Montezuma

Santa Teresa is a surf town on the Pacific coast in the south of the Nicoya Peninsula, about five hours from San José by car and ferry. You come for the waves, which offer something for almost everyone from beginner to pro, and for the sunsets, where half the town gathers on the beach in the evenings.The town stretches along a single main road that runs from the fishing village of Mal País in the south, through Playa Carmen and Playa Santa Teresa, up to Playa Hermosa in the north. Most cafés, restaurants, and surf schools are located between Playa Carmen and Playa Santa Teresa.Until a few decades ago, Santa Teresa was a remote village that lived off agriculture, cattle farming, and fishing. Today, tourism is the main source of income for most families, and the audience is international: surfers, yoga tourists, digital nomads.For swimming, the beaches are often less suitable due to the surf and currents. At low tide, tidal pools form between the rocks of Santa Teresa and Mal País, where you can bathe; water shoes protect against the sharp stones.

The Nicoya Peninsula, in northwestern Costa Rica, juts about 120 kilometers into the Pacific, separating the Gulf of Nicoya from the open ocean. You come for its long, sparsely developed beaches, the surf spots on the west coast, and the small towns where roads often still consist of gravel.Politically, the peninsula is divided: the north belongs to Guanacaste Province, while the south, with Santa Teresa, Mal País, and Montezuma, belongs to Puntarenas Province. Nosara is located on the west coast in the Nicoya Canton, near the turtle beach of Ostional.The peninsula is counted among the so-called Blue Zones, regions where many people live to be very old. In daily life, you notice little of this, but certainly the tranquil pace in the villages away from the surf towns.

Jacó is the largest beach resort on the Central Pacific coast, about 100 kilometers and a two-hour drive from San José. You come here for surfing on a four-kilometer-long dark sand beach, for the nightlife, and as a base for Carara National Park with its wild macaws.The town is the main settlement of the Garabito canton in Puntarenas province and had just under 12,000 inhabitants in 2011. Life centers around Avenida Pastor Díaz, the main road running parallel to the beach, where bars, restaurants, surf shops, and tour operators are packed closely together.On the southern stretch of the beach, the waves are gentler and suitable for beginners; in the north, the sea is rougher. Experienced surfers head to Playa Hermosa a few kilometers south, where the waves break hard and fast.Jacó has a reputation as a party town, but in recent years, quieter accommodations and upscale restaurants have also emerged. From here, day trips can be made to Isla Tortuga, Carara, and the Crocodile Bridge on the Río Tárcoles.

Nosara is a district on the west coast of the Nicoya Peninsula in Guanacaste Province, about two and a half hours' drive from Liberia Airport and approximately five hours from San José. You come here to surf at Playa Guiones, for yoga classes, and due to its proximity to Ostional's turtle beach.Nosara consists of several parts: the Costa Rican village about six kilometers inland by the Río Nosara, the quieter Playa Pelada, and the area around Playa Guiones, where most accommodations, cafés, and surf schools are located. A tangle of unpaved roads and paths connects the neighborhoods.In the 1960s, a US entrepreneur bought the coastal land to subdivide it for a residential development. The project failed, but the landowners founded the Nosara Civic Association, which to this day ensures that a forested strip is preserved along the beaches. That's why you barely see any buildings from the water.Playa Guiones is an approximately six-kilometer-long sandy beach with very consistent waves, where beginners and advanced surfers can surf. Since the founding of the Nosara Yoga Institute in 1994, the place has also been a center for yoga and retreats.

Monteverde is the cloud forest highlands in the Arenal and Monteverde region, about a four-hour drive from the Valle Central around San José. You come here to hike through the Monteverde and Santa Elena cloud forest reserves, where mosses, epiphytes, and with a bit of luck, the quetzal can be seen.The settlement lies at around 1,300 to 1,400 meters. The main town and supply center is Santa Elena, with most accommodations, restaurants, and tour offices; along the road towards the reserve are Cerro Plano and the Quaker-founded Monteverde settlement.The climate is cool and often foggy. Besides the reserves, private parks like Selvatura offer hanging bridges and ziplines; several operators lead night walks in the evenings.Plan at least two nights. Early mornings are best for birdwatching, and a local guide increases your chances of spotting animals.