Playa Pelada: A Charming Beach in Nosara, Costa Rica

It was a hot summer afternoon. We had just returned from the beach to our Airbnb room near Playa Pelada. The pulled down mat blinds filtered the sunlight into the room. Lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling fan, Indranil and I contemplated what life would look like if we lived near a quiet beach in Costa Rica, like Playa Pelada.

Located to the north of the Playa Guiones, Playa Pelada is one of the many beautiful beaches of Nosara. The natural charm of this beach combined with its laid back vibe can lure anyone to dream of living life in this placid place. At Pelada, you can choose to fill your life with ocean swims and beach sunsets everyday, without a hint of hustle.

Whether you are scouting for places to retire in Costa Rica or traveling across the country for vacation, Playa Pelada can be a great addition to your itinerary. In this post, you will find all the details about how to reach and what to do in Playa Pelada.

Costa Rica Itinerary Ideas: A collection of different Costa Rica itineraries spanning over various lengths of days and covering a variety of different destinations and activities.

Things to Do at Playa Pelada

Playa Pelada is not as bustling as the nearby Playa Guiones. But there are plenty of things to do at or near the beach here, aligning with perfect beach vibes.

Watch incredible beach sunsets

What is the best part about beach holidays on the west coast? The opportunity to watch stunning beach sunsets, ain’t it? Playa Pelada is no exception.

As the sun retires for the day, it adorns the sky with fiery shades and makes the ocean gleam with reflecting colors. The silhouette of the cliff to the south end of the beach makes up for the perfect backdrop of your sunset evenings at Pelada. It is such a peaceful place that you will see all locals coming together to the beach to enjoy this lovely hour of the day, some walking their dogs, some enjoying family fun times and some diving in their “we time” or “me time”.

Sunset at Playa Pelada is not just a pretty picture, but it is a sneak peek into that much coveted “pure life”, Pura Vida!

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Read about other beautiful beaches of Guanacaste:

• Playa Avellanas: A great surfing beach in rural Guanacaste.
• Playa San Juanillo: Dual crescent beach near Ostional and Nosara.
• Playa Ostional: Great for watching the spectacular event of turtle nesting.

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Walk on the beach

Playa Pelada is a lovely beach to walk on. Watch the waves crash on to the shore or on the rocks. At times, the waves find their way through the holes inside the rocks and create big splash after a moment of silence. The south side is bound by rocks separating Pelada from the next beach Guiones. As you walk towards the south end of the beach, you reach the cliff that separates Pelada from the adjacent beach Guiones.

Hike up to enjoy clifftop views

One of the best things to do at Playa Pelada is to hike up the cliff to enjoy 360 degree views of the scenery from top that includes aerial views of two beaches. There are no well defined trails to reach the top, but you can trace the path previously trodden by other people. The hike, although short, can be somewhat of a scramble as you navigate the rough surfaces of the hillsides. But the views are totally worth the effort.

Views of the 2 beaches from the clifftop – Left: Playa Guiones, Right: Playa Pelada.

Once you reach the top of the hill, you will be standing on a narrow ridge. Panoramic ocean views will be waiting to greet you here, with Playa Guiones to the left and Playa Pelada to the right. But the thrill does not end here. You can walk forward on the ridge to get variations in the already stunning views. There are two Costa Rica flag poles along the path, one around the midpoint and the other at the far end of the cliff. Remember to get your “cliff summit” shots here.

On the ridge. Costa Rica flag in the background.

Walk in the woods to reach Playa Guiones

Playa Guiones is the most famous beach of Nosara. From Playa Pelada, it is only a short 15 minutes drive. However, there is a cooler way to reach Guiones from Pelada, if you are up for some rough walk.

There is a jungle path that can take you to Playa Guiones from Pelada in a matter of a few minutes. Here is how you can do this: From La Luna restaurant, take the road to the left. Once you arrive near Nosara Beach Hotel, take left. You will see a fork here, take the narrower path on the left. Keep walking on this dirt path through the jungle until you arrive at Playa Guiones. Keep an eye out for birds and iguanas in the forest.

The road till Nosara Beach Hotel is drivable, but the remaining is not. We had parked our vehicle near the hotel. Alternatively, you can park near the La Luna restaurant as there is more movement of people there. But either way, remember to lock your car and not leave any valuables inside. These are not guarded parking areas.

Taste local craft beer

After a perfect beach day under the sun, cool down in the evening by having a chilled craft beer at a local pub. We went to El Chivo, situated on the lane to Playa Pelada. They have a great collection of craft beer from different Costa Rican artesanal breweries, available on tap. Indranil ordered an IPA and I chose a German Kolsch Style Ale. Both tasted delicious.

Note: Like many other businesses, El Chivo has tried hard to stay afloat during this period of pandemic. But unfortunately, now it is set to close its doors on April 4, 2021, possibly permanently, but hopefully temporarily. They do have plans to make a comeback by launching their fast casual style El Chivo Fish Bar in Guiones.

Dine with ocean views

Dive into your ceviche or enjoy a chilled beer with a view of the Pacific Ocean in the background. At Playa Pelada, you get not one, but two such restaurant options, La Luna and Bar Olga’s. Both the restaurants serve seafood fare and offer outdoor seating with ocean views.

We had one lunch at La Luna restaurant. We had ordered fish tacos, fish ceviche and a passion fruit beverage. Although we enjoyed the views and the comfy seating setup, we felt the food was overpriced for its taste. We suppose Bar Olga’s is not cheap either, because the manager at our Airbnb had told us that La Luna and Bar Olga’s have similar pricing.

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Read our travel guides to different beach towns of Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica:

• Malpais: A quiet fishing town in the south of Nicoya peninsula.
• Cabuya: The last town of Nicoya peninsula.
• Montezuma: A charming beach town on the east coast of southern Nicoya.

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Costa Rica Activities: Check out this planning guide to get ideas about other activities in Costa Rica.

How to Reach Playa Pelada

Playa Pelada lies about 5 km (3 miles) to the north of Playa Guiones. The best spot to enter Playa Pelada is near the La Luna restaurant, especially if you have a vehicle. You can find La Luna on Google Maps.

From San Jose airport, Playa Pelada is about 244 km (151 miles) away and the drive takes about 4.5 hours without breaks, under perfect traffic conditions.

From Liberia airport, Playa Pelada is about 114 km (71 miles) away and the drive takes about 2.5 hours.

The road is unpaved and dirt in one stretch towards the end, but you do not need a 4X4 to reach Playa Pelada.

Facilities at Playa Pelada

Here are all the logistics details to help you plan your visit to Playa Pelada.

Parking

The best spot to park at Playa Pelada is near the La Luna restaurant. The other spot is near Bar Olga’s, for which you need to drive straight instead of taking the left to La Luna.

Restrooms

There are no restrooms at the beach. However, most likely, the place of your stay will probably not be too far away from the beach. Also, if you absolutely need it, you can walk in to one of the two beachfront restaurants to grab a bite or to have a drink.

Final Thoughts on Playa Pelada

Nosara is fast becoming the place of choice for “settling down” for many expats and some city Costa Ricans. While Playa Guiones gets all the hype, Playa Pelada shows you a more raw version of Nosara. Visit this tranquil beach to get a taste for yourself why people get attracted to this part of the country.

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