Beaches of NosaraAbout 80 kilometers south of the Tamarindo Flamingo region is an area with a different developmental emphasis: the Beaches of Nosara. Starting at the Nosara River; three lovely beaches and a wildlife reserve extend south from and Playa Pelada to Playa Guiones. Nosara is an experiment in different concepts of foreign development. The emphasis here is on private homes and pristine beaches rather than tourism and commercial enterprise. Residents have formed a militant organization of property owners and have so far successfully kept this part of the coast residential and natural. Along more than 5 miles of beaches. Only one small restaurant is located right on the beach. As you stroll the beach, you will see natural vegetation, trees, and mangrove along the edge of the sand no discos, fast-food places, miniature golf courses, or any other evidence of higher culture. Just beach and jungle. Dont misunderstand; you can find services like the above (well, maybe not miniature golf), but not right on the beach. Two hundred meters is as close to the water as they can be located. So when you are strolling the Beach, swimming, or sunning, theres nothing to remind you that you are not in pure paradise. The exception to this rule is a small Tico bar and restaurant, Olgas Bar, which has occupied a patch of beachfront for the past thirty years and is therefore grandfathered (or grand mothered) into acceptance. (As many thirsty tourists have remarked, We need at least one bar on the beach!) About twenty-five years ago a farsighted American investor purchased a huge tract of beachfront and decided to develop the property in a way that preserved its natural beauty and wildlife resources. He did a marvelous job, developing each lot with its own part of the wilderness. Almost all buyers were from the United States or Canada; they loved the isolation and the idea of preserving beaches, forest, and animals. Things were going well until a few years later, when the original developer unexpectedly dropped out of the picture. Residents feared that the area could turn into tourist-oriented, treeless commercial zones, as other unregulated coastal areas have done. So the property owners formed an association totally committed to protecting the unique environment. To forestall commercial development, residents dedicated the entire beachfront to the government as a Wildlife and Nature Reserve. The association provides housing and pays the salary for a government ranger to keep an eye on forest and wildlife conservation. It has spent a good deal of money for legal fees, even taking a case to the Supreme Court in an effort to keep large developers from turning_ into a new Miami Beach. So far the association has been successful, limiting new business to small, low-impact, family-operated enterprises. However, Nosara isnt unfriendly to tourists. On the contrary, the community welcomes them and is happy to see tourists patronize the many small hotels and restaurants that are located a few hundred meters from the beach. Consequently, Beaches of Nosara draws a different type of tourist: one who appreciates quiet, uncrowned, and natural beaches and who doesnt require discos, T-shirt emporiums, or beachfront pizza parlors to keep him- or herself amused. One major problem we have, explained one of the longtime residents, is that newcomers arent as ecologically aware as the original owners. Over the years, many of the old-timers have died, grown old, or lost interest. So we try to educate newcomers about the treasures we have here, about the importance of not cutting down the trees or destroying our animals habitat. The howler monkeys have regular trails through the treetops that they use daily to go from one feeding area to another. When the trail is broken by clearing trees, the monkeys never return. When this book first described Nosara, development was still in its infancy. Services were limited and property prices were very modest, probably one half to one third of more accessible beach locations such as Tamarindo or. Flamingo. Numerous creeks and small rivers had to be forded; for part of the rainy season, the road was impassible. Gradually, culverts and bridges made the route easier, bringing more tourists and visitors who began buying property and building homes. Then, about four years ago, change began accelerating. Nosara was discovered. Newcomers are arriving in a steady stream no flood as yet, but the level is rising. Construction seems to be going on everywhere. Near the beaches a bakery specializing in German and Italian goods has appeared, as well as several grocery store delicatessens to supplement the two supermarkets already in place. More cabinas and small Hotels are popping up, and a dozen new homes are under construction at any given time. The airstrip (one of the few cement runways in the country) handles numerous flights daily. The nearest hospital (in Nicoya) requires an hour and a half drive, making access to sophisticated medical care somewhat difficult. Because of the increased population, not only residents and tourists but the number of Tico workers who work in construction, the government has installed a new medical clinic in the village of Nosara. For life-threatening emergencies, an air-evac flight to a San Jose hospital takes thirty minutes from the Nosara airstrip. Its interesting to compare the Nosara area with the resort area of Samara, just 25 kilometers to the south, or other. There the natural vegetation has been stripped away to make room for commercial projects. Much of what is left is often burned off every dry season to make room for new plant cover during the coming rainy season. Native plants, those specially adapted to this climate, have been crowded out by plants whose natural winter state is to lie dormant or by those whose seeds resist fire. None of this is to say that Samara isnt a beautiful place;with its gorgeous beach and paved road access, it cant miss. |
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