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Is 3 Days in Santa Teresa Enough?

For most trips, yes. Three days gives you a first surf and a sunset, plus a full day for Montezuma. That leaves a slow last day for yoga and the tide pools.

Here’s how the days fit together:

Day	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
Day 1	Travel to Santa Teresa	Lunch and a first surf	Sunset on Playa Santa Teresa
Day 2	ATV ride to Montezuma	Montezuma Waterfall	Dinner in town
Day 3	Yoga class	Tide pools and Playa Hermosa	Last sunset

Have a fourth day? Keep it free for the surf, since a good swell is the best plan in town. Getting here takes most of a day, so don’t try to squeeze this into two.

How to Get to Santa Teresa

Getting to Santa Teresa takes a while, since the Gulf of Nicoya is in the way. From San José, most people drive to Puntarenas. There, you take the 70-minute ferry to Paquera. Then it’s about an hour more by road, for 5 to 6 hours in total.

A shared shuttle costs about $60 per person with the ferry included. Tropical Tours leaves San José airport at 6 AM and 3 PM. The bus costs about ₡9,100, roughly $20, but it leaves downtown San José at 6 AM. So you need a night in the city first.

Short on time? Sansa and Costa Rica Green Airways fly to Cóbano, about 10 km from Santa Teresa, in 30 to 40 minutes. Fares are around $120 to $180 one way.

Our guides to getting from San José airport to Santa Teresa and from San José to Santa Teresa cover every option. Coming from Monteverde? You use the same Puntarenas ferry.

Getting Around Santa Teresa

Santa Teresa is one long main road that links Mal País in the south, Santa Teresa and Playa Hermosa in the north. It’s too spread out to walk end to end, and the dust gets everywhere in the dry season.

Most people rent an ATV, for around $60 to $90 a day plus tax. Pacific Dirt Road includes a helmet. It delivers free anywhere in Santa Teresa and Mal País. You’ll need your passport, a valid driver’s license and a credit card for the deposit.

Driving your own rental? An SUV with good clearance is the safe pick, and there’s no gas station in Santa Teresa, so fill up in Cóbano. Our guide to renting a car in Costa Rica covers the insurance.

Day 1 in Santa Teresa: Arrival, a First Surf and Sunset

Day one is mostly travel, so keep the plan light. Get in, drop your bags and save your energy for the sunset.

Morning: Travel to Santa Teresa

Take the 6 AM shuttle from San José airport, and you’ll arrive around lunchtime. With a rental car, aim for the 9 AM ferry from Puntarenas, and get to the dock about an hour early.

Flying in? Take an early flight to Cóbano from San José. After a 15 to 30 minute taxi, you can be on the beach by lunch.

Afternoon: Lunch and a First Surf

Grab lunch at Eat Street, a casual spot near the beach, then head down to the sand.

For a first lesson, book through your hotel or a surf camp like Believe Surf & Yoga. Ask your instructor which beach suits that day’s swell, since the waves on Playa Santa Teresa can get big and strong.

Not surfing? Walk the beach and check out the breaks. Watching the good surfers is half the fun here.

Evening: Sunset on Playa Santa Teresa

Sunset is the main event every evening, and the whole town walks down to the sand for it. It’s about 5:15 to 6 PM depending on the month, so get there by 5.

For dinner, Somos is a short walk from the beach, diagonal to La Lora Amarilla. You’ll find it in an Airstream trailer at the Somos surf hotel. It serves veggie-forward plates and line-caught fish, and dinner is served from 6 PM until midnight.

Day 2 in Santa Teresa: ATV Ride to Montezuma Waterfall

Day two is the big outing. Montezuma is a small beach town on the other side of the peninsula’s tip. Its waterfall is the best day trip from Santa Teresa.

Morning: Ride to Montezuma

Have breakfast at Somos, which opens at 7:30 AM, and get your ATV delivered to your hotel. Check the brakes and lights before you leave.

The route goes through Cóbano, so fill up there. Allow about an hour each way with a stop, and bring sunglasses and a bandana for the dust.

Rather not drive? Pacific Dirt Road offers a guided 5-hour ATV tour to the falls from $165 per person, with a minimum of two.

Midday: Montezuma Waterfall

The trail to the lower falls is free and takes 20 to 30 minutes each way, mostly over river rocks and roots. Parking costs a few dollars, in cash.

The upper falls have pools and a rope swing, and you reach them by the Sun Trails route for about $5. Don’t jump from the lower falls. People have died there, and there are no railings.

Wear shoes with grip, and skip it after heavy rain, when flash floods can hit. Want more of a thrill? The Montezuma Waterfall Canopy tour has 9 cables over the forest near the falls, and you can book it with Zuma Tours.

Afternoon: Montezuma Town and the Ride Back

After the hike, cool off at Playa Montezuma, right in town. Then grab lunch at a café or soda nearby before the ride back.

On the way back, Cabo Blanco Absolute Natural Reserve is near Cabuya, at the southern tip of the peninsula. Howler and white-faced capuchin monkeys are easy to spot there, and brown boobies and pelicans nest on Cabo Blanco island offshore.

Leave Montezuma by mid-afternoon, so you’re back in Santa Teresa before dark.

Evening: Dinner in Santa Teresa

You’ll be tired, so keep dinner close. Pronto Piccola Italia is the easy pick for Italian, and La Cevicheria does exactly what the name says.

