The sleepy coastal town of Smara is often the go-to choice for a family getaway on the Nicoya Peninsula. Puntarenas Costa Rica: The Pearl of the Pacific Guide - MytanFeet Once in Paquera, head to the town of your choice. What's the difference between Monteverde and Arenal? Costa Rica has to offer many popular tourist places to visit. The rainy season in Costa Rica, also known as the "green season," is a factor to consider when planning your trip. Any cover you get above that is extra. San Juan Santamaria International Airport The entire town lines one long street that stretches from South Santa Teresa to North Santa Teresa. Another studio that offers drop-in classes isHorizon Hotel & Yoga Center. Yes, the Nicoya Peninsula is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Costa Rica. Is Santa Teresa worth visiting? There arent any hotels in Manzanillo, but there is a lovely lodge near the village of Belo Horizonte called CalaMocha Lodge. But if you want a table during the busy season, its best to book in advance. The Ultimate Guide To Santa Teresa Costa Rica Its the perfect place for beginner surfers, in my opinion. You canbook this hostel on Booking.comorHostelworld. 2023 All Rights Reserved by Freedom to travel the world Inc. Also, check out our list of the best activities in Santa Teresa! There is a range of programs, from drop-in classes to full-on yoga retreats and even yoga courses. Although dedicated surfers and backpackers certainly feel its worth the journey, Santa Teresa is a little hard to get to. This cool tour is operated by Bahia Rica Guided tour is suited to first-time or experienced kayakers. Santa Teresa, Costa Ricas excellent surf, wild beaches and lively yoga scene has turned this rural coastal village into a thriving beach town and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica. If you want to be right in the hustle and bustle, you can choose an accommodation thats actually set on this road. You can easily rent boards on the beach; a 1-hour rental starts at $4 USD per hour and $15 USD for the entire day. Walking from one end to the other is a challenge. To avoid additional surprise charges when you pick up your rental car, be sure to rent a car that includes the mandatory insurance when you book. Make sure to head down on a Monday, when they have an all-you-can-eat pizza night a.k.a heaven! They have reasonably cheap dorm rooms, but the hostel is fantastic! Not to worry, SafetyWing is here to help! This particular snorkeling touris highly recommended, and the boat departs from Playa Paquera (the main beach in town) and costs $50 USD per person. If you havent been ziplining in Costa Rica yet, the Nicoya Peninsula offers the perfect chance to try out this unique sport! If you consider yourself a mid-range traveler, then I actually have two great choices for you (both catering to couples and families). Playa del Ostional is a 20-minute drive (9.9 km) from the town of Nosara and people typically only visit for the day. They also have a rooftop studio, so the views are breathtaking! For budget travelers, I loveLost Boys Hostel. However, there are no sidewalks, so walking along the highway can be dangerous and not overly pleasant. Required fields are marked *. And finally, in the hills of Montezuma lies a nine-wire ziplining course operated bySun Trails. One of the best things to do from Santa Teresa is to go on a fishing trip because you can catch some huge fish like the ones mentioned above. Additionally, Playa Ostional is a popular surfing beach, and some nice waves can be caught here! They are mainly used for visiting destinations a bit further afield, like the nearby town of Montezuma. Of course, all year round, you can swim with sea turtles, reef sharks, stingrays, and huge schools of fish. The dust from the road can get a little annoying. Also, be sure to bring cash as they do not accept credit or debit cards. You can easily walk to Montezuma Waterfalls from Montezuma town. If youre more serious about yoga,Bodhi Tree Yoga Resortoffers regular yoga retreats that last for a week. For those with experience, there are so many places to rent surfboards in town so bringing your own board is optional. Home Destinations Nicoya Peninsula ULTIMATE Guide to the Nicoya Peninsula and Best Things to do! Why you should visit Lapa, Santa Teresa and one of the most beautiful staircases in the world, Escadaria Selarn. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Copyright 2013-2017 Magento, Inc. All rights reserved. You can also split your time between Santa Teresa and the nearby town of Montezuma, if you dont want to spend too long in one place. The towns predominant audience is young travellers, boasting a hipster vibe that has attracted those sorts of cafes and restaurants. Over the years, Nosara has changed from an off-the-beaten-path surf break to a bustling tourist town a little more bougie these days than hippy. There are numerous vendors in Montezuma town to rent an ATV from. The beach doesnt have many facilities, there are no toilets and just two small shacks on the beach, but its stunningly beautiful and a great spot for a swim thanks to the clear, calm waters! In this case, small also means a small number of areas to stay in. A great spot is nearSelina Santa Teresa North. Literally, everyone in town goes, and its so much fun. And, whats best: all without losing