Surf Lesson
Learn on Playa Santa Teresa's forgiving beach break.
Overview
Why visit Santa Teresa
Santa Teresa was a string of fishing and cattle homesteads until surfers arrived in the 1990s and found wave after wave breaking along its beaches. The town grew along a single unpaved coastal road, and the surf-shack feel survives even as boutique hotels and cafés fill in behind the palms.
The surf is the draw: warm water and reliable beach breaks like Playa Santa Teresa, Playa Carmen and Playa Hermosa work for beginners and experts almost year-round. Off the board, the town is one of Costa Rica's yoga capitals, with open-air studios, smoothie bowls and retreats up and down the road.
The surrounding peninsula stays wild. Cabo Blanco — Costa Rica's very first protected nature reserve — caps the peninsula's tip, Montezuma's jungle waterfalls lie 30 minutes north, and boats cross the Gulf of Nicoya to hidden coves. Expect ATVs, dusty roads and some of the best sunsets in the country.
Things to do
Top things to book in Santa Teresa
Popular tours and tickets. Compare prices and book ahead to skip the lines.
Yoga Class on a Jungle Deck
Drop into one of the town's famous open-air studios.
ATV Coastal Tour
Ride the dirt roads to hidden beaches and viewpoints.
Montezuma & Cabo Blanco Trip
Waterfalls, tide pools and Costa Rica's first reserve.
Plan your trip
Compare prices for Santa Teresa
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Side by side in Santa Teresa
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Fun facts
Things you didn't know about Santa Teresa
- 01
A Blue Zone
The Nicoya Peninsula is one of the world's five Blue Zones, where locals routinely live past 100.
- 02
Costa Rica'S First Park
Cabo Blanco at the peninsula's tip became the country's first protected nature reserve in 1963.
- 03
Surf Almost Every Day
The consistent beach breaks make Santa Teresa one of the most reliable surf towns in Central America.
- 04
Reached By Ferry
Most visitors arrive via the Paquera ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya from Puntarenas.
- 05
A Dirt-Road Town
The main road stayed unpaved for decades and ATVs remain a normal way to get around.
- 06
The Porgy Has Fans
Mel Gibson, Gisele Bündchen and other celebrities have famously holidayed here.
- 07
Turtles Next Door
The southern Nicoya coast hosts olive ridley sea turtle nestings through the year.
- 08
Two Towns Merged
Santa Teresa and Mal País run together along the same coastal strip and are often named as one.
- 09
Waterfalls Nearby
The three-tiered Montezuma waterfall has pools for swimming and a famous rope swing.
- 10
Sunsets Over The Pacific
Facing west, the beach gives a nightly sunset show straight into the ocean.
Random Santa Teresa fact
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FAQ
Quick answers about Santa Teresa
Where is Santa Teresa located?
Santa Teresa is in Costa Rica, in North America.
What is the population of Santa Teresa?
The greater Santa Teresa area is home to about 5,000 people.
What is Santa Teresa famous for?
A dusty, laid-back surf town on the Nicoya Peninsula where consistent waves, yoga decks and beach-bar sunsets draw surfers, wellness travellers and digital nomads.
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