Turn in early tonight. Tomorrow starts with a 7:30 AM yoga class.

Day 3 in Santa Teresa: Yoga, Tide Pools and a Last Sunset

Your last day is the slow one. Plan it around the tide chart, since the pools only show up when the water is out.

Morning: Yoga Class

Santa Teresa has yoga decks all along the main road, and nearly all of them take drop-ins. Zeneidas Surf Garden teaches Ashtanga at 7:30 AM and Vinyasa at 9 AM. Both are 75 minutes, open to all levels and cost $14 a class.

For an ocean view from the hillside, Horizon Yoga Hotel charges $20 for a drop-in. Our guide to yoga in Santa Teresa covers every studio and pass.

Late Morning: Tide Pools at Low Tide

Check the tide chart the night before. At low tide, the water pulls back on Playa Santa Teresa and leaves natural pools between the rocks. They’re the calmest place to swim on this beach.

They’re shallow and full of small fish. Wear water shoes, since the rocks are sharp, and head back to the sand before the tide turns.

Afternoon: Playa Hermosa

After lunch, ride north to Playa Hermosa, at the far end of the main road. It’s quieter than the beach in town and a nice place to do nothing for a few hours.

Bring water and some shade. There isn’t much for sale on the sand.

Evening: A Last Sunset

Pick your favorite spot from the last two nights and go back for one more sunset. Then pack your bags tonight, since shuttles and the early ferry don’t wait.

Where to Stay in Santa Teresa

Where you stay matters more than you’d think, because the main road is long. Staying near the center keeps the beach, restaurants and yoga decks within walking distance.

Zeneidas Surf Garden is right on the ocean, with yoga on site for $10 a class for guests. Horizon Yoga Hotel is up the hill with the ocean-view deck. Funky Monkey Lodge has a jungle yoga deck and aerial silk classes.

On a budget, Casa Zen is a simple guesthouse with a daily yoga class, about 1.2 km from the center. The 13% tax is paid in cash on arrival there. Older lists still mention Florblanca, but that resort has closed.

Our guide to the best hotels in Santa Teresa has more options. Book early for December to April.

Best Time to Visit Santa Teresa

December to April is the dry season, with sunny days, dusty roads and the biggest crowds. It’s the busiest and priciest time, so book hotels and shuttles early.

May to November is the green season. Afternoons bring rain, but mornings are often clear, prices drop and the town gets much quieter.

September and October are the wettest months, and some places close for a few weeks. Our guide to the best time to travel to Costa Rica breaks it down month by month.

What to Pack for Santa Teresa

Santa Teresa is hot, dusty and casual, so pack light. Here’s what you’ll use:

• Swimsuits and quick-dry clothes
• Water shoes for the tide pools and river rocks
• Shoes with grip for Montezuma Waterfall
• Sunglasses and a bandana for ATV rides
• Reef-safe sunscreen and bug spray
• Cash in colones for parking, small shops and tips

Leave the nice clothes at home. Nobody dresses up here, and the dust finds everything.

Santa Teresa Itinerary FAQ

Is 3 Days in Santa Teresa Enough?

Three days in Santa Teresa is enough for most trips. You get a first surf and a sunset, plus a full day for Montezuma Waterfall by ATV. Then there’s a slow last day for yoga and the tide pools.

Getting there takes 5 to 6 hours from San José, so add a fourth day when you can. It gives you a spare morning for the surf, which is the best plan in town on a good day.

How Do You Get to Santa Teresa From San José?

Most people take a shared shuttle, which takes 5 to 6 hours. It costs about $60 with the Puntarenas to Paquera ferry included. Tropical Tours leaves San José airport at 6 AM and 3 PM.

The bus costs about ₡9,100, roughly $20, and leaves downtown San José at 6 AM. Flights to Cóbano take 30 to 40 minutes and cost about $120 to $180.

Do You Need a Car in Santa Teresa?

You don’t need a car in Santa Teresa, but you’ll want some wheels. The town is one long, dusty road. Most people rent an ATV for around $60 to $90 a day plus tax, delivered to the hotel.

A car makes sense when you’re driving yourself from San José. An SUV with good clearance is the safe pick. You’ll need to fill up in Cóbano, since there’s no gas station in Santa Teresa.

How Much Does Yoga Cost in Santa Teresa?

A drop-in yoga class in Santa Teresa costs about $14 to $20. Zeneidas Surf Garden charges $14, or $10 for guests, with Ashtanga at 7:30 AM and Vinyasa at 9 AM.

Horizon Yoga Hotel charges $20 a class and sells 8 classes for $100. Nearly every studio takes drop-ins, so you don’t need to book far ahead outside the busiest weeks.

Can You Visit Montezuma From Santa Teresa?

You can easily visit Montezuma from Santa Teresa as a day trip. Most people ride an ATV through Cóbano, which takes about an hour each way with a stop.

The trail to the lower Montezuma Waterfall is free and takes 20 to 30 minutes each way. The upper falls cost about $5 by the Sun Trails route. A guided ATV tour costs from $165 per person.

When Is the Best Time to Visit Santa Teresa?

The best time to visit Santa Teresa is December to April, the dry season, with the most sunshine. It’s also the busiest and priciest time, so book early.

May to November is quieter and greener, with afternoon rain and clear mornings. September and October are the wettest months, and some restaurants and hotels close for a few weeks then.