Community and Lifestyle

Culture and Community in Hojanche, Costa Rica: Beaches and Nature

Hojancha is surrounded by incredible nature, and is only ten miles from the beloved beach towns of Playa Carrillo and Playa Samara. Playa Samara is the more populated of the two, but still enjoys a laid back fishing village environment. Hotels, budget hostels, international restaurants, and small shops offer convenience to the town but the beach remains unspoiled and natural. The surrounding coral reef makes for great fishing, snorkeling, and diving. Nearby Playa Carrillo is smaller and even quieter than Samara, and makes for a great swimming or paddleboarding spot.

The Nosara River runs through Hojancha and makes for exciting kayaking excursions and animal sightings, including all different species of birds and monkeys and even crocodiles. On the South side of the Nosara River lies the Nosara Biological Reserve which has great hiking trails and is teeming with animals like coatis, armadillos, deer, and even wildcats.

In Nosara, a short drive from Hojancha, the Ostitiional Widlife Refuge makes for an incredible outing for families and people of all ages. Here you can watch thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of turtles lay their eggs on the shore. These eggs eventually hatch, and the baby turtles emerge and make their way into the ocean. You can come and observe this natural miracle, called an “arribada” or volunteer to assist the turtles in their journey out to the ocean.

Until about forty years ago, Hojancha did not even have electricity. It was once inhabited primarily by the Chorotega Indigenous people who spanned across the entire Nicoya Peninsula. Today a majority of the residents were born and raised in the area, but over the last two decades more and more have migrated from nearby towns in Costa Rica and from other countries all over the world.

The city of Hojancha is one of the safest in Costa Rica with a small population of around 5,000 inhabitants. Most community members live without bars on their windows and leave their doors unlocked. The city is well organized and clean, with a local park and a botanical garden. Conveniences like schools, medical care, a post office, pharmacy, grocery stores, and other shops are in the city and Playa Samara and Nosara nearby have a great selection of restaurants.

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