Santa Teresa

The most popular route takes about 5.5 hours: drive 2 hours from SJO to Puntarenas, take the Naviera Tambor ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya (70 minutes, runs roughly every 2 hours from 5:30am), then drive 1 hour from Paquera to Santa Teresa on paved road. Buy ferry tickets in advance at QuickPay CR during peak season to guarantee your crossing time. The faster alternative is a 30-minute domestic flight: Sansa and Green Airways fly SJO to Cobano Airport for approximately $120 per person one-way, then a 25-minute shuttle to Santa Teresa. A third option (driving all the way around the Nicoya Peninsula) takes 6-7 hours but skips the ferry entirely.

Yes, a 4x4 or high-clearance vehicle is strongly recommended and sometimes required. While the main road through town has paved sections, significant stretches remain dirt with potholes that worsen during rainy season (May-November). Properties up the hillside above the main road almost always require 4x4 access. Book a 4x4 SUV at the airport; standard sedans get stuck on access roads to many hillside properties and in washed-out sections after heavy rain. Don't let a rental agent talk you into a sedan; the extra cost is worth it.

Dry season (December-April) is peak tourist season: clear skies, calmer seas, and the town at full energy. Christmas through New Year and Easter week are the busiest periods with higher rates and minimum stays. Rainy season (May-November) brings afternoon showers (mornings usually stay dry), bigger surf swells, fewer tourists, and 20-30% lower rental rates. Shoulder months (May, June, and October) offer the best balance of good weather, manageable crowds, and real value. Advanced surfers actually prefer rainy season for the more powerful, consistent swells.

Santa Teresa is generally very safe with low crime rates compared to larger Costa Rican cities or busier beach towns. The community is tight-knit, friendly, and well-accustomed to international visitors. Standard precautions apply: don't leave valuables in cars (break-ins do occur), use property safes, avoid walking the beach alone very late at night. The bigger practical concerns are road conditions (4x4 required), limited medical infrastructure (nearest hospital in Nicoya, 90 minutes away), and unreliable ATMs; these are infrastructure realities worth knowing, not reasons to reconsider visiting.

Santa Teresa has a surprisingly sophisticated food scene for a remote surf town. Playa Carmen has the densest restaurant concentration: from beachfront sodas serving fresh ceviche and whole grilled fish to international spots with Asian fusion, wood-fired pizza, and creative menus from expat chefs. The wellness-cafe strip near the main yoga studios does excellent breakfasts, smoothie bowls, and juice. For the most current recommendations, ask your Nest Stays property manager; Santa Teresa's restaurant scene turns over seasonally and the best spots aren't always the most-reviewed ones online.

ATMs in Playa Carmen work most days but can run out of cash during busy holiday periods; always have backup colones. For proper grocery shopping, drive 20-30 minutes north to Cobano where Mega Super and Maxi Pali offer full supermarket stocking. Santa Teresa's local pulperías cover daily essentials (water, snacks, beer, produce) but not a full week's worth of provisions. Nest Stays guests can use our pre-arrival grocery stocking service; send a list before you arrive and skip the Cobano run entirely on a travel-weary arrival day.

Santa Teresa has one of the most varied surf stretches in Costa Rica, with different breaks for different levels along 5km of coast. Beginners can access softer, slower breaks near Mal País in the south with proper instruction. Playa Carmen's main break draws intermediate surfers with a consistent beach break. The Santa Teresa main break delivers powerful lefts and rights for advanced surfers. Morning offshore winds groom clean wave faces before onshore winds arrive around mid-morning. Strongest swells come May-November; December-April brings smaller, cleaner conditions ideal for learning and progressing.

Howler monkeys provide the soundtrack: their territorial roars echo from jungle canopy backing the beach at dawn and dusk. White-faced capuchin and spider monkeys move through beachside trees regularly. Tropical birds fill the mornings with scarlet macaws, parrots, and dozens of species. Iguanas bask on rocks and buildings throughout town. For sea turtle watching, Montezuma and Cabo Blanco beaches to the south (30-45 minutes) have nesting sites. Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve at the peninsula's tip is Costa Rica's oldest protected area, with pristine hiking and one of the highest species densities in the region.

Santa Teresa has more yoga studios per capita than anywhere else in Costa Rica, and they're genuinely good, not just tourist-class drop-ins. Multiple studios run daily classes from 6am sunrise sessions to evening restorative practices, with levels from beginner-friendly flows to advanced inversions. International visiting teachers lead week-long intensive retreats throughout peak season. The wellness infrastructure extends to sound healing, massage, acupuncture, and a food culture that reflects the community's values: healthy cafes, raw food, and plant-based options sit alongside excellent seafood and beach BBQ.

Plenty. Yoga and wellness retreats keep non-surfers fully occupied. ATV tours through the jungle roads above Santa Teresa are the best way to understand the terrain and catch views. Day trips are excellent: Montezuma (40 minutes south) has a triple-tiered waterfall hike and boat trips to Tortuga Island for snorkeling. Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve (45 minutes) offers pristine rainforest trails and isolated beaches. Horse riding on the beach at sunset, coastal tide-pool exploration at low tide, and the general rhythm of beach-cafe-yoga-sunset fill weeks without repetition. Santa Teresa rewards slow travel; the less you schedule, the more you find.