Going to CR in June. Landing in Liberia. Thinking about heading to Samara first and staying at the Treehouse Inn. Should I hire a private driver (6 people) or rent a car or get a taxi. Which would be our best option. We will going on to Nosara area after 2 or 3 nights. Is the drive to Samara easier than Nosara? I hear to roads are bad to Nosara.

I would get the car. The drive to Nosara is no worse than to Samara. Once the hardpacked road ends at a T, Nosara is right, Samara to the left. We took the recommended "main" road to Samara, what a mistake! The ruts were huge and numerous. On the return trip, we took the beach road, much better cause it was less travelled, so less rutted from when it had been muddy.

Both roads are dirt and watch out for the washouts on the right, send you right into the bush if you caught a tire in one.

Just go slow, let others pass if they want and enjoy the drive.

Nosara is not as built up as Samara and everything seems hidden in the trees. Go to the Nosara travel website for a roadmap, it comes in very handy. There is also a hand drawn map of Samara online which will show you all the hotels, retsaurants, etc. Only one or two are right on the beach. Samara had more of a town feeling, the actual business/town of Nosara is inland a few miles from the beach town area.
But don't be afraid of the drive from Liberia. We usually land a litle after 1:00, and get to Nosara at least by 4:00. Count on dark by 5:15 and be where you plan to stay by then. Seems that the horses like to roam the roads after dark, maybe cause it's cooler? It's easy to get to either town, the only real town to navigat on the way is Nicoya and that's easy!

fitzpowell, thanks so much for your info. Are the beaches in Samara any more shaded than in Nosara. I am fair skinned and concerned about the sun. Looking at pictures I see Palm trees in Samara, but not in Nosara. Also was it possible to snorkel in Nosara are is it too rough?

I'm not too sure about shade on the beach in Samara. We only had lunch at the one biggish hotel on the beach, Pacifica?, and there were trees going down to the sand there.

Some shade can be found on the Nosara end and personally I found those beaches much more pristine, larger and less crowded than Samara's. It is worth the short drive north of Samara to Carillo to enjoy the postcard perfect beach there for an afternoon. The road is paved, maybe a 20 minute at most drive. The beach in Carillo is a horseshoe shape, fringed perfectly with palms. It has shade and concrete pic-nic tables, (it's right on the main road, can't miss it).

Forget snorkeling much anywhere really. Not that it's too rough, there's just nothing to see compared to the Carribean or Belize. We drove north of Nosara to San Juanillo to snorkle-it was just ok- and the drive required several river crossings.

Sherrilllane,

I looked at your post, and Fitzpowell's reply, and I felt compelled to respond. The road to Samara from the Liberia airport is 100% paved. 100%; all the way. I can only assume Fitz was confused by your question. Maybe his comments are about the road to Samara FROM Nosara, or vice versa, which is certainly an adventure, or maybe he is starting in Tamarindo or that area. The road system south of Tamarindo and around Nosara is all dirt and can be very rutted and potholed by the rains. My brother likes to say that you need a kidney belt to drive through the area. But again, that is the beauty of Samara and Carrillo - the road is paved all the way from the Liberia airport (through Filadelfia, Belen, Santa Cruz, Nicoya) and you can get there with much more ease than to Nosara (you can also go this way to get to Nosara, by turning right off the paved road a bit after passing through Nicoya, but I don't know if its marked and I have never driven it). And personally, I think the Samara Carrillo area is so beautiful and amazing. I like Nosara. I like Ostional. And Marbella (almost bought some land there). The Sanctuary is a fantastic hotel. My personal favorite is the Luna Azul hotel in that area. Probably the best food I've ever had in CR. Great hosts as well (German or Belgian). But Samara Carrillo is the most beautiful, mellow, laid back place on the planet. You will not want to leave. Treehouse, while I have not stayed there yet (I am staying there in July) is very fresh and new, and I've walked down the beach passed it several times. It is special. I usually stay at Villas Kalimba, for the price, but now they are edging upward, and are now a bit more expensive than Treehouse, so now I go to Treehouse. Be sure to eat at Logarto. And Pizza a go go.

And visit the little casino at Hotel Guanamar in Carrillo.

This area is a piece of CR that will be gone in a few years. Already the north is developing with golf and mega-hotels (as you probably know), and that same development is coming south to this area. So take a bite while you can.

But Nosara vs. Samara? No comparison. Also, depending on where you are coming from, your flight to Liberia will land at 6pm or so. In my opinion this is too late in the day to set out for Nosara. But not Samara because of the paved road. When you are on those dirt roads to Nosara, it's like you are all alone in the jungle - no street lights, no signs, maybe the road is 10 feet wide. Always keep an eye for horses, monkeys and other animals whenever driving at night. But I go to Samara all the time the same day after arriving at Liberia.

So that's my 2 cents. By the way, I live in Oakland, CA, and go to Samara 5-6 times a year. I am building a house there (in the hills above Carrillo beach).

Best regards.

Doug Hutchinson

the hotel is Las Brisas del Pacifico (Pacific Breeze) and isn't that nice. Rooms are sorta crappy. food is good though, and the property is nice.

There are a lot of mangroves along the beach for shade. Try in front of Vela Latina, which is a great place to sit and relax. They have leather slinged rocking chairs on their deck.

No offence, but Fitz just didn't spend much time in Samara.