Santa Teresa - Mal Pais

Looking to soak up the sun during beachside activities? Santa Teresa is an excellent place to do just that, so get ready to kickback and unwind. Santa Teresa is billed as a surfer's paradise, and the surf is indeed exceptional. It provides consistent and outstanding swells year round. The sleepy beach hamlet of Mal País is Santa Teresa's quiet neighbor located 4 miles (6.5 km) north of Cabo Blanco National Park, Mal País sits at the southwestern cusp of the Nicoya Peninsula, opposite Montezuma.

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The booming surf village of Santa Teresa provides a great opportunity for visitors to enjoy international cuisine, daily yoga classes, year round surf and a generally cool vibe. There are excellent place to enjoy the incredible natural surroundings in relative peace. Reflecting this relaxed attitude, the village of Santa Teresa and nearby Mal País offers relatively few services with regard to tours. However, Canopy Tours are available, and one can also take Horseback rides along the beach.

The beaches of Santa Teresa are soft, sandy and with a consistent surf break while Mal País alternates between long stretches of sand and large patches of rock. A green jungle with its mischievous monkeys lines the shore. For the most part, beaches in Mal País have been spared of development. Development has largely taken place in areas to the north, around the Beaches of Santa Teresa.

The nearby Cabo Blanco Absolute Reserve can make an excellent day trip from Santa Teresa and Mal País. Check with locals before heading to the Reserve. Usually a visit requires entering the town of Montezuma. There is a road closer to Mal País, but unfortunately, it is often in disrepair.

The hamlet of Santa Teresa and Mal País is accessible by road via Highway 160, or you can take the ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera or Naranjo Beach, and ride a bus or drive the rest of the way. Flights to the nearby town of Tambor are also available via San Jose and Liberia.

Santa Teresa - Mal Pais

Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica, Central America

Guided Tours

Snorkeling

Boat Tours

Horseback Riding

Hiking

ATV Tours

Kayaking

Zip Lines

Surf Lessons

Sport Fishing

& More

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1091 Reviews

Answers from Experts

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Rated 9.7 out of 10 based on 189 reviews

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Traveler Feedback

We were pleasanty surprised by this little beach town. so many good resturants to choose from and The beach was so nice too

- MELISA M, AUG 2018

Beautiful, quiet beach. The city road was difficult to navigate - long, narrow, dusty, full of potholes making drivers swerve and therefore making me nervous walking. It was a 45 minute walk to the only ATM for cash and almost no one took credit cards so I ran out of cash quickly. The very few restaurants with a beach-front eating area were hard to find and a long walk from the hotel. The roads in/out of Santa Teresa are very bad - my lower back has hurt ever since arriving there. I really wish I had brought some Dramamine as the swerving around potholes and roughness of the road for 30-45 minutes made me motion sick. If I came back to the area I would pick an alternate town.

- CINDY G, JUL 2018

Don't let the roads or the looks deceive you. This place is magic. It is what all surf/beach towns should strive to imitate. The beachfront restaurants cant be beaten. Eat at Banna Beach, Habanero, and Rancho Itauna. The staff is excellent and its all great local food. Get adventurous and try new stuff. Get chile guaro or guaro sour wherever you can. It's the unofficial drink and its great. Rent an ATV for the day and drive up and down the coast. Go up to hermosa beach and all the down to mal pais. Rockamar and Playa Carmen are also must visit spots.

- KYLE G, APR 2018

My boyfriend and I loved Santa Teresa! It was our last stop on our 12 day vacation and we spent 4 days there and were happy it was the last place we went. The area had such a good beach/surfer vibe to it and the locals were awesome. Lots of variety of food choices and activities to do if you so choose. The beaches were beautiful, a little rocky in some areas but not a problem at all for us, anyway. The place didn’t seem too touristy although i’m sure there were more there than it seemed. Would definitely come here again and would recommend to anyone !

- HAYDEN S, APR 2018

If you're looking for surf culture, this is the place.

- BILL S, FEB 2018

The area was crowded but very friendly.

- ANTHONY L, DEC 2017

Santa Teresa - Mal Pais