Essential Tips for Newcomers in Nosara, Costa Rica: Minimizing Your Impact, Maximizing the Beauty
This blog post aims to provide newcomers with valuable suggestions and insights, ensuring you start your Nosara experience on the right foot. By being aware of certain important aspects upfront, you can minimize any potential negative impact and maximize the preservation and enhancement of this remarkable and fragile ecosystem.
Nosara, known for its commitment to sustainability and conservation, values responsible tourism practices that protect the local environment and support the well-being of its communities. Whether you're a nature enthusiast, a beach lover, or seeking a rejuvenating escape, these tips will help you navigate Nosara with respect, consideration, and a deep appreciation for its natural wonders.
This is a list of suggestions for newcomers to make you aware of some important things upfront, so you can hopefully minimize your negative impact and maximize your positive impact on this beautiful and precious area.
If you are building a house:
- Don’t dominate your lot with a huge house. Leave space for trees and nature. Design a home that works around the existing trees and when your house is built, plant more trees around it! Be aware that some trees need a permit to be cut.
- Insist upon a water treatment system e.g., Bionest instead of a septic system. This will help to protect the waterways and ocean from your waste and it costs about the same amount to install.
- Check where your contractor disposes of their construction waste. Make sure it doesn’t go to an illegal local dump where it will be burned.
If you’ll be owning a house:
- Get the septic system checked and make sure it’s upgraded to a water treatment system.
- Keep all your trees and plant more.
- Make sure the transformers near you are insulated to avoid monkeys getting shocks.
Be considerate of others and try to give more than you take:
- Do your homework about the local and community organizations that work to improve the area. Join the NCA. Visit www.amigosofcostarica.org and set up monthly donations for whatever you can afford to the following: Bomberos, The Food Bank, Nosara Recicla, WCA, Costas Verdes, Nosara Ocean Safety etc. You can search for all the organizations in Nosara on their website and support the causes you feel most strongly about. Volunteer if you have time.
- Register for free with ADI Bocas de Nosara to help implement long-term solutions for the community. ADIs are the only public mechanisms to get involved with the community for those who are not yet Costa Rican.
- Check out the Wildlife Conservation Association (WCA). They have some great brochures for sustainability practices. https://www.wcanosara.org/
- If you are going to employ people such as a cleaner or gardener, pay a liveable wage. The national minimum wage isn’t enough for Nosara. Be aware of and comply with employment rights including paying the CAJA, aguinaldo, paid time off etc. Get the INS insurance that covers your workers if they have an accident.
- When you need services, prioritize giving the work to locals rather than foreigners.
- Drive slowly and considerately. Don’t allow your children to drive illegally. The speed limit is 40kph, not 40mph!
- Do your best to learn Spanish so you can build better relationships. Learn about the local culture including the history, events and traditions.
- If there’s a private security group near you, participate to improve safety for all.
- Find out the rules for proper trash disposal and recycling. Visit www.https://www.nosararecicla.com/ and follow the recycling instructions there. Be aware that recycling is hand-sorted here. Put it out on recycling day or the trash collection trucks will take it. Try to reduce use of plastics and look into composting organic waste.
- Bring your own bags/boxes when going food shopping. Buy ecological and biodegradable cleaning products.
- If you are going for a walk, try to remember to bring a bag with you so you can collect trash on the way so it doesn’t end up in the ocean. Participate in beach clean ups.
- Be mindful of Nosara’s resources and consider ways to reduce your water consumption. For example, pools should not be filled with Asada water during dry season. You can get water trucks to deliver water.
- If you have unwanted items, think of how else they could be used. The Food Bank has drop off spots around town for used clothing etc.
- You can visit www.nosaracivicassociation.com for a list of the Ostional Refuge regulations, covering Ostional, Pelada, Nosara and Guiones beaches and include: no dogs, no bonfires, no drones and no motorized vehicles. Be sure not to take stones, shells, flora or fauna from the beach.
- For your family’s safety, make sure everyone understands what to do in a rip current. Educate yourselves on how to spot and avoid rips, so you don’t put others at risk trying to rescue you. Go to Nosara Ocean Safety for valuable information.
- In restaurants, 10% is usually added as a service charge, but it doesn’t always go to staff, so please tip on top of that if you can. Another 10% is always appreciated.
- Pass this list on to other newcomers!
Stay tuned for our upcoming posts, where we will delve deeper into specific topics, providing you with more in-depth information and recommendations to make the most of your time in Nosara.
Let's embark on this journey of responsible exploration and discovery together, as we cherish and protect the natural treasures of Nosara, Costa Rica.