A Solo Trip to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica During Rainy Season

Pura Vida

I love Costa Rica, and similar to Mexico, I take it for granted as a travel destination since it seems so close and accessible down here in Texas.

But I always come back immediately wanting to go back. That is how I feel now, after just returning from an amazing eight-day solo surfing trip to Santa Teresa.

I have long seen Santa Teresa on the lists of places for surfers and hippies to visit, but for some reason, I have usually stayed in Tamarindo on my visits to the land of Pura Vida. That won’t be the case anymore, though I still plan to continue to return to Tamagringo from time to time. 

Santa Teresa is difficult to get to. Whether you fly into Liberia or San Jose, you have a long trip over poor road conditions in front of you, unless you opt for a small local flight that gets you a little closer. I arrived at Liberia airport, planning to make the 3.5-hour drive and arrive just after dark. Being the rainy season this time of year, it was foolish to make such a plan.

The rain flooded a river that blocked my original route. I ended up having to turn around and take the long way. Even then, Google Maps kept pulling me off the main road and onto dirt roads that did not look accessible in the little Toyota crossover I had rented. 

The drive down ended up taking over six hours, but I arrived safely and ready to hit the sack for a morning surf session.

Why Visit Santa Teresa

I went for the surf. And it was some of the best surfing I’ve ever experienced. The waves are bigger than in Tamarindo and there are multiple surf beaches around the area to explore.

But Santa Teresa also attracts folks in the yoga and wellness communities, with various retreats advertised online and around town. I had heard that Santa Teresa is like Tamarindo was twenty years ago, and I found it to be much less developed – in a good way – and carrying a much different tourist vibe. 

Santa Teresa has the normal features of other Costa Rican destinations, such as waterfalls, amazing sunsets, friendly people, ziplining, and other excursions. I was told there is great whale watching, though again I failed to partake. 

The food I ate was excellent, with a nice combination of local Tico eats as well as international cuisine. The sushi I ate at Nami might have been the best I had ever tasted.

The main beach in town is beautiful and relatively remote. There are plenty of places to lay out without being surrounded by tourists, and the surfing right there is also quite nice. 

I did not see many families on the trip, which is nice for me though that might be a reason for you to lose interest. Most visitors seemed to be couples or groups of friends.

Things to Know

A noted lower-intermediate level surfer takes advantage of the rain time

I visited in September, their rainy season. It requires a bit of flexibility but was not too bad. It rained for a little while most days, with only one storm on my last night that was strong enough to keep me inside. The lodging prices are much lower during this time, and while I am told it is less busy, there were still people around to interact with. I will return at some point during high season but wouldn’t be surprised if I like the down season more for the slower pace and cheaper airbnbs.

I touched on the roads above, but I would emphasize that it is not easy driving down here. Google Maps is not to be trusted, as it takes you the most direct route regardless of the terrain or condition of the road. The frequent showers during the rainy season also wipe out roads and it pays to be flexible and ask lots of questions to locals about how to best get around. 

Costa Rica is not cheap and Santa Teresa is no different. I did get a very good deal on an Airbnb, but most of the prices at restaurants and bars are on par with prices in Texas. A meal usually cost 15-20 dollars and drinks were usually $10. 

They do accept dollars everywhere, in addition to Colones and credit cards, which makes a visit quite convenient. 

The town is one long, dusty road, lined with restaurants, hotels, and shops. It requires some form of transportation to get around, though the roads in the area are so poor that many opt to rent ATVs instead of cars. I chose to just drive very, very slowly. 

English is widely spoken. The people are very friendly and welcoming. I have experienced Gringo fatigue in Tamarindo from some of the locals and staff at the various restaurants, but in Santa Teresa, everyone I met seemed pleased to have me in the area. Most of the workers at the restaurants and bars were  from Argentina or Chile. They are brought to the area for the same reasons the Gringos are – an interest in surf, yoga, travel, or general wellness. So there is lots of room for conversing everywhere you go. 

Recommendations

As Santa Teresa is one long road, most of the businesses I visited were within walking distance from my Airbnb. I need to venture further down next visit to try more places, but everything I tried knocked it out of the park.

For Eats:

Eat Street: An open-area food truck-style restaurant with three dining options. One is a bowl-focused stand, one more for tacos, burgers, and burritos, and one a breakfast, coffee, and smoothie outfit that opens at 7 a.m. There is also a bar with great cocktails. I ate a burrito bowl and drank a Hot Mama (mezcal, pineapple, lime, and chipotle) almost every day I was there. 

Nami: Terrific sushi and cocktails. 

Cafka Cafe: My go to breakfast spot, as they opened at 7am and have a nice front porch seating area. Good eggs and coffee. 

I did not visit them, but locals also recommended Somos Restaurant and Kook’s Sportsbar, which I like the name of so will have to visit next time. 

For Surf:

Takeoff Surf School: I am sure there are other great schools, but my surf coach from Tamarindo recommended Jesus and his outfit and I highly recommend it. The team there is very enthusiastic and supportive of anyone getting into the sport. They also emphasize training and balance board work in their operation, and are located at Playa Hermosa, which is beautiful and a bit friendlier for less advanced surfers. My surf coach Wesly was terrific. He knew the breaks well, gave lots of strong advice, and, importantly, kept pushing me to go a little further out of my comfort zone, knowing I could handle bigger waves than I thought. My time in Santa Teresa was the best surf experience I have ever had. 

Hawt Tips:

Keep it tight at the Lifeguard Gym. It’s an open air facility right on the main road that sells day and week passes. No, the equipment isn’t top-notch, but the experience is. 

There are lots of yoga options to choose from, but Don Jon’s Surf and Yoga Lodge has three daily classes to choose from and keeps their schedule on a blackboard right on the main road. 

In Conclusion

I loved my trip to Santa Teresa. I am returning as soon as I can. 

You should check it out too.