Introduction
Santa Teresa of Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful places to explore. This place is known for its beaches, restaurants, ocean-view hotels, day trip, and aqua adventure sports.
Also, there are various other places to explore and things to do here, so continue reading below travel guide.
Best time to visit Santa Teresa?
December to April.
Where is Santa Teresa and How To Get There?
This beach town is located on the west coast of the Nicoya Peninsula. There are many ways to reach this fantastic place. Still, there are 2 spots from where you can reach this place early.
They are San Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), which is in San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica. The other place where it is near is Liberia, a northwest region in Costa Rica.
What is the most convenient way to visit Santa Teresa?
Driving and Ferry
After landing at the SJO Airport, you will have to rent a car, drive to Puntarenas for around 2 hours, and then catch a ferry to reach Paquera. It takes approximately 1 hour to reach Santa Teresa from Paquera, but the onboarding process may take around 1.5 hours.
Driving Your Car
You can take your car to this beach town trip if you prefer to go by roadway. Santa Teresa can be reached in approximately six hours from San Jose International Airport. But, instead of taking a ferry, you will have to choose Route 1, Route 18, and Route 21 to reach there.
Bus
You can take a direct bus from San Jose to Santa Teresa, which arrives at 6.30 AM the morning. The bus ride takes around 6 hours.
Shuttle
You can take a private shuttle from San Jose to Santa Teresa, which costs around $65 for an adult, including the Interbus charges.
Airplane
If you want to go via plane, you can take a flight from San Jose to Tambor, which is at a distance of 30 minutes. Tambor is the nearest airport to Santa Teresa. Once you reach there, you need to rent a cab and drive for around 40 mins to reach the destination.
How To Get To Santa Teresa, Costa Rica From Liberia?
Driving
You can take the best route from Northern Guanacaste to Santa Teresa via Santa Cruz, Nicoya, and then the Nicoya Peninsula. Ensure that you stay on Route 21, which is a paved road around the coast while driving. Also, if you are taking the help of Google Maps, be aware that you don’t take any shortcuts suggested by Google as the routes might be via crossing rivers and horrible roads. Stay on the main highway to reach the destination safely.
Bus
The bus from Guanacaste takes various stops such as Liberia, Puntarenas, Paquera, and Cobana. The final stop would be Santa Teresa. So, make sure you leave the house a bit early and reach on time to catch the buses.
Shuttle
You can even book a shuttle from Guanacaste to reach Santa Teresa, which costs approx $52 for an adult. If you are going with your family, you can book a private shuttle that costs around $280 for 8 people for a one-way route.
Best Places To Stay in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
After a long journey, you might need some rest. So, here are some of the best hotels that you can check and book of them in advance for your trip.
Eco Chic Hotel Canaima Chill House
This is one of the best and cheapest hotels in Costa Rica. Nature lovers will love this place. The rooms here are very luxurious, built with bamboo, and have all the lavish amenities. They have 4 cozy suites, a swimming pool, and a Jacuzzi, which will be the most needed thing to relax after a long journey.
Zula Inn Aparthotel
This place contains 9 lavish bungalows, and all have a view of tropical gardens and pools. This hotel is within 2 mins walking distance from Playa Santa Teresa beach and has beautiful white sand and surfing waves. It is located in a quiet location, so you can have peace of mind and relax. Zula In contains all the luxurious amenities to make your stay comfortable.
Manala Hotel
It is one of the coziest hotels, which is 100 m from the amazing surf beach. This hotel is surrounded by tropical green areas and plants and gives you an incredible feeling during your stay. It provides all the lavish amenities to its guests, including laundry service. This hotel has luxurious and spacious rooms beautifully decorated, keeping coziness in mind.
Santa Teresa Surf Vista Villas
It is a small private villa having four lavish suites, an apartment, and a rooftop penthouse on the third floor. It has a beautiful 360 view of the ocean, waves, and surfers. The rooms contain all the amenities that are required during the stay. You can view the beautiful sunset and sunrise from this hotel, along with hearing different melodious sounds of exotic birds.
Casa Cecilia
This is one of the most romantic hotels in Santa Teresa. Rooms here have all the amenities like a refrigerator, Kitchen, Air conditioner, WiFi, and much more. In addition, they provide complimentary breakfast to all the guests, which is an added advantage and saves your pennies. They also offer free parking, so you don’t have to worry about the parking charges you have to pay at the end of your trip.
Activites To Do in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
ATV Experience
If you want to explore this beautiful place, then you can hire an ATV, which costs around $50-$70 for a day. With this, you can explore as many places as you want and even take it on a beach to watch the entire coast.
Surfing
If you love surfing, then you can either carry your board or rent a surfboard from the shops near the beach. The waves here are very high, giving a unique and memorable experience. But also be aware of the currents and rips in this water as they can be dangerous.
Santa Teresa Golf Course
Even if you are a beginner, this place provides you with lessons and explains everything a golfer needs to understand to fine-tune his skills.
Montezuma Fall
This waterfall is another attraction that most tourists enjoy. It’s 40 minutes away from Santa Teresa. There are 3 levels of the waterfall here, so you can spend your whole day here having fun in the water. You can also take an ATV to explore the beach towns and the waterfalls.
