Hi Everybody – Welcome to our new edition of the Inside Peak! We wanted to capture more of the life and color of our guest’s Nosara experiences, so I will be submitting a monthly synopsis of Safari – Everything Surf! – yours truly, Peter Lewis.
Summer Arrives
Blue Skies, brilliant sunshine, and offshore winds appear to have ushered in an early summer season. Even though we are located 9 degrees North of the equator, our dry season here (Dec-April) is referred to as “summer”, and the rainy season (May-Nov) “winter”. The dry season also corresponds with what I refer to as the” International High Season” – where snowbirds escape the cold climes to find warm playgrounds! Here in Nosara we must endure ‘Septober’, our two rainiest months where everything shuts down and all there is to do is read and sleep. November can go either way weather wise, last November was a washout, I’ll take an early summer any day! All around town merchants are painting, renovating, landscaping, and spiffing up for the upcoming season. This year we are seeing a lot of construction everywhere. There are also at least three new tour companies stocked with ATVs, bicycles, and transport vans. The roads were horrendous after the rainy season but heavy equipment moved in and cleaned everything up. However the hot, dry, and windy weather, produce an unwelcome byproduct: polvo or dust. Driving becomes more difficult as visibility is compromised, especially after the big delivery trucks storm by. With lots of motorcycles, ATVs , bicycles, and pedestrians on the roads, everyone covers up with scarves, respirator masks, goggles, and all sorts of innovations (banana leaves, etc.!). The beaches provide sanctuary from the dust storm and is the place to be.
As we move into our summer months clear skies, blazing sun, and inviting blue ocean beacon. As the Northern Nemisphere winter takes hold, our weather becomes dreamy. Every day is a carbon copy of the one before. The waves this time of year settle down and offer lovely conditions for surf school attendees. Playa Guiones is an immense white sand beach where the inclination of the ocean floor is very gradual, allowing for a safe and comfortable entry into the wave zone. Waves here tend to regenerate into new waves after they break on the outside, creating numerous fun zones for beginners. This is one of the friendliest surf locales on the planet. With lots of room to move enthusiasts can always find an empty peak down the beach. With all the best local surfers employed as surf instructors, we have very little “localism” in the water and the spirit of Pura Vida and Aloha prevail!
Donavon’s Return
Safari’s new season opened early and with a bang as we hosted Billabong Pro and wildly popular singer/songwriter Donavon Frankenreiter to Nosara for surfing fun and a big concert at the well known ‘Tropicana’ discotheque. Due to Donavon’s busy schedule he could only come down for a few days in the first week of November which was before the season takes off, but in spite of this the concert pulled in 350 stoked revelers and was a memorable event. Safari is aligned with global surf brand Billabong, which operates and endorses surf schools and camps around the world. Their ‘Surf with a Pro” camps are unique offerings. Staged at exotic locales with perfect surf and idyllic surroundings, a limited number of enthusiasts can book a week to surf and hang with their favorite pro. Only a few select surf camp operations are chosen to host these events. Safari is stoked and proud to have been selected twice to hold Donavon’s camps, and we look forward to more in the future.
The New Safari
We open this season in a brand new location and with renewed focus and energy. For the past 12 years Safari Surf School operated out of the Casa Tucan, a little eight room hotel and restaurant on main street Guiones. The property was sold and Safari circled the wagons around a very special property fronting the maritime zone until we secured a house and five lots to be developed into an upscale sustainable new surf resort called Olas Verdes (Green Waves). Throughout the upcoming season we will welcome surf school guests and operate out of the “Safari House” while the new resort is being developed. The approach is much different than before, as we no longer have a public hotel/restaurant to contend with. It’s a more personal hands-on style of hospitality and service, as if we are entertaining company in our own home. Guests have a choice of several lodging options, the closest and most popular being Harmony and Harbor Reef. We meet daily at the Safari House for lessons, meals, and special events. Surf lessons are conducted a short walk down a wooded path, away from the main beach crowds. Our goal is to create an inviting surfy clubhouse atmosphere where guests can relax and unwind and meet new friends.
Check out the gallery of our new friends and facility so far this season!
[soliloquy id=”3779″]
