5 FUN & EXCITING Things to do in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
If you ask anyone who frequently visits Costa Rica to surf, what’s the most popular place to visit, it’s almost guaranteed they’ll mention Santa Teresa.
With that said, Santa Teresa is so much more than just a surf town. These days, it’s the ideal place for a beach getaway with lots of cafes, restaurants, and beach clubs. On top of that, there are a ton of awesome things to do in Santa Teresa, from practicing yoga to ziplining through the jungle.
To help plan your upcoming visit, here are the BEST fun things to do in Santa Teresa that are guaranteed to make your visit a trip to remember!
Don’t miss out!
Our Top Choice
The tour we loved the most and suggest booking ASAP is this one!
Our FAVORITE thing we did in Santa Teresa was this surf lesson! In just 90 minutes, we learned the basics, caught our first waves, and experienced the thrill that makes this beach town a surfing paradise.
Surf in Santa Teresa
- Our Top Choice
- Things to do in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
- Check out the schedule and availability for this top-rated surf lesson here!
- Secure your spot on this popular fishing trip in advance here!
- Check availability for this yoga class package deal here!
- Secure your spot on this awesome tour here!
- Click here to check availability and prices!
- Where to Stay in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
- Pura Vida!
- Why We Book Tours with Viator
- Getting Around Costa Rica
- AIRALO e-SIM Up To 15% Off With Code "DTRAVEL15"
- What’s an eSIM?
Things to do in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
1. Learn to Surf!
Tour Details
I think I speak for most when I say surfing is arguably the number one thing to do in Santa Teresa. Surfing put Santa Teresa on the map and turned a small village into a tourist mecca.
For those just learning to surf, it’s best to get yourself a lesson in Santa Teresa before going off on your own. This top-rated surfing lesson is the one my friends did last time we were there. They had nothing but great things to say about the experience and were up surfing the waves by themselves in no time!
Lessons last for 90 minutes and include all of your necessary equipment. This tour has tons of 5-star reviews (read them here), which means you know you’ll get a good lesson. And trust me, having a lousy lesson can turn you off surfing, which is the last thing we want!
2. Go Fishing
Tour Details
I love fishing in Costa Rica and go often. Santa Teresa is one of my favorite places to do it because of how affordable it is compared to other parts of the country!
For context, I usually pay around $100 to $150 USD per person for an inshore fishing tour in Costa Rica. However, in Santa Teresa, you can go on this inshore fishing charter for only $360 USD for a group of up to 5 people. That means with a full crew, it’s only about $70 USD per person!
At 6:30 am, we headed out from Mal Pais a few nautical miles, and within minutes, we were landing tuna. The entire trip involved passing fishing rods around the boat as we landed more fish. We ended the day with 12 tuna, which fed us for the next three days! We even finished the tour with some fresh raw tuna at the dock.
The day we went, the tuna were biting, but you can also catch mahi-mahi, wahoo, snapper, roosterfish, and more. Your captain will know what fish to go for depending on the time of year, currents, and tides.
Overall, it was a fantastic day out and well worth the money. It’s definitely one of the best things to do in Santa Teresa – just check out all of the great reviews here!
3. Take a Yoga Class
Tour Details
Yoga is one of the most relaxing exercises you can do, and it’s also great for building strength and stretching out your muscles after a day of surfing. I try to join a yoga class in every town I visit, I just find it so interesting to see how yoga is taught in other countries, plus it’s also a great way to meet like-minded people!
Luckily, in Santa Teresa, yoga is one of the cheapest activities you can do. My favorite yoga class in the area actually offers a two-class package deal, where you get two one-hour classes for only $41 USD. This is such a great deal for the relaxing experience you get.
The classes happen in a beautiful studio in the jungle and are led by expert instructors. No matter if you’re a beginner or advanced yogi, you will enjoy these classes, I promise!
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
4. Private Wildlife Refuge Tour
Tour Details
Did you know that Curú wildlife refuge was actually the first of its kind in Costa Rica?
It’s such a beautiful place and it’s home to secluded beaches and bays, as well as lots of lush jungle. But the real reason that Curú is a must-visit is that it’s teeming with wildlife!
We saw SO much when we visited with this private tour, from spider monkeys and scarlet macaws to crocodiles, deer, and bats… the list goes on! It was actually hard to believe just how many creatures there were here.
Our guide, Ernesto, had a real knack for spotting wildlife, and we saw so much more with him than we would have on our own. It felt like we saw something new with every step we took, and thanks to Ernesto’s spotting scope, we were able to get close-up views and take amazing photos on our phones.
So if you’re keen to see as much wildlife as possible in Costa Rica, then we can’t recommend this tour enough. The fact that it was a private tour also meant that we got Ernesto’s undivided attention and learned so much about the creatures that we saw.
We absolutely loved exploring the reserve, and it was nice to have a little time to chill out at the beaches after hiking through the jungle, too. A minimum of two people is needed to book this experience, so it’s ideal for couples, families, and groups of friends. If you only do one wildlife tour in Costa Rica, make sure it’s this one!
5. Zipline, ATV, and Waterfall: Combo Tour
Tour Details
One of the most unique and fun ways to take on the views and get amongst the wildlife in Santa Teresa is on a ziplining tour. Imagine soaring high above the treetops with epic views of the ocean! That’s exactly what you get on this epic full-day tour, which includes ziplines as well as a visit to Montezuma Falls!
