MalPais

Santa Teresa

Santa Teresa located on the southwestern Pacific coast of the Nicoya Peninsula. If coming from Cobano you will arrive at a crossroad on the Pacific, a left turn will take you to MalPais and a right turn will bring you into the village of Santa Teresa.

Long and wide open white beaches with unbelievable waves year round have made Santa Teresa a destination for the international surfer. In this day and age with internet and chat rooms the secret has gotten out that Santa Teresa is not only for surfers, an influx of newcomers have added their own styles and taste to the local scene.

Once a small fisherman’s village, surfers for years had found the waters off Santa Teresa to be great year round for surfing; from beginners to experts, the waves with off shore winds have provided fantastic breaks.

A small village with one main road that parallels’ the Pacific for several miles has brought many small hotels, bed and breakfast inns and well as an international variety of restaurants to the area. If one is looking for large hotels and all inclusive resorts, Santa Teresa is not the place. One will find unbelievable beaches and very affordable accommodations.

One need not be a surfer to enjoy the beauty of Santa Teresa, just relaxing on the beach, playing in the waves, exploring the many miles of white sand beaches to exploring the volcanic outcroppings extending into the ocean waves. The many small coves that line the beaches lined with tropical vegetation offer secluded getaways for relaxing and providing fantastic sunset views. For the water oriented traveler, one will find many opportunities to spend a day in the sun, from kite surfing to snorkeling and scuba diving being just a few. Hiking and Horseback riding along the beach or in the hills surrounding Santa Teresa offer fantastic spots for nature lovers. One will find canopy tours in neighboring MalPais as well as the Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve located at the southern end of Malpais beach very accessible. Day trips by ATV or car to neighboring Montezuma beach, Montezuma Waterfalls or just a ride up the coast to the small fishing village of Manzanillo will keep you busy for some time while on vacation in Santa Teresa.

Santa Teresa like the rest of the southern Nicoya Peninsula has two main seasons, the dry season ranging from around October to May and the wet season from the end of May to the beginning of October. The region being a little less humid than the rest of Costa Rica offers temperatures in the mid a 80’s during the day and with off shore winds coming from the Pacific will cool the night to a very comfortable temperature. With growth of Santa Teresa has also brought problems and arguments. The main road through Santa Teresa is unpaved and during the dry season can be very dusty, and conversely in the wet season a challenge to navigate. The locals feel the dirt roads are what have given Santa Teresa the charm of a small village and have limited the growth. With many foreigners moving in and opening restaurants and inns along the main road the dust has been a problem. Thus a very touchy subject in Santa Teresa.

Getting to Santa Teresa one has 2 options, flying into to Tambor airport with direct flights from San Jose and then taking a taxi to Santa Teresa. Or one can drive to Puntarenas and take the ferry to Parquera and then drive southeast through the town of Cobano and then onto Santa Teresa

MalPais

MalPais, a small coastal village known as a surfer’s paradise is located on the southeastern point of the Nicoya Peninsula. With constant good waves and great beaches, Malpais is becoming known as a great tourist destination to just kickback and relax. Not only for surfers, beach lovers are finding the long beaches a great place for exploring. Lush tropical forest coming right down to the white sandy beaches giving way to rock and shell strewn beaches and coves gives one many options.

On the southern end of Malpais one will find the Cabo Blanco “Absolute” National Reserve, with lush tropical vegetation and rock formations lining the coast, tourist and locals alike find that the village of MalPais has some of the best beaches of all Costa Rica. With un crowded beaches and tranquil atmosphere, MalPais is becoming known as the place to get away from the crowds.

With consistent waves this is not only a place for expert surfers but also the beginner, kite surfing and boogie boarders also find MalPais a great playground in the sun. Scuba divers and snorkelers will find the rock cropping’s make for great underwater scenery.

Horseback ridding along the beaches or nature trails and canopy tours will give one many options in spending time in MalPais.

Quiet secluded coves surrounded by tide pools and reefs make a great place to have a romantic setting for watching the unbelievable sunsets as the sun falls into the Pacific Ocean.

One will not find tourist shops and other tourist trappings, if looking for these, one will travel the short distance to Santa Teresa just to the north of MalPais. Great weather year round, unbelievable beaches and affordable accommodations, with hotels and restaurants ranging from rustic and local to high end. MalPais has become a great destination to relax.

Getting to Malpais one has 2 options, flying into to Tambor airport with direct flights from San Jose and then taking a taxi to MalPais. Or one can drive to Puntarenas and take the ferry to Parquera and then drive southeast through the town of Cobano and then onto MalPais.