Nosara, Costa Rica

Nosara is a real gem. This tiny town, reachable only by a dirt road, is surrounded by forests and pristine beaches. It’s known for surfing, yoga retreats, and its art scene. Below, I share my crazy adventure of traveling to Nosara to learn Spanish.

The direct flight from LAX to Liberia is about 5.5 hours; from there, Nosara is another 3 hours by car. Local airline Sansa offers a quick 30-minute hop for $150, about the same price as a taxi. I decided to book the flight to finish my journey. But you know what they say about the best-laid plans…

Thanks to multiple delays, by the time I deplaned, I had less than 30 minutes before my connection to Nosara, and I was stuck in a long, snaking line through customs. When I finally passed the attendant, my plane was long gone and the sun was setting. I called my hotel to see if they had a driver near the airport, but no luck. They instructed me to take an official red taxi and not to pay more than $200 USD for the ride. They reassured me that all would be fine and they’d see me soon.

I found a driver who agreed to the long journey and got into his old red Toyota Corolla. The window cranks were broken, and the car looked in rough shape. I was nervous about driving in the dark, my phone had a spotty signal and no map, and I couldn’t communicate with the driver (hence, Spanish school), but I settled in.

About 1.5 hours in, my driver did his best, in broken English, to tell me about his cousin, Diego, who had a van and transported tourists. I thought this was just small talk, until he pulled over, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and told me I needed to get in his cousin’s van to continue the journey. You know, I’m a confident, experienced solo traveler who rarely rattles, but WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK was happening?! Diego was all smiles as he moved my luggage into the van. I said a quick prayer and reluctantly climbed in; at that point, I didn’t have a clue what else to do.

I quickly realized the red Corolla would never have survived the journey. The roads were nuts. We continued a long, slow drive on unpaved, winding paths until we finally reached the hotel.

I checked into my room, soaked in stress sweat and with hands still shaking. I attempted to calm my nerves with a cold beer. After a few sips, my body relaxed into exhaustion from the terror of my travels. I went to bed early, determined to be bright-eyed for my two weeks of Spanish school that started the next morning.

I stayed connected to Diego, and he offered me a much calmer ride back to the airport. I enjoyed practicing my Spanish with him and learning about the area he calls home, in the daylight, no less. He’ll definitely be my go-to for transport when I return.