A surf and wellness town on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, reached by a long unpaved coast road. Santa Teresa and neighboring Playa Carmen and Mal País string together surf breaks, yoga retreats, beachfront villas, and an international food scene, with a remote end-of-the-road feel.
Santa Teresa runs along a long dirt coast road at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, stringing together Mal País, Playa Carmen, and Santa Teresa proper. The draw is consistent beach-break surf, a dense cluster of yoga studios and wellness retreats, and a food scene that runs from sodas to wood-fired international kitchens. The end-of-the-road access keeps the crowd self-selecting: people come on purpose, not by accident.
Days here follow the swell and the heat: dawn surf, a midday break out of the sun, then a sunset session before dinner. Lodging ranges from surf hostels to beachfront villas, most of it walkable or a short quad ride from the water. Reliable internet and a steady remote-worker crowd make longer stays workable, though you trade some convenience, banking and a hospital among it, for the setting.
From San José it is about 5 to 6 hours, including the Puntarenas to Paquera car ferry, so check the sailing schedule and arrive early on busy weekends. The last stretch of coast road is unpaved, dusty in the dry season and rutted in the green season, and a 4x4 earns its keep. Once you arrive, most people get around on a quad or ATV, which handles the sand and gravel and makes the strung-out layout easy to cover.
The dry season runs roughly December through April: more reliable sun, firmer roads, and the biggest crowds around the holidays and Easter. The green season from May to November brings afternoon rain, fewer people, lower prices, and often cleaner morning surf. September and October are the wettest and quietest.
A map and checklist of every beach along this coast. Beach guide.
Boutique hotels, jungle lodges, hostels, and private villas, verified and current. See all 28.
Featured
Santa Teresa
Collection of boutique jungle villas on a hillside in Playa Santa Teresa, ranging from a one-bedroom suite to a four-bedroom villa, most with private or infinity pools. The property offers an in-house private chef, wellness packages, and a concierge that books transport and activities.
Montezuma
Adeluna Luxury Villas is a five villa property in Montezuma with an infinity pool overlooking the jungle canopy and the ocean. Each villa is private, with reviewers noting the property's cleanliness and quiet setting a few minutes from the village. It is positioned close to Montezuma's beaches, waterfall, Cabo Blanco Reserve, and Tortuga Island.
Santa Teresa
Beachfront hotel and restaurant on Playa Santa Teresa with ocean-view rooms and an on-site dining and bar operation. The property sits directly on the sand with sunset views over the Pacific.
Fine dining, beach bars, local sodas, and cafes worth your time. See all 32.
Santa Teresa
Beachfront restaurant and bar at Banana Beach Hotel, serving food and cocktails directly on the sand at Playa Santa Teresa. A common spot for sunset drinks and ocean-view meals.
Santa Teresa
Organic juice bar at Plaza Kahuna in Santa Teresa making cold pressed juices, smoothies and raw vegan snacks. The menu includes gluten free treats such as raw cashew chocolate bars alongside nut milks.
Montezuma
Butterfly Brewing Co. is an independent craft brewery in Montezuma that runs the Imago Gastro Pub next to a butterfly garden, on the road toward the Montezuma waterfall canopy tour. It pours its own beers alongside a gastro pub food menu, with a daily happy hour and occasional live music. The pub is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Park guides, catamarans, sportfishing, ziplines, rafting, and more. See all 26.
Mal País
Ananda Dive N' Flow is a scuba diving and freediving center located a few minutes from Santa Teresa, near the entrance to Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve. The multicultural team teaches SSI and PADI scuba certifications alongside AIDA freediving courses, and runs snorkeling day trips to Isla Tortuga. Dive sites benefit from marine life that spills over from the neighboring protected reserve.
Santa Teresa
Ario Tours runs horseback rides out of Hacienda Ario, a working cattle ranch just north of Santa Teresa on the Nicoya Peninsula. Bilingual guides and local sabaneros lead riders along a private beach, river valleys, and grassland with routes suited to each group's experience level. Daily tours depart at 8:00 am and 2:30 pm, with a separate cattle round up experience for more advanced riders.
