Santa Teresa (encompassing Malpais, Carmen and Santa Teresa) is fast developing as one of Costa Rica’s premiere surf towns. The town is located near the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula and lies on the Pacific coast. The main attraction here is the surf, which is best suited to more experienced surfers. There is a beach break outside of town suitable for beginners, but to be honest there are better places in Costa Rica for beginners to learn to surf (in particular, Tamarindo & Nosara).
Santa Teresa is fast gentrifying, with hipster restaurants, cafes and bars fast taking over from the slightly grungy backpacker feel of the town. The stunning natural surroundings, surf vibe and stunning coastline has started to attract an upmarket boutique hotel / yoga retreat crowd. The standard of accommodation has also gone up considerably with Latitude 10 and Florblanca amongst Costa Rica’s finest beach front hotels.
Santa Teresa’s climate is generally quite favourable - many tend to avoid September as this is the wettest month of the year. The three months at the start of the year are the driest, with February the driest and March the warmest. The rainy season lasts from May to November.
Beyond the surf and yoga, there is an excellent ranch offering horseback rides on the beach, up the hills and through the rainforest. A guided or independent hike in Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve is highly recommended and there are several waterfalls nearby for a freshwater swim. Limited snorkelling is possible out on Tortuga Island, which is a full day boat trip, but Tortuga is over-run with tourists from Jaco and Montezuma in season.
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