Where to stay in Santa Teresa: areas and hotels compared
Where to stay
Stay in north Santa Teresa if you want to walk to restaurants, bars and surf, around Playa Carmen if you want the most central base, in Mal País for…
Santa Teresa guides
Our guides to Santa Teresa and Mal País: the beaches and surf breaks, where to stay and eat, getting there and day trips.
Things to do in Santa Teresa: surf, nature, boats and day trips
Things to do
Most days in Santa Teresa revolve around the ocean: surf in the morning, a slow afternoon and sunset on the beach. Beyond that, the top things to do…
ATV tours and rentals in Santa Teresa: guided rides vs renting
Things to do
In Santa Teresa you can rent an ATV to get around or join a guided ATV tour to places like the Montezuma waterfalls, Curú and the Cabo Blanco area.…
The best beaches in Santa Teresa and Mal País
Things to do
Playa Santa Teresa is the main beach for surf and sunsets, Playa Carmen is the easy, central beach where most people learn to surf, and Playa Hermosa…
The best time to visit Santa Teresa, month by month
Plan your trip
For sunshine and easy beach days, visit in the dry season from December to April, when it barely rains but the town is busy and dusty. For bigger…
Canopy and zipline tours near Santa Teresa and Montezuma
Things to do
There are 2 main zipline options near Santa Teresa: Canopy Mal País, a short 11-platform course on a forest farm by the Cabo Blanco reserve, and the…
Day trips from Santa Teresa: Montezuma, Cabo Blanco, Tortuga and more
Things to do
The best day trips from Santa Teresa are Montezuma village and its waterfall, a hike in Cabo Blanco reserve (closed Monday and Tuesday), a boat day…
Working remotely in Santa Teresa: internet, coworking and coliving
Plan your trip
Santa Teresa works well for remote workers who can live with the odd power cut: fiber internet reaches much of town, coliving spaces such as Outsite…
Driving to Santa Teresa: routes, roads and renting a car
Plan your trip
From San José, drive to Puntarenas, take the car ferry to Paquera, then follow Route 160 through Tambor and Cóbano to the coast, about an hour and a…
Ferry to Santa Teresa: Puntarenas to Paquera or Playa Naranjo
Plan your trip
The car ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera, run by Naviera Tambor, is the main gateway to Santa Teresa, with 8 sailings a day each way and a crossing…
Sport fishing in Santa Teresa and Mal País: inshore vs offshore
Things to do
Fishing trips from the Santa Teresa area mostly leave from the small harbor at Mal País or from Montezuma. Inshore trips stay within a few miles of…
Flights to Santa Teresa: flying from San José to Cóbano
Plan your trip
The fastest way to Santa Teresa is a short domestic flight from San José (SJO) to the Cóbano airstrip (ACO), about 10 km from town. SANSA and Costa…
Mal País vs Santa Teresa vs Playa Hermosa: which to choose
Where to stay
Choose north Santa Teresa if you want to walk to restaurants, bars and surf; Playa Carmen and south Santa Teresa for a central, practical base; Mal…
Public bus to Santa Teresa: from San José and around the peninsula
Plan your trip
Public buses run from San José to Santa Teresa and Mal País, crossing on the Puntarenas to Paquera ferry, and the trip takes about 6 hours or more.…
Where to eat in Santa Teresa: restaurants, cafes and sunset spots
Eat and drink
For a special dinner by the sea, book Manzú at Hotel Nantipa or Fermata Kitchen facing La Lora. For a relaxed meal with a social crowd, try The Somos…
Santa Teresa, Costa Rica: the complete guide
Plan your trip
Santa Teresa is a surf town on the southwestern tip of Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula, strung along a coast road with Mal País to the south and Playa…
Santa Teresa's roads, dust and rainy season: what to expect
Plan your trip
Much of the road network around Santa Teresa and Mal País is still gravel or dirt. In the dry season that means thick dust; in the green season, mud…
Santa Teresa travel tips: money, safety, health and packing
Plan your trip
Bring a card and some cash, since there's a bank in Santa Teresa but ATMs can run dry on busy weekends. The main risks are rip currents, ATV…
Shuttles and taxis in Santa Teresa: getting here and getting around
Plan your trip
Shared shuttles run to Santa Teresa and Mal País from San José, La Fortuna and Monteverde, taking about 5 to 6 hours. Private shuttles go anywhere…
Snorkeling and diving near Santa Teresa: where it's actually good
Things to do
The open Pacific coast at Santa Teresa is usually too rough and murky for good snorkeling, so most people book a boat trip from Montezuma to Tortuga…
Spas and massage in Santa Teresa: where to book a treatment
Yoga and wellness
Santa Teresa's spa scene is small and relaxed: a natural day spa in town, a beachfront wellness center at Hotel Tropico Latino and an open-air…
Surfing in Santa Teresa: breaks, seasons and surf schools
Surf
Santa Teresa has surf almost every day of the year. Beginners should start at Playa Carmen or Playa Hermosa, intermediate surfers will find more…
How to get to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica: every option compared
Plan your trip
Most visitors reach Santa Teresa by driving or taking a shuttle to Puntarenas, crossing on the car ferry to Paquera, then driving about an hour and a…
Jacó to Montezuma water taxi: the boat shortcut to Santa Teresa
Plan your trip
A water taxi run by Zuma Tours crosses the Gulf of Nicoya between Jacó and Montezuma in about an hour, with shuttle connections on to Santa Teresa…
Yoga in Santa Teresa: studios, retreats and teacher trainings
Yoga and wellness
For drop-in classes, start with Natural Integrative Wellness, which has run daily yoga in Santa Teresa since 2004, or the hilltop deck at Horizon…