Many restaurant and hotel employees, as well as quite a few locals, speak excellent English, allowing the majority of tourists to get by just fine without speaking a word of Spanish. In fact, Nosara is regarded as the most English speaking resort area in Costa Rica, with most every business having someone who speaks the language. However, if you do know some Spanish, feel free to use it whenever possible and remember to be polite. Don’t assume that everyone will understand you when you speak English. It’s a good idea to carry a Spanish-English dictionary as a backup should you need to use it.