Of all the thousands of photo takers and millions of photographs taken of Nosara, perhaps no one has assembled a more comprehensive collection than 15-year resident Rolf Summer.

He selected 375 representative photographs out of his 10,000 image archive to publish a limited edition book aptly titled “Pura Vida Nosara”.

Summer filled the 95 page book with scenes that locals and tourists will connect with on different levels. It is the local scenes, such as those shot at the local schools or the fiesta, that particularly engage the viewer.

He and his wife Angela ran the hotel Casa Romantica in Guiones beach for nine years until 2005, giving him plenty of opportunity to engage in local culture. Some representative shots from greater Guanacaste make the book a good tourist souvenir.

The book is filled with beach scenes, wildlife and floral pictures, and other images that one would expect, but the occasional quirky shot, perhaps a golfer teeing off on the beach in red speedos, add enough character to keep the viewer turning the pages.

Sometimes the book resembles a tourist guide, showing off available attractions such as quad tours, or even a high school yearbook, showing group photos of the riding and tennis clubs, but all the better to capture the range of life and Nosara Pura Vida.

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