After an early morning walk on Nosara Beach – you’re likely to see surfers catching waves – stroll into downtown Guiones for breakfast at Café de Paris. Swiss culinary traditions meet Costa Rican flavours here, and their croissants give patisseries from the City of Light a run for their money. For something heartier, enjoy the avocado toast.

Stretching in a vinyasa yoga class at Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort. Classes take place in open-air shalas, Sanskrit for house; with the jungle surrounding you, your warrior pose will feel wild. Then chill by the pool. Come sunset, head to the hills and Huacas, the restaurant at Terra Magnifica resort, for a cocktail and dinner overlooking the ocean. Here you can indulge in the Blue Zone lifestyle, with dishes that feature local, seasonal Costa Rican ingredients. Don’t forget to look up and count your lucky stars – there’ll be a million of them above you.

Let’s acknowledge that it’s muy caliente here, best to rise and sleep as the sun does. This means another early morning, but there’s plenty to do. Start the day with a new kind of yoga: We loved twisting and turning in an aerial class at Bodhi. (Harmony Hotel and Norte also offer classes.) Then, grab a fresh smoothie (made with local fruits) from the juice bar, enjoy a sound bath and relax with a massage at the tree-top spa. The massage was the best we’ve had in a long time.

Enjoying a beach brunch at La Luna, the only restaurant by the water on Playa Pelada. Be sure to snag a table as close to the ocean as possible to watch the waves come in and the surfers go out. Spend the rest of the afternoon at the beach, swimming and strolling. Then, after a refresh, grab your camera and head to dinner at Coyol, a mountain-top restaurant that offers stunning sunset views. There’s a tree swing here, too. Don’t be shy. Embrace your inner child and have a swing!

Nosara is known for its adrenaline-pumping activities: ziplining, ATV trail rides, horseback riding, biological reserves and, of course, surf lessons. Full disclosure: We didn’t do any of those things. Our mission was to slow down, not ramp up. If you’re similarly inclined, spend this day meandering. Nosara lends itself well to unwinding. The town is small – essentially two strips leading to Playa Guiones and North Guiones with cute shops along the way – surf and beach wear, local crafts and jewellery.

Whatever you do, make time for Howler’s – hands down the best meal of the whole trip (and this is saying a lot because the food in Nosara is all excellent!). A surf shack and relaxed taco bar where the fish carpaccio and ceviche are musts, we could have eaten Howler’s spread every day.