DESTINATION

Santa Teresa

Costa Rica · Puntarenas Province

Bohemian surf town at the tip of the Nicoya peninsula. Boutique hotels, yoga, exceptional sunsets over a four-kilometre beach. Access requires a 4×4 or the Puntarenas–Paquera ferry. Drier months are December–April.

31° / 26°

30° / 26°

31° / 26°

30° / 26°

Overview

A surf town at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula — long beach breaks and a single dusty main road.

Santa Teresa stretches several kilometres along the Pacific from Mal País in the south through Playa Carmen and up to Manzanillo — a string of beach communities sharing one mostly-unpaved road. The vibe is Brazilian-Israeli-Argentine surf hippie; the food is some of the best on the coast.

Playa Santa Teresa — long sand-bottom beach break, surf all day
Mal País — fishing village at the southern end, calm waters
Cabo Blanco Reserve — Costa Rica's oldest protected area, just south
Smoothie bowls & yoga — every other shopfront on the main road
Access — Paquera or Naranjo ferry from Puntarenas, then 90 min on dirt

Best time to visit

December through April for dry-season sun and easier access on the unpaved roads. May through November brings the biggest, cleanest swells (and the roughest road conditions); much of the town empties out in October, the wettest month.