In search of sunshine and soul medicine, Justine Jamieson embarks on a solo journey to Nosara, Costa Rica — a lush Blue Zone where monkeys swing, shamans heal, and the ocean holds you like a lover would. What she finds is more than a tropical escape — it’s a full-body reminder of what it means to feel alive.
“The place is truly vibing high — in the truest sense of the word”.
There’s nothing quite like escaping abroad solo to reinvent yourself. Nosara, Costa Rica, was that place for me. Nosara is truly magic. Wildlife, bougie cafés, entertainment, white-sand beaches… it ticks every box.
Yes, it’s expensive if you’re coming from New Zealand — especially when you accidentally buy your favourite organic washing detergent and later discover it cost $60 NZD. But hey, you can’t put a price tag on clean undies!
If you love dancing, glowing sunsets, healthy food, jungle energy, and people who smile and say “Hola!” with their whole heart, Costa Rica is calling you. The place is truly vibing high — in the truest sense of the word.
Getting There
Your journey begins with a long flight to LAX, then your choice of two international airports in Costa Rica. After that, there are a couple of ways to reach Nosara: one via the water-swept roads, past colourful houses with bars on their windows; or a “cheap” extra flight into Nosara — same price, fewer jiggles.
There are minimal cars and ample tuk-tuks to jump into. You’ll likely grab one tuk-tuk driver’s WhatsApp, and they’ll always be ten minutes away and never let you down. They’re best via text unless you speak Spanish. It pays to learn a little of the local language out of respect, but most people speak English there.
Everywhere will cost you in American dollars — or a little more maths using local colones (thousands). There are a couple of ATMs in Nosara, and they’re hard to find on Google Maps, but tuk-tuk drivers will definitely know where they are. You’ll need cash for transport and tips. Most hotels have an expected tip for their staff.
Cool fact: Did you know Costa Rica abolished its military in 1948? Instead, they invest in what really matters: education, healthcare, and the environment. I believe that’s part of why the Nicoya Peninsula — where Nosara is situated — is one of the world’s five Blue Zones, places where people live the longest, healthiest lives.
Just don’t expect smooth roads. What Costa Rica saves on tanks, it definitely doesn’t spend on tarseal.
Arrival
I arrived in Nosara… tired, sweaty, excited, and slightly delirious.
First stop: Estrellitas Coffee, a jungle-hugged haven where the food grows on-site. It’s organic, vegan, and fully alive. I ordered burritos with their homemade hot sauce — chillies grown outside the café in the organic garden — a decision I both cherished and regretted, because whoa… guts.
Enter Felipe Chaves: a tanned, ponytailed café worker / assistant shaman / unofficial local heartthrob. Just as I was asking for a taxi or Uber (which don’t exist), he offered me a ride. We bounced along the dusty, narrow, jungle-lined roads, made a food delivery, and swapped esoteric stories about plants.
He dropped me at Airstream by the Sea — a vintage caravan accommodation right in the middle of town. There, I was greeted by a mischievous creature called a coati (imagine a curious monkey-raccoon hybrid) and promptly fell in love with it.
After a siesta, I walked into town, chatted with local surfer guys (everyone surfs there) who gave me great travel tips, and strolled to the beach — just in time for a sunset that made me forget every long-haul flight I’ve ever taken. Wow, the sunsets are truly majestic there.
The sand is soft and squeaky, and the ocean is so gentle it hugs you. No bracing needed — I just bathed and bounced. Well, unless there’s a tropical storm, which are incredible too. Then there are many places you can’t swim, says the one easy-going, slightly unfit lifeguard for the whole beach.
The main centre felt very safe to walk through in a bikini at night, and live music pulsed through the tropical dusk, complete with fairy lights twinkling on my return to the airstream. There is an incredibly romantic feel in the air.
It wasn’t luxury accommodation, but an airstream with luxury hotels on either side. I didn’t mind. As it turned out, with the jet lag I was awake all night anyway and stayed behind a bar, so… you know the saying — if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Cue: dance floor and drinking plenty of $20 NZD mocktails in coconut shells.
