Travel Guide Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

The surfers paradise, visit Santa Teresa.

Santa Teresa (ST) is a little surf town on the west coast of Costa Rica located on the Nicoya Peninsula. It’s full of westerners who come from all over the world for the world class surf, extremely chill vibes, and all around hip environment. It’s great for digital nomads, travelers, and vacationers. You can’t go wrong in ST. Here is our must do guide for Santa.

Getting there

Fly to Liberia or San Jose: Liberia is closer, but rates are typically cheaper to San Jose.
Taxi Boat: If you’re coming from San Jose, get a taxi to Jaco (about $100 USD) and then take the Zuma boat taxi to get to the Nicoya Peninsula without having to drive all the way around.
Drive from Liberia Airport: If you’re coming from Liberia or anywhere north, get a taxi or rent a car just make sure not to take the beach road during rainy season (you will get stuck).

Where to Stay

For Digital Nomads - Selina South. Selina has two locations in Santa Teresa; Selina North and Selina South. Both are fantastic, but have their own perks. Selina North is closer to the beach and a great choice if you plan to surf everyday. The co-work in this location is small, and there are no call rooms (but still very doable). Selina South has spacious and welcoming co-work with plenty of quiet spaces and call booths.
For the luxe weekender - Nala Santa. Planning on a get away? Check out this boutique hotel / apartments in the heart of Santa Teresa. This resort is perfect for relaxing by the pool, having a private yoga class and sleeping in. We loved it.
For the savvy backpacker - Zeneidas Surf Garden. This hostel is the epitome of a surf bum paradise. If you came to ST to ride waves all day everyday, this is the spot for you. Situated directly on the beach and exactly at the best surf break on Santa Teresa beach, you’ll be ready for good surf all day long.

Getting around

ATV/Motorbike - Santa Teresa consists of a 3 km (2 mile) road from the north to the south, while it is walkable, getting from one side to the other can take forever. Get a motorbike (about $25 USD a day) or an ATV (about $50 USD a day) to explore all of ST. We recommend Tiko Tours.
Car - Getting around the Nicoya peninsula is definitely easiest with a car; 4WD is a must. But if you’ll mostly be staying in and around the city, opt for an ATV or Motorbike.
Walking: Walking - very doable, you’ll probs be able to catch a ride with a friend every now and then too. Taxis are few and far between and they are super expensive, we would not recommend.

The sunset after beach yoga at Playa Santa Teresa

Top 3 Things to Do

Watch the Sunset: the most beautiful sunsets we’ve ever seen at the beach were here in ST. The most magical sunsets are viewed from the ocean on a surfboard.
Surf: If you visit ST and don’t go surfing, why are you even there? ST is a great place to get lessons if you’ve never learned to surf. And if you are a pro surfer, it’s got some of the most consistent year-round surf on the pacific. Be careful when a swell comes as the waves can get huge. Playa Mal Pais is a fantastic hidden surf break for pros, def check it out.
Montezuma: welcome to the most beautiful hidden gem on the Nicoya Peninsula. Take your ATV through the jungle (45 min drive from ST) to the east coast of the peninsula where you’ll find cliffside beaches, waterfalls, glowing plankton, and a sunrise that won’t be forgotten. We stayed at Luminoso Montezuma Hostel ($12 USD a night & on the side of a cliff overlooking the ocean) and woke up in the middle of the night to see the glowing plankton and early to see the sun rise.

Restaurants:

The Bakery in Santa Teresa — the best Shakshuka!

The Bakery - the most delicious brunch you’ll find in Costa Rica. Israel owned (like most things in ST) and truly authentic to the culture, the food here is spectacular. Order the Shakshuka Griego, a baked good, and a fresh pressed juice. Go all out, you won’t regret it.
Pura Vida Soda - the best cosados in ST and extremely well priced. Order the fish burrito. You’re welcome.
Satori Sushi - craving some fresh sushi? ST has tons, but our fave was Satori. Get one of the sushi combo platters to try all they have to offer.

Bonuses:

Fruit World - Cooking for yourself or just obsessed with all the fresh fruit Costa Rica has to offer? Fruit world is your destination. It’s a grocery store market full of fresh fruits and veggies.
La Lora Amarilla Disco Bar (Wednesday Nights) - ST isn’t a huge party town (especially while we were there since it was during Covid restrictions) but there was one night a week that the whole town went out to La Lora. Get there before 10 pm because they stop letting people in.
Playa Mal Pais Tide Pools - want a truly unique natural experience, take your ATV down to Mal Pais as the tide is going down and you’ll find completely natural tide pools.

That’s it from us! Leave a comment if this was helpful or feel free to send us an email or DM with questions, we’re here to help. If you haven’t watched our Youtube video about Santa Teresa, you can do that here!

Xoxo, Bella & Levi