Mal País
Local family-run ATV, UTV, motorcycle, and bicycle rental business serving Santa Teresa and Mal Pais, with more than 17 years of experience. Staff give driving instruction, route maps, and hotel drop-off and pickup of vehicles.
Transport, property management, concierge, chefs, spas, and practical help. See all 39.
Santa Teresa
Gym and community fitness center in Santa Teresa offering functional training, group classes, and open gym access with weights and machines. The space also includes a sauna, ice baths, and a cafe, and runs membership plans and day passes booked through its app.
Mal País
Alamo Rent A Car runs a branch in downtown Mal Pais, near the Playa del Carmen Hotel Franks Place, renting economy cars through full size SUVs and vans for travelers arriving via the Puntarenas to Paquera ferry. The office is open daily from 8am to 5pm and offers accident, theft and third party liability protection packages at the counter.
Montezuma
Amara Healing Therapies and Watsu is a bodywork practice run by Ana Laura Quesada in Montezuma Centro, offering watsu water therapy alongside massage and healing sessions. It is rated among the top attractions in Montezuma on TripAdvisor with 31 reviews. Sessions are held in a private setting in the center of town.
Yoga studios, spas, and wellness in Santa Teresa.
Montezuma
Amara Healing Therapies and Watsu is a bodywork practice run by Ana Laura Quesada in Montezuma Centro, offering watsu water therapy alongside massage and healing sessions. It is rated among the top attractions in Montezuma on TripAdvisor with 31 reviews. Sessions are held in a private setting in the center of town.
Cóbano
Aesthetic and integrative health clinic at the Centro Comercial de Cobano, with consultations available in Cobano and Santa Teresa. Treatments include Fotona laser procedures, facial rejuvenation and intravenous therapies. The clinic appears in Fotona's own directory of centres operating its equipment.
Santa Teresa
Horizon Hotel & Yoga Center runs daily drop in yoga classes on an ocean view deck perched over the beach in Santa Teresa. Professional instructors teach vinyasa and fusion flow at all levels, with single class, multi class pass, and private session options, plus prenatal classes on request. The studio has operated since 2005 as part of the Horizon hotel property.
Santa Teresa
Massage and bodywork studio in Santa Teresa operating since 2016, offering deep tissue, relaxing, Mayan abdominal, Lomi Lomi, Reiki, and somatic sessions. Treatments are available at the studio or as home visits.
Santa Teresa
Open-air spa at Hotel Nantipa set within the jungle, using locally sourced eco-friendly products for signature treatments and wellness experiences. Open to hotel guests and visitors by appointment.
Santa Teresa
All-inclusive surf and yoga retreat operating in the Santa Teresa area since 2004, with women's and coed weeks at a beachfront property in Playa Hermosa. Programs combine daily surf coaching, oceanfront yoga, meals, and massage.
Banks, ATMs, and medical help in Santa Teresa, checked against live sources.
There is no full bank branch in Santa Teresa or Mal País; the area runs on a few ATMs. This Banco Nacional machine reportedly dispenses colones only, and machines here can empty on weekends and holidays.
Local reports say the BCR and BAC machines can dispense US dollars as well as colones, unlike the Banco Nacional ATM. Withdrawal caps and fees apply, and machines can be empty at busy times.
Private urgent care and ambulance service covering Santa Teresa, Mal País, Playa Carmen, and beyond; handles emergency consultations, stitches, and wound care. Same number on WhatsApp.
Private clinic with general consultations, urgent care, lab tests, imaging, and ambulance transfers; walk-ins accepted, English and Spanish spoken. Contact via WhatsApp on the clinic site.
Nearest public CCSS clinic, used for appointments and primary care. Serious cases go to Hospital de Nicoya, roughly a 2-hour drive; critical cases are airlifted to San José.
Pharmacy at the Playa Carmen commercial center, near the crossroads where the Cóbano road meets the coast road.
In an emergency, dial 911. See the full emergency numbers page.