Living in Sámara… True Pura Vida Style

Tuning with the waves

Costa Rica is divided in 7 provinces; in which Guanacaste is the province number 5. Sámara belongs to the city of Nicoya, located in Guanacaste province with a distance of 146,644 miles (236 km) from San José.

Sámara is ruled by the main activity in the area, Surf is the reason why many tourists visit this lovely town and wake up early just to catch the best wave of the day.

Sámara from all Costa Rican towns is very eccentric, small and diverse. Unique in its own kind, merges Pura Vida lifestyle in many European and American visitors or residents… This is why, once you meet this beautiful place you can never go back again.

Access is very easy and they are several ways to get here:

If you are coming from San Jose you just need to follow the Route 1 and get to Nicoya city, onces there it is just a 45 minute drive to Samara. In total the trip from San Jose to Samara could take around 4 hours driving.

1. If you landed in Liberia it is way easier and closer. From Liberia you need to start driving south towards Santa Cruz which is the first town you’ll find, from other keep driving south to Nicoya and you will be here pretty quickly. The time is about 1.5 hours.
2. You could also Access through airplane that lands either in Punta Islita or Nosara, they are both 30 minutes away from Samara.
3. If you are not driving, an other way to get here is by shuttle, there are several shuttle services from San Jose, Liberia, Arenal or any other touristic áreas. Transportation will not be an issue!

Life Style

The sunrises between 5:15 am and 5:30 am, perfect to ride some waves, walk on the beach or just enjoy the natural surroundings, and afterwards enjoy yourself with some fresh fruit smoothie. With no plan whatsoever. Sámara is the perfect place to relax and disconnect from your regular hectic life and dedícate yourself to just discover amazing wildlife and admire the most stunning sunrises and sunsets.

There are many outdoor activities to during the day and most of them involve being close to the beach/ocean or always in touch with the nature, such as:

• Surfing
• Snorkeling
• Kayak (River and Sea)
• Fishing
• Biking
• Yoga
• SUP (Stand Up Paddle)
• Slackline
• Hiking
• Horseback riding
• Traditional Cuisine Lessons
• Dolphin Tours
• Baby turtle Tours

Sámara Gastronomical Taste

If you’re looking for a nice place to try great local fresh food and at good prices we can recommend you the following places:

• Soda La Perla
• Soda Colocho
• Miss Sheriff
• El Ancla
• Casa Esmeralda

If you’re more like an organic and vegetarian taste, Sámara Organics is the perfect spot, they offer: smoothies, cookies, coffee and delicious ice cream from Pura Paleta.

For those who want to experience different food options not only typical and are interested in dinner or lunch the following restaurants offer a great selection in meats:

• El Colibrí
• El Lagarto

And for those who just can’t get enough of Italian food the best options in Sámara are:

• El Gusto Beach
• Mama Gui
• Uh La la
• Locanda

In regards Mexican food Coco’s Place presents a very nice concept mixing Mexican food and art into its restaurant.

But if your options are a bit more getting to know a bar o just eat appetizers of Sandwiches these are the options for you:

• La Vela Latina
• Bar Arriba

Sámara Nightlife

For those who love just hanging out blend in and get to know people just prepare yourself for a long night since dancing starts at 12am! But there’s also relax and nice bars to visit before the main dish.

And when the night is heating up these are the best options for you:

• Tabanuco (Reggae Nights)
• Vela Latina (Salsa Nights)

If you decide to visit Samara keep in be prepared to enjoy real natural vibes!