Nosara is home to well-loved pets thanks to the animal-loving community and dedicated hard work of its animal rescue organizations. Pets live wonderful lives here in Nosara; excellent veterinary services, imported pet food, dog boarding, and training facilities are all available and affordable. 

Nosara Animal Care and Amor Animales are two rescue organizations that aim to get cats and dogs off the streets by coordinating foster care, assist with spay/neutering, and even arrange for medical attention if need be. The adoption process itself is unintimidating, being that it is quick and easy. Now, due to the organizations’ stellar work, it is seldom that we see strays roaming the streets in danger of getting hit by vehicles or scavenging for food. Every year there are fundraising events to benefit these non-profit organizations and bring the community together for a good cause. 

In addition to intervention practices, these organizations collaborate with one of the town’s favorite veterinarian clinics, Safari Animal Care, to provide castration clinics as a preventative measure. These clinics have contributed significantly to keeping the number of strays in town at bay. Their clinic also offers a “doggy hotel” for when residents pop out of town and need a trusting eye on their loved one(s). 

It is a common sight to see canines on quads and motorcycles with their owners commuting around town. The beach is perhaps the most popular destination! Sunset hour at the beach is for locals and tourists alike to enjoy the end of another beautiful day, and it’s also a great time for neighborhood dogs to mingle and play. When timed with low tide, dogs have endless beach to run around on and their choice of tide pools to swim in. 

Because of how close the Nosara community is, residents often know each other’s pets by face and name (which comes in handy when ensuring their safe return if they’ve snuck out of the house). Many local businesses even have the pleasure of having their mascots at work with them, serving as the welcome committee – no word on what their minimum wage is though.

Writing:  Lev Piatigorsky. Remax First Choice Nosara.

With just over 12 hours of sunlight 365 days a year, residents and visitors of Nosara embrace an early morning lifestyle. With first light appearing around 5:10, and the sun rising at 5:30, most people quickly adapt to starting their day early.

The really early birds, the ones who wake up when the howler monkeys start chatting, are up and enjoying a cup of coffee while it’s still dark out. This way they can be paddling out as the sun rises, or get in a nice run before the sun and heat are at full strength. There is something peaceful about jumping into the glassy ocean while it still has its morning chill, with only a handful of other people, and watching the sun come up over the hills.

Having an active lifestyle is important to people here, and around 6 am the beach starts coming to life with surfers, runners, and people enjoying their morning walks. By 9:30, the juice and smoothie bars will be filled with a hungry crowd as they get fueled for the rest of their day. I frequently talk to people who say they wake up much earlier here than home, and it feels natural. With the sun beaming in full force by 6 and not a cloud in the sky it’s hard to lay around in bed.

Whether vacationing or living here full time, it’s important to people here to take advantage of the many outdoor activities on offer. For example, surfing, circuit training, boxing, yoga, zip lining, fishing, mountain biking, quad tours, are just some of the popular activities. With so much at your fingertips, it’s easy to start your day early, and fit in as much as possible before watching a spectacular sunset at 5:30.

The town and people flow with the rhythm of the sun, waking at dawn and settling in for the evening as the stars become vibrant. After gathering to watch the beautiful sunset, either from the beach or the surf, people head out to meet friends for a drink or dinner. However, by 9 most people are home and getting ready for bed to do it all over again.

Writing:  Olivia Abry. Remax First Choice Nosara.

Photography: Callum Morse.