Santa Teresa, Malpais & Montezuma Area Info

Each town in this part of Costa Rica has its own character and style. Malpais is especially unique due to its long history as a haven for eccentric characters from Europe and the U.S. and an area for the rich and famous to escape to without attracting attention.

For a map of the entire area, click Malpais and Montezuma Area Maps

All these towns have something great to offer, and are worth a visit during your trip to Costa Rica. This website’s goal is to highlight the best in each area.

Choose a location:

Santa Teresa

Malpais

Playa Hermosa

Manzanillo

Santiago

San Isidro

Montezuma

Delicias

Tambor

Cabuya

Cobano

Santa Teresa

When you drive down the road from Cobano to the beach, you will get to “the crossroads”, near Frank’s Place and the Playa Carmen Mall. Santa Teresa is everything to the right, and Malpais is everything to the left. The crossroads is at Playa Carmen. No one knows for sure what to call this area. Is it Malpais, Santa Teresa, or Carmen? Whatever you call it, the whole area has become extremely popular in the last few years. Ten years ago when Montezuma was already a famous destination, Santa Teresa was just getting electricity. Santa Teresa’s world class surfing and gorgeous white sand beaches have put it on the map for tourists visiting Costa Rica, and hundreds of foreigners have moved here to live year round. Most of them surf nearly every day, and Santa Teresa is definitely a surfer’s dream town.

Santa Teresa is one very long road that parallels the beach for several miles, with hotels, restaurants, and various businesses along both sides. It seems like every week another building appears, and there is a lot of development. So far, nothing over three stories high has been built, but high-rise condos seem almost inevitable, since the real estate prices have skyrocketed. There seems to be no shortage of wealthy foreigners wanting to buy a piece of paradise, and Santa Teresa is the most expensive and desirable spot in the southern Nicoya peninsula. Fortunately, the local municipality is against this type of development and doesn’t want the area to be ruined the way Jaco and Tamarindo have been.

Most of Santa Teresa is white sand beaches, with occasional rocky outcroppings. There are many public access roads to the beaches, but little parking, and the natural topography of the beaches have created some interesting and varied surf conditions. There are two great point breaks in Santa Teresa (Suck Rock and Playa Hermosa). On the mountain side of the road, are many rough steep dirt and gravel roads winding into the hills to reach many ocean view homes and building sites that dot the hills.

Santa Teresa is still a bit of the wild west. To some extent, it’s rough, gritty, and lawless… far away from civilization despite it’s world-class restaurants, croissants, yoga retreats, and Italian gellato. Like all towns in Central America, it has its resident thieves who are ready to snatch your bag off the beach, its drunk husbands laying unconscious in the rocky gutters at night, and leathery old cowboys trotting on their horses, wondering where the world they once knew went. It’s a place for adventure… not your grandma’s vacation destination. Two-hundred pound jaguars are still seen not far from town.

But despite all this, Santa Teresa is also known as the place where the beautiful people of the world come to surf and relax away from the masses. Many celebrities and supermodels are spotted here, sometimes riding the wave next to you.

Malpais

Malpais is everything to the south of the crossroads at Frank’s Place. Like Montezuma, Malpais has mostly rocky beaches, with occasional sandy coves. Malpais surfing has become famous in the surf circuit, and generally refers to the both towns of Malpais and Santa Teresa. There are two great surf spots – one at Mar Azul, and one at Sunset Reef. The crowd here is older and more laid-back than in Santa Teresa, and although it’s right next door, has developed a very different vibe. Unlike Santa Teresa, the real estate on the Malpais side hasn’t been chopped up into thousands of tiny lots for development. A greater amount of intact jungle, and more water in the hills keeps the area greener, and because there are less tourists, it’s quieter. The exception is the famous Malpais Surf Camp, which has an open mike night on Wednesday nights which is attended by half the peninsula. Many famous musicians have shown up unexpectedly and rocked the crowd, so you never know what you’re going to hear.

Malpais borders Cabo Blanco National Park, but it doesn’t have an entrance to the park. The only entrance for tourists is in Cabuya, which is just south of Montezuma. Malpais is blessed with one of the best restaurants on the peninsula, called simply “Mary’s”. This place makes the world’s best fish tacos, and the prices are affordable. I’m salivating just thinking about them!

