Santa Teresa, Costa Rica: Tranquilo Mae

Costa Rica is HUGE!!! For being the actual size of a small state in America, Costa Rica has so many places to visit, all with unique character, which make you say “this is my favorite place in Costa Rica!”, everywhere you go.

It would be easy to say that Costa Rica has an infinite amount of destinations that can keep travelers coming back year after year to explore the country’s next underground hotspot.

Santa Teresa, as Paris Hilton would say “is Hot!”. This beach town has the cool surfer vibe that people imagine when thinking of Costa Rica. I personally did not get to visit Tamarindo in the early 90s but from what I hear, Santa Teresa is the new Tamarindo.

The scene here is very young. It would not be a lie to say that the average age on the beach is under 30. Not only is Santa Teresa a young crowd, it is also extremely international. Let’s put it this way, at the small Hotel Calocita (where I stayed in Santa Teresa), the owner was a German Rastafarian, and the guests were from Canada, USA, Sweden, Germany and a lone Tico.

Development is in its beginning stages here. No big time developers yet, what you’ll find here are mostly hostels, small hotels, restaurants, surf shops and ATV rentals. There is just one dirt road which goes through the center of town, which in the most part is traveled by dirt bike, truck, ATV, bicycle, or foot.

What about the beach? This is the reason you are in Santa Teresa. To sum it up, clean water with surf, Every Day! With white sand for as far as you can see to the North, there is a very natural feel to the beach, as there is close to no beachfront construction. There are large rocks throughout the beach, but there are still plenty of areas that are good for swimming. The beach is pristine and not crowded!

So how do I get there? Maybe the biggest drawl back from going to Santa Teresa is getting there. If you are starting off in San Jose, like most people, you have to drive down to Puntarenas (2.5 hours), next take a ferry (1.5 hours) over to the Tambor area, then another drive (1.5 hours by car or 2.5 hours by bus) on a dirt road to Santa Teresa. This is not your weekend getaway destination, but it is definitely worth the trip!

Santa Teresa, cool now!

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