The Kirana Guide
Eat, surf, and wander Guiones like you live here.
Our short list of the restaurants, beaches, and adventures worth your week: all vetted, all real, most within a barefoot radius of the K Section.
Eat & drink
From six restaurants to fifty-five. Here are ours.
Guiones has quietly become one of Costa Rica's best food towns: open-fire tasting menus at Coyol and La Cosecha, beachfront sunsets at La Luna, casados at Rosi's, and organic everything in between. The full ranked list, with the dishes to order at every stop, lives on its own page.
The Kirana list: all 36
Provisioning the villa
Orgánico (grocer + bakery)
High-end organic grocer and bakery at the main Guiones entrance, serving the town since 2009. Our tip: the bakery and the grocer across the street sell one of the best gluten-free sourdough breads you will ever have.
Blue Garza
Organic grocery in Playa Garza, an easy stock-up stop on beach-day runs south.
Nosara Farmers Market (La Feria)
Tuesday-morning organic market on Guiones Main Street: produce, bread, kombucha, and local makers.
Do & see
Monkeys, turtles, ziplines, and the world's friendliest waves.
Learn to surf as a family
ISA-certified schools like Safari Surf School (25+ years, dedicated kids' camps), Del Mar Surf Camp, and Juan Surfo's teach on Guiones' soft, sandy-bottom inside break.
Sibu Wildlife Sanctuary
Meet rescued howler monkeys at this rehabilitation sanctuary in the Nosara hills (ages 5+).
Ostional turtle arribada
Fifteen minutes north, Ostional is one of the world's most important nesting sites for olive ridley sea turtles; mass arribadas happen roughly monthly.
Miss Sky Canopy Tour
Eleven kilometers of ziplines over the Nosara valley, billed by the operator as the longest canopy tour in the world (kids from age 5).
Charter fishing with Cacho
Charter fishing runs right out of Playa Garza. We have been out with Cacho many times for tuna, mahi, and grouper, plus snorkeling and kid-friendly trips; he operates from the corner by Beach Dog Cafe and everyone in town knows him. Ask us or the concierge to set it up.
Horseback riding with Playa Ponies
Our pick for beach rides. Playa Ponies sits perfectly at the north entrance of Pelada: you take the horses out through secluded north Pelada beach, ride down through Guiones, and loop back. A genuinely lovely ride.
Yoga at Bodhi Tree
World-renowned yoga resort a short walk from the house, with drop-in classes daily.
The Blue Zone effect
The Nicoya Peninsula is one of only five Blue Zones on Earth. National Geographic reports it has the world's lowest rate of middle-age mortality and one of the highest concentrations of male centenarians. Whatever the mix of sun, community, and pura vida that produces that, you'll be soaking in it for a week.
Go deeper
The Insider Q&A: everything we tell our friends before they visit.
Car rentals, tuk tuk fares, the fish-name cheat sheet, tides, gyms, and the story of the American Project. Forty-plus real answers from the owners.
Home base, sorted.
Stay in the K Section and every one of these is a walk, a bike, or an easy drive away.
Booking direct skips the platform fees.Rates, reviews, and details →