For the
2011 census, Nosara had a population of inhabitants. As of 2024, this number is estimated to have almost doubled. There are five main oceanfront communities each named after their respective beaches: Playa Nosara, Playa Guiones, Playa Pelada, Playa Garza, and Playa Ostional. These comprise the largest areas of foreign-owned residences, tourist hotels, and restaurants, centered on Guiones and Pelada. The "suburb" Esparanza de Nosara borders the Playa Guiones area, sitting between its first two beach entrances to the south. Esparanza hosts the Guiones area's largest market, a school and
soccer (football) field, and a few new housing developments, hotels, and restaurants. In 2017, Nosara was noted as the fastest-growing surf town in the world by economists from the University of Sydney, Australia, when analyzing over 5,000 surf breaks across the globe. The
Nosara River goes through the village. ==Villages==