The 5 September 2012, Mw 7.6 Nicoya, Costa Rica megathrust earthquake occurred within a well-recognized seismic gap, directly beneath a network of seismic and continuous GPS stations and within an area of focused geophysical research for the last 15 years. This provides a unique opportunity to study the seismogenic behavior of this plate boundary throughout the earthquake cycle. We compare locations of Nicoya earthquake coseismic slip, geodetically determined interseismic locking, microseismicity, postseismic slip, slow slip and tremor activity to understand the evolution of plate interface strain accumulation and release and compare this with structural parameters of the subduction system. The focus of mainshock slip corresponds very closely to the region of interseismic strain accumulation, demonstrating the importance of geodetic observations in identifying the loci of peak slip in future earthquakes. Geodetically detected slow slip events occur about every year on complementary regions of the plate interface from those accumulating strain and hosting seismic slip. Ocean bottom fluid flow meters and seafloor borehole pressure sensors documented slow slip events that propagate all the way to the trench. This is contrary to the long held belief that the shallowest part of the subduction zone is comprised of material too weak to accumulate elastic strain. The segregation of fast and slow slip likely reflects differences in fault frictional conditions on the plate interface. This change corresponds with a contrast from lower to higher forearc vp/vs ratios suggesting that upper plate properties also play a role in the segmentation of seismogenic behavior.