Playa Hermosa

Where does Playa Hermosa start and Santa Teresa end? No one seems to know exactly, but somewhere north of Santa Teresa, the hubbub of the surf village ends and a peaceful community begins. Playa Hermosa is the most beautiful beach in the southern Nicoya Peninsula, and despite all the tourists in the area, is still to this day nearly empty. It’s a long, flat sandy beach, with a great surf break (right point break) at the northern end. There’s no development on this beach, except for an occasional house tucked back in the trees. The hills above have little development as well, although much of it has been sold in the last year or two, and more development is expected both above and near the beach.

If you’re looking for a beautiful beach without many people, this is the place for you. It’s a 20 minute drive north of the crossroads at Frank’s Place. Many of the foreigners who live in the area take their kids daily to the international school which is on the beach in Playa Hermosa. This is the best school in the area.

Manzanillo

Manzanillo is a small flat beach protected by an underwater rocky reef that keeps big waves off the beach, so its a great place for families with kids. Although real estate prices in the area have already climbed very high, there is little infrastructure here. Just a couple of hotels and restaurants, mostly Tico style. One of the beachfront restaurants is famous for having the best lobster in Costa Rica and people drive many miles for a sunset dinner here.

The actual town of Manzanillo is set back from the beach a kilometer or so. The whole area is known to be part of “real Costa Rica” with more Ticos than foreigners, and life here hasn’t been changed so much by the influx of massive tourism. This is changing of course, but for now it’s still a great place to visit and check out that lobster dinner.

The area in the hills just behind Manzanillo is called Betel, and it’s one of the best real estate investments in the area. The prices there will likely double or triple in the next two years, as they’ve done in other areas behind the beach communities. But, much of this land isn’t titled, so be careful when investing.

Santiago

Santiago is a very beautiful area up the road from the international school in Playa Hermosa. This road runs along a ridge, with beautiful, dramatic views on both sides. The area is sparsely populated, but much of the land has already sold to various foreign buyers, even though there is no electricity and public water on much of it.

Wildlife is common here, including many sightings of a type of small jaguar called an ocelot. The soil has a lot of water in it, so its not as dry. However, there is also a lot of grass-covered cattle land, much of which may revert to jungle soon when foreign residents start reforesting.

Santiago is a nice area also because it connects to Cobano directly, via the town of Rio Negro. There is also an old public road that connects to San Isidro, but it’s barely passable, even in dry season. Real Estate prices have tripled in this area in the past year, but its still a great investment because the lack of infrastructure keeps many buyers away at the moment, yet its such a short drive to Playa Hermosa that it’s inevitable that many people will move buy or move here.

San Isidro

San Isidro is the area between Cobano and Santa Teresa. Most of it is rolling hills, with rivers, large trees, and cattle. The area is cooler and less humid than Santa Teresa, and real estate prices are still relatively cheap, but rising rapidly since the area near the beach has become so expensive. There are many beautiful farms, and a few places that have incredibly quantities of orchids and bromiliads in many of the trees.

For someone who’s looking for a quiet place to live, San Isidro is ideal, because it’s still only a 5-10 minute drive to the beaches of Santa Teresa and Malpais.

Montezuma

Montezuma is famous for its breathtaking beauty and vibrant international culture and cuisine. Backpackers and celebrities looking for an exotic locale to avoid crowds have visited Montezuma and its beaches for years, making it a world famous destination for seasoned travelers “in the know” about the best places on earth to visit. Dozens of Italians have moved to Montezuma to open pizzerias and other restaurants, including the best restaurant in Costa Rica, “Playa de los Artistas”. Montezuma is very close to a large natural beach reserve, easy to walk to from town. There you will find tidepools, white sand beaches for swimming and surfing, and few people even on the busiest days.

This town is also known for its famous waterfall “Montezuma Falls”, which is shown on postcards sold all over the country. The waterfall has three large pools, and daredevils regularly jump into them from reat heights. The water flows all year, and its a quick walk from town to the first pool. See our section on waterfalls to read more.

Montezuma is the only tourist town in the area that really has a town center. It has a small village feel, and people often remark that they haven’t ever seen a place like it. It’s not like other towns in Costa Rica, and has somehow managed to develop its own culture that is very unique, without being overdeveloped. You will not find condos, casinos, or Burger King here. If you’re looking for that, head for Jaco or Tamarindo instead.

Delicias

Delicias is an area in the hills just to the south of Montezuma. It has become known as one of the best places for foreign residents to move to. It’s quiet, with almost no crime. There are many waterfalls, big trees and jungles, and easy access to the beach and Cobano. Delicias also has two shortcut roads to Malpais and Santa Teresa, making it closer to those beaches than Montezuma is.