the hidden gem charm its not Copacabana after all! These boutique stores are certainly not cheap, but the quality is high. For more info, check out my guide on the best places to stay in Santa Teresa! My favorite is Banana Beach (I mention below) because the drinks are reasonably priced, and the music is excellent. On the tour, you will be treated to lunch on the island, and you can play volleyball or go kayaking before heading back to Montezuma. Other than that, the sunset parties at the beach clubs in Santa Teresa are also perfect. It costs $12 USD to visit the park, and its open from 8 am to 4 pm Wednesday to Sunday (closed Mondays and Tuesdays.). With that said, Santa Teresa is so much more than just a surf town. In my opinion, its best to base yourself in the town of Santa Teresa if you want to try out this unique sport. Guiones Brew Co. is known for its wood-fired pizzas too. If youre visiting Santa Teresa soon, youve come to the right place. Things to Do in Santa Teresa - Costa Rica Vacations Its definitely the most expensive place I have been to outside of the USA or Europe. Guiones Brew Co. opens at 4 pm. There are also lots of other stores popping up every week, so take a walk down the main road and do some shopping! Shes worked and studied in four countries (and counting) and picked up a new hobby in each of them. Santa Teresa | Costa Rica Travel Guide | Rough Guides Besides surfing and sunbathing, Santa Teresas beaches serve as the main gathering place, especially at sunset. Whats great too is how cheap it is you can expect to pay $40 USD per person. Santa Teresa, Costa Rica: The Hip Trendy Surf Town - MytanFeet If you plan on cooking for yourself, a week's worth of groceries costs around 20,000-30,000 CRC depending on the area. Gecko Routes is an independent travel guide showing travellers how to get around for over 500 routes in 9 countries in Southeast Asia, 5 in Latin America and 3 in Southern Europe. Hello! Surfing is one of the most popular things to do on the Nicoya Peninsula, and there is certainly no shortage of surf spots. Santa Teresa is that kind of place! Rainy Season. 2023 GeckoRoutes.com all rights reserved. Where to eat These include a large waterfall, zip-line course, and more scenic beaches. The Nicoya Peninsula is one of only five Blue Zone areas globally, which means that people here live the longest and are among the healthiest people in the world. I should also mention that despite not being as large as Nosara and Santa Teresa, there are still plenty of boutique shops in Smara. High tariffs and agricultural protectionism cause the high prices for groceries in Costa Rica. In both regions youll find light sand, warm tropical water, and when conditions are right great surfing. The trail takes just over an hour each way. . The fishing on the Nicoya Peninsula is year-round, but the best months are between December and April for sailfish, and tuna and mahi-mahi are more commonly caught from September to January. 11. Shes a big fan of long train journeys so you can count on her to take the scenic route, finding a few hidden gems along the way. Thankfully, on Discover Cars its easy to tell apart the companies that include the mandatory insurance and those that dont. On this tour, you can witness this amazing sight up close on a boat tour after dark. They offer a range of tours from 1 hour to 4+ hours, and their cheapest tour starts at only $45 USD. Its a fantastic experience. On this horseback riding tour, youll head off with your newfound friend and explore the area for 1 hour. To start coverage you must purchase it after leaving your home country. (TIP: If you want us to reply to your feedback, you can leave your email in this text box.). They are sparse in some smaller towns like Montezuma and Paquera but are readily available in Santa Teresa, Samara, and Nosara. Montezuma is a small town yet to break onto the busy tourist trail in Costa Rica. There are lots of tour companies in town that sell these tours. Yes, Santa Teresa is definitely worth visiting! Why you should visit Lapa, Santa Teresa and one of the most beautiful staircases in the world, Escadaria Selarn. This area includes Guanacaste and Puntarenas provinces and is notorious for epic surf, chilled-out beach towns, and fun adrenalin-pumping activities like ziplining and ATVing. We always suggest renting a car and driving to Santa Teresa on your own. It's fantastic whilst you're there, but what price do you pay?The obvious price is the financial one. Its home to fantastic snorkeling, white sand beaches, and many coconuts! Its a pity that most tourists just pass through this authentic Costa Rican town as, despite its small size, theres a surprising amount of awesome activities on offer here. TOP PICKS- Where To Stay in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica So plan ahead. From Samara, you can book onthis specific tourwhich visits one of three beaches Playa del Ostional, Playa Camaronal, or Playa Corozalito to witness the turtles! Cost of a Trip to Santa Teresa, CR & the Cheapest Time to Visit Santa Teresa. They stopped me from visiting Monteverde or spending more time in La Fortuna. We usually purchase it as soon as we land at the airport. Related Article: 10 Costa Rica Rainy Season Travel Perks Finding Your Balance: Best Santa Teresa Tours and Activities A lot of people come from Santa Teresa because there is a lot to do there as well. Dont come to the Nicoya Peninsula with a full suitcase; you need to leave room to bring stuff back! Is Santa Teresa Costa Rica worth visiting. On the beach in Samara, youll find tons of fantastic restaurants and beach clubs. Due to its laidback hippie vibe and incredible surf beaches, its been popping onto a lot of peoples radars over the past few years. Santa Teresa is a small but fast-growing beach town, with only around 5 km of both paved and gravel roads. Private rooms in hostels start at around $40 per night. A single session is $15, and they have a class at 9 am and a sunset session at 5 pm. You're certainly not going to have a problem if you're wondering what there is to do in Santa Teresa: aforementioned surf, sun, yoga, tide pools, food, the list goes on.Having spent a couple of months there now, I started to question whether it was worth getting stuck there (like so many do). The white sand beaches and consistent surf have continually attracted a growing number of travelers each year. Restaurants in Santa Teresa . On this stretch of the Pacific Coast, there are miles upon miles of sandy beaches, charming surf towns, and epic activities like ziplining, scuba diving, fishing, and horseback riding. these are famous in Paquera and cant be done in many towns around Costa Rica. Although it still has a laid back vibe it is certainly getting busier each year, and to be honest, this has turned me off visiting recently. They only cost $10 USD and are full of flavor perfect with a craft beer. MY FAVORITE HOSTEL IN SANTA TERESA: Lost Boyz - A chill and social eco-friendly hostel with a bar on-site, a restaurant (that serves wood-fired pizza), and pool, this is a fun hostel for travelers looking to relax and meet people . At 4 pm daily you can watch baby turtles be released into the ocean. Santa Teresa is definitely worth the visit, no matter what . An arribada, as its called, is when hundreds of turtles come to shore to dig and lay their eggs on a beach at once. I just love craft beer and was excited to learn about the awesome breweries that have recently opened on the Nicoya Peninsula, including in the towns of Nosara, Montezuma, and Samara. From Tambor, you can take a ferry, shuttle, or private transportation to Santa Teresa. Destinations 10 Best Things To Do In Santa Teresa, Costa Rica By Joshua Chiedu Published Feb 17, 2023 Santa Teresa has everything needed for an enjoyable vacation from hotels to beaches, bars, restaurants, and even forests with plenty of hiking trails. Zillow has 9423 homes for sale. They also have breathwork, meditation, and fitness classes. The hostel has a beautiful pool and tons of free activities every day. Its one of those places you can visit barefoot and still explore! However, these tours pretty much only include transport to and from the beach. Thanks so much for visiting Costa Rica Travel life. Mother Teresa's name has become synonymous with mercy, compassion, goodness, and love. Please browse around our website; Im sure youll find lots of more useful information! Ocean and jungle, wildlife and waterfalls, an embodiment of a pure life concept As you drive down the road into the town of Santa Teresa, you may feel like you've arrived at a scene from Jurassic Park. The bar isnt fancy, but they usually have live DJs and cheap drinks. Once youve arrived on the Nicoya Peninsula, you will notice that the roads here are in bad condition, and so if you want to drive yourself, you will need to rent a 4WD car. Check them out for 30 days, for free, with this link and see what you can find- http://share.epidemicsound.com/BgjLn#ChristTheRedeemer #RiodeJaneiro #BrazilAll images are owned by Int Affair. You canbook this place on HostelworldorBooking.com. Learn more. Its one of the best things to do in Paquera! Youll also be guaranteed a seat when you book a shuttle (which isnt the case with the public bus system.). Best beaches in Costa Rica - Lonely Planet A day at Selina is a really fun time! Some noteworthy towns here include Santa Teresa, Nosara, and Samara all large towns with lots of restaurants, hotels, and activities. You can book it on Hostelworld orBooking.com. THE 15 BEST Things to Do in Santa Teresa The best spot in Nosara to refuel for the day ahead is atDestiny Cafe. The average price of a 7-day trip to Santa Teresa is $1,678 for a solo traveler, $3,014 for a couple, and $5,650 for a family of 4. While in Nosara, I recommend renting your ATV fromMonkey Quads to visit some of the towns most popular sights including Mala Noche Waterfall and Pilas Blancas Waterfall. I love Santa Teresa and always tell people to go there if they're visiting Costa Rica. You can rent a bike for around $10 for 24 hours. During this time, the weather is beautiful and the towns are filled with visitors. Iguana Diversis the best company in Santa Teresa to dive with, and the dive sites they take you to are secret spots, so no one else will find them without a GPS. One of the best is Santa Teresa which is a well-known surf beach with great waves all year round. If you dont have a rental car, you can hire a private driver or catch a cab, but this can be costly! The boutique shopping in both Nosara and Santa Teresa is some ofthe best in Costa Rica, and there are a ton of local designers showcasing beautiful clothing and products in both towns.