM – 7 PM every 30 minutes, 8:30 PM and 9 PM).
Then from Nicoya you can take a bus to Nosara (4:45 AM, 10 AM, 12:30 PM, 3 PM, 5:30 PM). Then to get to Pelada, you can walk or bike since it’s close.
Pelada Beach
Pelada has white sand, bright blue waters and the occasional swaying palm tree.
There aren’t really any developments on the beach so it is a local favorite and a nice escape from busy Guiones.
Pelada has a surf break towards the northern end, dominated by local surfers. On the weekends, it gets crowded with local families enjoying their day off.
Towards the southern end of the beach lies a “geyser”, a blowhole that will shoot up water when the tide is right.
The northern end of the beach meets Punta Nosara and continues to the Nosara Rivermouth.
What to Do
There isn’t much to do at Pelada except relax, swim, sunbathe and surf if you’re good.
Walk along the beach to see the interesting tide pools and rock formations and take an outdoor shower in the blowhole during the right tide!
There are two restaurants at Pelada, La Luna and Olga’s.
Olga’s is one of the oldest bars in the area, popular among locals for cheap beer and a fun vibe. La Luna is a high end, more romantic restaurant.
Nosara is known for surf and yoga so you can take a surf lesson at Guiones, do yoga on the beach, watch the sunset on the beach or explore the Nosara coastline.
This area is not very developed and still considered off the beaten path so you may never know what hidden gem you can stumble upon!
You can also drive over to Ostional to see turtles during the turtle nesting season.
Swimmable?
This is a surfing beach and it’s not nice for swimming. It’s also very rocky and waves get strong.
Where to Stay
You won’t find too many hotels in Pelada.
Some recommendations are Nosara B&B Retreat, Villa Mango or Nosara Sunrise B&B but you can find plenty more hotels closer to Playa Guiones.
Want to visit another beach like Pelada that’s less touristy? Hop in your car and adventure over to Playa Buena Vista and Playa Barco Quebrado.
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Read about other beaches in Costa Rica with a similar vibe below!
Carrillo: Near Samara
Coyote: Dark sand beach in Nicoya Peninsula
Barrigona: Beautiful remote beach by Samara
San Juanillo: Gorgeous white sand beach by Ostional
Marbella: Remote surfing beach in Guanacaste
Playa Negra: Dark sand surfing beach in Guanacaste
Ray Penner says
We are trying out Driftwood Glamping today. So far so good!
Gayle Gura says
What is the best way to get to Playa Pelada?
Sammi says
You have to get to Nosara and from Nosara, Pelada is very close. The best way is by car but you can also walk or bike to Pelada if you don’t have a car and are staying in Nosara/Guiones.
Anna Makridi says
Wow, Stunning pictures! Thanks for sharing!