Oh yeah, did I mention it’s hot? Like 30–35 degrees hot.
Local Vibes and Jungle Voices
If I could describe the vibe of Nosara in one word, it’d be soothing.
Here, people smile a lot. The wildlife sings rather than shrieks. No honking, nothing is too loud, nothing too heavy. No layers needed — even at night. It’s paradise for anyone energy-sensitive.
Is it weird that I imagine Latino voices coming from the wildlife? “Eh, ese?” says the bird with swagger.
As I sway on a hammock at the local fresh juice caravan. “More pineapple juice, please.” I came every day I could for the expensive-exchange-rate juice — and stayed for the cheap hammocks.
One day, what I thought was a drop-off to my wellness retreat ended in a five-hour detour to a shaman. My new friend (Felipe, remember him? Of course we do) asked if I wanted to meet a local shaman. I said yes.
We drove through muddy rivers and lush hills to a beautiful home in the jungle. She greeted me with piercing blue eyes and a knowing smile. She saw straight through me. Said I wasn’t built for the “matrix”… apparently I need to live in the jungle and be a fairy. I think we all should, shouldn’t we? Then she gave me a spontaneous energy healing — sang in Spanish, touched points on my body, and made me cry in the best kind of way.
What to Do
When you aren’t following the synchronicities that seem to magically happen in Costa Rica, you may wish to pop these on the to-do list:
The local markets are a must-do. The fashion is great — think Byron Bay, Australia or Bali-style — and all the stall fruits are blessed with palo santo, which I thought made them sweeter. More coconut water in the shell (that you don’t need a bin to dispose of), and all the retreat centres lining the beach have the best food: fresh and mostly organic. La Luna has the best view and mocktails in town — but many others have even better dishes.
Known as a hub of wellness, there are many expats living the dream and offering workshops and retreats to tourists. On Sundays, there’s ecstatic dance. There, I danced under a thatched roof building with trees growing through it and wild beehives tucked into the rafters.
The community? Beautiful. Kids roamed free, barefoot, happy. One toddler played with my hair while another helped their DJ dad by carrying his water bottle to the booth to make sure he was hydrated.
This community has a school where expats pay tuition, but local kids attend free thanks to these heart-led efforts. This school is everything I dream of for future children: rooted in nature, creativity, and community. Here it is if you’re curious or inspired: casadelasestrellas.org
At Estrellitas café, where they bless each plant as they water it — believing that every plant has a spirit, and they want it to be happy — I joked that my food came out so fast they must be bending time and space. The server smiled and pointed to his shirt — a spaceship blasting off.
We ended up singing Girls Just Wanna Have Fun with the whole line of customers. What was in that ecstatic dance cacao?! Okay yes, most of us were fresh and blissed from the Zach Bush retreat, but still.
It’s that kind of vibe. The kind you want to live in. Like, forever.
A Zach Bush Retreat Changed My Life
I attended a week-long Beyond Biology immersion with Zach Bush. You couldn’t exactly call it a retreat — even though it was held at the longevity retreat centre Blue Spirit, a dreamy wellness centre perched high on a hill, surrounded by rainforest and a turtle conservation area. The setting came complete with an ocean view, gourmet vegetarian food, a saltwater infinity pool looking out to the jungle, and air-conditioned thatched huts with outdoor showers (shared with roaring, mating monkeys — pack earplugs!). You are truly part of nature there.
At the opening of the retreat, Zach shared something potent. He said we’re moving from seeking to becoming the ones we seek.
The versions of ourselves who walked in wouldn’t survive the week. That we’re not here to be saved. We’re here to remember who we are.
There were tears. Laughter. Remission stories. Real magic. My life changed forever on this trip.
So yeah… Nosara, Costa Rica is not just paradise. It’s a portal. One I’ll return to.
Until then… Pura vida.
(Pura vida — meaning “pure life” — is more than a phrase in Costa Rica. It’s a way of being. A reminder to slow down, live simply, and appreciate every precious moment.)
