Guide
Shopping in Santa Teresa: groceries, surf gear, boutiques and banks
Santa Teresa has no malls, just small supermarkets, surf shops and boutiques strung along the main road, plus 2 banks with ATMs. For bigger…
Plan your trip
Getting there by road, ferry or plane, the best time to visit, the dusty road and rainy season, and the practical stuff for longer stays.
Guides
Guide
The best time to visit Santa Teresa, month by month
For sunshine and easy beach days, visit in the dry season from December to April, when it barely rains but the town is busy and dusty. For…
Guide
Working remotely in Santa Teresa: internet, coworking and coliving
Santa Teresa works well for remote workers who can live with the odd power cut: fiber internet reaches much of town, coliving spaces such…
Guide
Driving to Santa Teresa: routes, roads and renting a car
From San José, drive to Puntarenas, take the car ferry to Paquera, then follow Route 160 through Tambor and Cóbano to the coast, about an…
Guide
Ferry to Santa Teresa: Puntarenas to Paquera or Playa Naranjo
The car ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera, run by Naviera Tambor, is the main gateway to Santa Teresa, with 8 sailings a day each way and a…
Guide
Flights to Santa Teresa: flying from San José to Cóbano
The fastest way to Santa Teresa is a short domestic flight from San José (SJO) to the Cóbano airstrip (ACO), about 10 km from town. SANSA…
Guide
Public bus to Santa Teresa: from San José and around the peninsula
Public buses run from San José to Santa Teresa and Mal País, crossing on the Puntarenas to Paquera ferry, and the trip takes about 6 hours…
Guide
Santa Teresa, Costa Rica: the complete guide
Santa Teresa is a surf town on the southwestern tip of Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula, strung along a coast road with Mal País to the south…
Guide
Santa Teresa's roads, dust and rainy season: what to expect
Much of the road network around Santa Teresa and Mal País is still gravel or dirt. In the dry season that means thick dust; in the green…
Guide
Santa Teresa travel tips: money, safety, health and packing
Bring a card and some cash, since there's a bank in Santa Teresa but ATMs can run dry on busy weekends. The main risks are rip currents…
Guide
Shuttles and taxis in Santa Teresa: getting here and getting around
Shared shuttles run to Santa Teresa and Mal País from San José, La Fortuna and Monteverde, taking about 5 to 6 hours. Private shuttles go…
Guide
How to get to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica: every option compared
Most visitors reach Santa Teresa by driving or taking a shuttle to Puntarenas, crossing on the car ferry to Paquera, then driving about an…
Guide
Jacó to Montezuma water taxi: the boat shortcut to Santa Teresa
A water taxi run by Zuma Tours crosses the Gulf of Nicoya between Jacó and Montezuma in about an hour, with shuttle connections on to Santa…