Delicias doesn’t really have much of a town center. There are two very small “pulperias” with a few basic groceries, a school, church, and soccer field, but not much else. Along the front of Delicias is a cliff, with a row of spectacular houses overlooking Playa Las Manchas and has become known as the Beverly Hills of the area. Yet, there are still many properties available for around $100,000 with some ocean views, 2-4 acres, big trees, water, electricity, accesss, etc. Delicias Real Estate prices are rising rapidly and its expected to ultimately be an extremely expensive area because it has so much to offer.

Tambor

Tambor is town on the shores of a gorgeous circular bay called Bahia Ballena. It was named this for the whales that used to come to the bay, but pollution and the human population have driven the whales out into nearby waters. Tambor has a small marina, and because Tambor Bay is protected from large waves, is a good place for boaters. Its gentle surf is also ideal for families with small children.

Tambor has a very different culture from the other beach towns on the southern Nicoya Peninsula. One realtor advertises it by saying “Looking for sex, drugs, and rock and roll? Well Tambor isn’t for you…” The foreigners who have settled here are mostly from the United States, and an older crowd. The area developed earlier than the other beach towns, so there are many well settled developments such as Los Delphines and Tango Mar. Tambor has at least two golf courses, and the area’s only casino.

This area is also known for crooked real estate deals, so be very careful if you plan to invest here. Ask around to find out who can be trusted.

Cabuya

Cabuya is a very magical town. It’s the most isolated town on the peninsula because the road between Cabuya and Malpais is only passable for 4-5 months in the year. In the old days, the residents of Cabuya used to get their supplies by swimming out to a boat that would come once a month. They would swim with a list of supplies, and swim back with what they had ordered the month before.

Over 35 years ago, Costa Rica’s national park system was created because of the efforts of two foreign Montezuma residents, Olaf and Karen. They organized foreign donations to buy much of the farmland at the tip of the peninsula near Cabuya, which has since grown back into jungle, mostly on its own. Cabo Blanco Reserve was the first park in Costa Rica’s National Park system, which has since grown to cover more than 30% of the country, the highest percentage of parkland of any country in the world.

Cabuya has one of the largest trees in all of Costa Rica, shown in the photo on the right. A 90-year old man in Cabuya who has lived there all his life says it was the same size when he was a boy, so it’s definitely quite ancient. It’s worth a trip to Cabuya just to see this tree.

Cabuya also has an amazing snorkeling and diving area. Part of the sea near the park is a protected Marine habitat, so the area abounds with tropical fish. Several professional divers have remarked that diving at Cabuya Island is the best place on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, because of the quantity of fish. There’s also a beautiful fan coral reef. Adding to the mystery of the island, there’s a cemetary on it, and at low tide, its possible to walk out to the island across a spit of rocks.

Hotels are still cheap in Cabuya and there are many bargains. There are several good surf breaks that often have no one on them, including Playa Los Cedros, the Rio Lajas Rivermouth, and the Cabo Blanco Rivermouth.

Cabuya is also a great place to see wild animals. Because it’s next to Cabo Blanco park, which is a relatively safe place for animals to live and breed, the neighboring areas see a lot of extra wildlife. For example, a large family or two of peccaries, a small wild pig, lives in Cabo Blanco and regularly forages in parts of Delicias. This is an endangered animal that appears to be making a comeback thanks to the park.

Cobano

Cobano, pronouced CO-ba-no, not co-BA-no, is the crossroads for the southern Nicoya Peninsula. It has the area’s only bank, the only gas station, the best hardware store, and the best grocery store (Super Maya). On monday mornings there’s a farmer’s market in a vacant lot in the city center, where you can get all your fruit and veggies cheap.

In addition, there are several schools, including a private school and the area’s only high school. The police station here covers not only Cobano, but Malpais, Santa Teresa, San Isidro, Santiago, Playa Hermosa, Betel, Rio Negro, Manzanillo, etc. They are incredibly underfunded by the Costa Rican government and rumour has it that they aren’t even given enough money for gasoline to drive to the beach areas. Fortunately, the area has very little violent crime.

Behind Cobano are a set of gorgeous mountains, with views overlooking the entire southern peninsula. Land is cheap up there, but access can be difficult, especially in rainy season. This area is still wild, with few people and lots of animals, including rare species such as peccaries, jaguars, and pumas. There are many waterfalls back in these hills as well, including the gorgeous Florida Waterfall, and others in Santa Fe, and a spectacular one on the Rio Ario.