Santa Teresa

Montezuma is a small coastal town on the eastern side of the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, approximately 40 kilometers southwest of the Paquera ferry terminal. You come here for the waterfalls just behind the town, the beaches along the coast, and its proximity to the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve.For a long time, Montezuma was a remote fishing village. In the 1950s, Swedish Nicolás Wessberg and Danish Karen Mogensen settled here; their efforts led to the establishment of Cabo Blanco in 1963, Costa Rica's first protected area. Later, expats and backpackers arrived, giving the town its somewhat alternative character that persists to this day.The center consists of a few streets with restaurants, accommodations, shops, and tour operators. To the north and south, rocky coves and sandy beaches line the coast, accessible on foot.From Montezuma, boat trips depart for Isla Tortuga in the Gulf of Nicoya, and a water taxi connects the town with Playa Herradura near Jacó on the opposite coast.

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.