Relax On The Beach
Relaxing on the beach under the palm tree is one of the most beautiful experiences that one must have. You can carry your sunscreen and your favorite book along with you to spend some alone time. During low tide, kids can even make sandcastles and have fun.
Tortuga Island
This island is located in the Gulf of Nicoya and has beautiful white sand which one can enjoy walking on. Swimming here is great because the water is crystal clear. Also, there are beach chairs available for rent. If you like adventures, you can rent snorkels and kayaks and even do banana boating rides.
Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve
If you love hiking, then this spot is for you. In Costa Rica, this is one of the first conservation areas. Land and marine zones are protected from development, so monkeys and birds usually inhabit the area.
Fishing and Snorkeling
In this beach town, there are various fishing trips available, so if you like fishing, you can join those trips. In addition, Nantipa offers a unique fishing experience to the guests to catch various fishes like tuna, sailfish, marlin, roosterfish, and many more.
Yoga Class
If you are a fitness freak and don’t like to miss your yoga workout, then you can join yoga classes. Some popular yoga center is Vajra Sol Yoga Retreats, Believe Surf & Yoga Santa Teresa, and Casa Zen Guesthouse & Yoga Center.
Watch Sunset
Watching the sunset from Santa Teresa is one of the most scenic spots in the world. It is a place where you can see the sky turn to pink, then orange, and then purple while the sun is setting. Don’t forget to take your sarong with you to sit and enjoy your drink.
Horse Riding
Horse riding is one of the most popular activities to do in Santa Teresa. It is possible to find various companies that offer this service; check for those who take proper care of their horses, and then you can enjoy your ride on the beach. Viewing coastal birds and mammals while riding along the coast is a unique and memorable experience.
Famous Restaurants in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
There are various restaurants that you can explore on your trip. You can try multiple cuisines, including a vegetarian/vegan or gluten-free diet. Here is the list of famous restaurants with their best-selling food items.
Restaurants:
- Las Piedras Parrilla: It is popular for its Argentine Barbecue Grill
- Eat Street: It is a food court where you can enjoy various foods like sandwiches, burgers, and bowls.
- Burger Ranchos: They have great tasty burgers.
- Zwart Art Cafe: If you are a vegan, visit this restaurant as they have many vegan options.
- Product C: They have delicious fish tacos and sandwiches
- Soda Pura Visa: It is a popular local restaurant in Costa Rica that provides this beautiful place’s typical local food.
- Zula: It is an Israeli restaurant famous for its hummus, falafel, and various wraps.
- Habaneros: It is a Mexican restaurant present on Santa Teresa beach and provides good drinks.
- Ranchos Itauna: It is famous for its barbecue on Thursdays, but it also contains other varieties of food items.
- The Bakery: They sell delicious bakery products, including pastries. You can try breakfast here once on your trip.
- Banana Beach: They provide various drinks on the beach. With these drinks, you can watch the sunset.
- The Somos Cafe: It is a fantastic restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and brunch. They serve delicious sandwiches, acai bowls, and other pastries.
- Red’s Cafe: It is one of the best places for having breakfast and lunch in Playa Hermosa.
- Drift Bar: If you are a vegetarian, then you must try their delicious vegan burger. They also serve tasty smoothies and bakery products.
The best things to buy in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
Camisado Vintage
If you like to style up funky, then you must try this boutique. Various funky clothes are available in different sizes, shapes, and colors.
Van Parijs Gallery
If you are fond of watching artistic work, then you must visit this Van Parijs gallery, which is famous for its mixed media collage artwork.
Briah Art Gallery
If you like to buy some artistic things, you would love to look for the beautiful things created by local artists. They also arrange a family-friendly class that helps you to showcase your creative side on your trip.
Chakra Bikinis
They create handmade bikinis which are uniquely designed and inspired by yogic influences. If you want to buy bikinis that no one would have, you can check the single-family-owned business.
Jackalopes Surf Shop
In this shop, you will get to buy everything needed for surfing. They not only provide boards or surf lessons, but they also provide local jewelry and surfing clothes that are not available in any other stores.
Weather in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
This beach town has a warm climate and water all year round. Here, the average temperature is between 88°F and 92°F. The dry season begins in December and lasts until April here. The green season starts from May till November beginning. And during this season you can expect clear mornings and a little bit of rain in the afternoon.
Transportation Options in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
Taxi
Taxis are a common mode of transportation during the dry season. Taxis depart from various locations in Santa Teresa and it costs approximately 37,401 colons per person.
Public Transport
Buses are one of the most convenient and cheapest modes of transport to explore this beautiful place, but it takes around 2-3 hours to reach here. Thus, prices may differ based on where people want to get down.
ATV
The most convenient way to explore this beach town is to take an ATV, which helps explore the rocky and water terrain. You may be charged 80,000 colons by the ATV providers for this ATV. You can also rent other budget-friendly vehicles if you want to explore this beautiful place with your family.
Conclusion
Santa Teresa is one of the most beautiful places you must visit once in your life. You can explore this amazing place in many ways and do many things there. I hope this travel guide has helped you know much more in detail about Santa Teresa.