The tour includes eight ziplines with one over 500 meters (1,640 feet) long! You’ll get some high speed and more than enough adrenaline. You’ll also get to go ATV’ing through the jungle and visit some local towns and beaches along the way to the beautiful Montezuma Waterfall.
This day is full of adventure and fun times for the whole family. If you haven’t been ziplining yet in Costa Rica, this is the perfect chance, and it is something you cannot miss while visiting!
It’s a popular tour and only runs on Sundays, so make sure you book in advance!
Related Read: If you’re traveling more before or after Santa Teresa, check out our 15 favorite things to do across the country!
Where to Stay in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
Choosing a place to stay is hard! Thankfully, that’s because there are so many great places to stay in Santa Teresa. In fact, if you book well enough in advance, you can stay at some epic hotels in gorgeous locations. However, leave it too late, and you’ll be lucky to find a hostel bed for less than $70 USD. The lesson is, book ahead!
Hotel Nantipa – $$$
Just steps away from the ocean, Hotel Nantipa is an incredible beachfront resort. It’s a super luxurious accommodation with private bungalows that have easy access to the beach. The bungalows are inspired by Costa Rica’s coastline with photos of the beach and wooden furniture, but they also have modern amenities like AC and WiFi.
Hotel Nantipa is on the northern end of Playa Carmen, and the bungalows start at $550 USD. They do book up quickly, so reserve yours here!
Santa Teresa Surf Vista Villas – $$
Those with a larger budget can find some really great hotels in Santa Teresa. If you don’t mind being up on a hill, Santa Teresa Surf Vista Villas is such a gorgeous hotel because of the breathtaking views. They have a pool overlooking the ocean and offer yoga classes.
The rooms are also clean and comfortable – especially for the price! Rates begin at $77 USD per night. Check availability and book a room at Santa Teresa Surf Vista Villas here.
Lost Boyz Hostel – $
For budget travelers, I love Lost Boyz Hostel. They have reasonably cheap dorm rooms, but the hostel is fantastic! Huge pool (pictured above), an excellent restaurant (the pizza is fire!), kitchen, treehouse, and a friendly atmosphere. On top of that, they host a ton of events and tours. The location is also central, so you’re not too far from anything.
A one-night stay in a shared dorm begins at $20 USD. You can check availability and make reservations online here on Hostelworld.
For a more detailed guide on all of the different areas you can stay and the best hotels, check out our blog about where to stay in Santa Teresa.
Getting Around Costa Rica
How you choose to get around Costa Rica is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make when planning your holiday here! How you do it depends on your budget, travel style, and comfort level.
Renting a Car
Without a doubt, the number one way to explore Costa Rica is in a rental car. We book rental cars on the Discover Cars website as we have had good experiences with them in the past.
One of the things you need to watch for when renting a car in Costa Rica is the mandatory insurance that the government requires you to have. There are a lot of very cheap rentals that don’t include this mandatory insurance (TPL) in the original booking price, but there are also ones that do. To avoid additional surprise charges when you pick up your rental car, be sure to rent a car that includes the mandatory insurance when you book.
Thankfully, on Discover Cars it’s easy to tell apart the companies that include the mandatory insurance and those that don’t. The trick is you can’t pick any car on their website. In the picture below, you can see this rental car, with pick up in Jaco, includes the TPL. That means the mandatory insurance is included in the price. Any cover you get above that is extra.
Of course, I still suggest getting the full coverage offered by Discover Cars, which covers you even more.
You can browse cars on Discover Cars here.
Book Shuttles
If renting a car isn’t in your budget, you don’t feel comfortable driving in Costa Rica, or you just don’t like driving, shuttles are the next best option. There are hundreds of shuttle routes available all over the country, and they are very affordable.
Shuttles in Costa Rica are specifically for tourists and often include pick up and drop off at your selected hotels and airports. The drivers also speak some English, and the vehicles have air conditioning. You’ll also be guaranteed a seat when you book a shuttle (which isn’t the case with the public bus system.)
To get the best price, use the website Bookaway. They compare all the offers and prices of shuttle companies in Costa Rica so you get the best price! Honestly, we have saved so much money using Bookaway!
You can search for shuttles online on Bookaway here.
Public Bus
Lastly, you can use the public bus system. On short journeys, such as from San Jose to La Fortuna or Uvita to Manuel Antonio, this system is great. However, the longer the journey the more hassle and time spent on a bus. It’s undoubtedly best to save the public bus in Costa Rica for short and straightforward trips!
The public buses are definitely the cheapest way to get around Costa Rica, but they are not always very reliable and schedules often change without notice and delays are to be expected. The buses can also be very crowded and hot – so just be prepared!
It’s also good to speak some Spanish if you plan on riding the public bus since most drivers and ticket booth operators don’t speak English.
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Pura Vida!
Santa Teresa is, without a doubt, one of the most popular beach destinations in Costa Rica. And with the amazing list above, why wouldn’t it be?
I hope this guide on the best things to do in Santa Teresa has helped plan your upcoming visit. If it has, check out more of our blog, we have so much to share with you. Some blogs you may like are:
