We have the ability to house many people at the various houses in Nosarita and Playa Samara. All of the properties are modern and air conditioned. Hot showers and hammocks too! While 12 people is certainly no problem at all, we can house up to 24. If you’re planning a group trip to Costa Rica, let me know if I can help. We have done this with University groups coming to learn Spanish and mix with the local culture.

Bring the beach house into the mix and you’ll be sure that everyone will get the tropical variety you’re expecting. The beach house is very close to a zip-line canopy tour, “Wing Nuts, Playa Samara”. Surf lessons, kayaking, deep-sea fishing are all available in Playa Samara.

We can even set up Spanish classes for your entire group!

I have two lovely properties located in the village of Nosarita, Costa Rica. you probably won’t find it on a map. It is located approximately 18 kilometers south of Nicoya on the road to Playa Samara. It is between the villages of Caimital and Belen de Nicoya. Nosarita is right on the Nosara River, which flows from Hojancha in the highlands, to Nosara on the Pacific Ocean.

One home, Vista del Cerro, is a charming little 3 bedroom house on 14 acres of land. I tree-farm here, so there are about 4,000 hard wood trees in various stages of growth. It’s a very peaceful property with lots of wildlife and the sound of the Nosara River. It is perfect for a couple or young family with a full-size kitchen and air conditioner. A huge outdoor porch with hammocks and rocking chairs make the days more pleasant.

The other property (Rio Vista) has two large apartments. They share a common large porch with an incredible view of the river banks and mountains. Lots of trees and wildlife to enjoy, but of course all of the comforts of home.

For a nominal cost I can arrange horseback riding on our own horses for up to 3 people. These are wonderful, calm horses who are perfect for a long pleasant ride through the village, or just around the 15 acre property.

If you want to get away from the cold and snow, these are perfect places. Inexpensive, well-maintained and close to stores and restaurants. Just 10 miles from the City of Nicoya and 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean (Playa Samara). Stay 3 months and you’ll think you’re in paradise (because you are).

Costa Rica is not well known for it’s culinary specialties. However, they have some fantastic items that you just won’t want to miss.

Gallo Pinto- a staple in the Costa Rican diet. Usually served for breakfast, but is eaten any time you feel like it.  White rice, black beans, finely chopped veggies and some spices. Then top with a few eggs, some fried cheese and serve with a tortilla and cup of coffee. That’s a typical breakfast (desayuno tipico). I like sausage or bacon with mine, and prefer fried eggs rather than scrambled. The choice is yours- it’s fantastic anyway you prepare it. Oh yeah, don’t foget to pour a little “Lizano” salsa  (salsa Inglesa) on top. You’ll want to bring a bottle or two of Lizano salsa home with you.

Gallo Pinto is chicken and rice, with the same kind of mixed veggies and special spices. Wow, this is really something you can eat anytime. I keep it in the freezer bewteen trips and take it out to microwave for a minute and it’s good-to-go. Pretty much every restaurant will have this. Or you can exchange the chicken (pollo) with just about any other meat or seafood. Again, top it with Lizano for a great flavor.

You only have to know two words… Radio Dos.  That’s my favorite station in Costa Rica, if not the world. You’ll find it at 99.5 on the dial, and can get it pretty much trhoughout the country. I have driven from Fortuna/Arenal (near Nicaragua) to Panama and was able to pick up a decent signal pretty much the entire trip. A huge variety of classic rock music from the 60’s through today. Lots of music and not a lot of commercials.

The DJs are Evan Luck in the evenings and Maggie Scott in the mornings.

The good news is you can listen to it when you get back home, just go to their website radiodos.com and click on “audio”. This is a station that’s hard to beat!

Cell phone devices: if you want to bring your own phone, and use the local phone/wireless internet services in Costa Rica, just make sure of three things-

1 It has a sim card slot

2 It works on the GSM band

3 It is unlocked

All of these are critical. I have a Sprint iPhone 4S and requested Sprint to unlock it, as I was making a trip to Costa Rica. They did and it works GREAT! If your phone (from the USA) doesn’t have these 3 things, you can’t use a local phone provider- which by the way is VERY cheap!  High speed broadband costs $0.60/day on their plans. Phone calls, whether local or long distance are very reasonable. So, if you have a phone that meets the 3 criteria listed above, I highly recommend you bring it and use their local service. And if you have a cell device with a “hot spot” even better, so you can share your wifi with all of your devices. I use this all the time to use my iPad at the Nosarita houses. I suggest any phone you bring have 3G service, though less than 3G devices can work. You can buy unlocked GSM phones redily on the internet prior to your trip.

If you don’t have this type of phone (GSM, sim card, unlocked), your current carrier may also provide coverage. My buddy brings his phone down (Verizon) so when people call him they don’t even know he left the USA. The catch- it costs $2.40/minute and something like $0.50/text message. The coverage is the same as local service, because Verizon uses the towers of the local companies (of which there are two- ICE and Movistar; Claro is another one, but uses ICE’s towers). The only difference is that he readily accepts incoming calls from the USA, but pays the price for it.

Another option is to buy a cell phone in Costa Rica. At both major airports (SJO and LIR) there are booths that sell phones with sim cards. The booths are run by Kolbi, which is the company that ICE has partnered with for various wireless accessories. For $30 you get a cell phone and a sim card with several hundred in-Costa Rica minutes. These are not smart phones and don’t have internet access, they’re just basic phones. But what a great deal, as long as the Kolbi booth is open when you arrive at the airport. As soon as you step off the plane, ask someone where the Kolbi booth is. It will not be this cheap or easy to get a cell phone during the rest of your stay.

Two things to know when calling in/out of Costa Rica.  Calling TO Costa Rica from the USA people need to dial 011-506- then the 8 digit phone number.  Calling FROM Costa Rica to the USA you dial 001- then the 10 digit area code and number.  It’s that simple.

Cell coverage in Costa Rica gets better every month, due to cell towers going up everywhere. But the citizens are starting to complain about all of the ugly towers, so now cell providers are being required to share them. That’s probably a good thing.

Internet cafes are readily available throughout Costa Rica. But with a smart hpone and for just $0.60/day you can have access to the internet and email almost 24/7 (if you want it).