Mal Pais and Santa Teresa - Info Center - Mal Pais and Santa Teresa: Hotels, Resorts, Transportation, Tours and Info

About the Zone

Mal Pais and Santa Teresa - Info Center

Malpais

Malpais is situated on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica on the southern tip of the Nicoya peninsula. Also known as the Hawaii of Latin America, there are several beaches to swim, dive or snorkel though it's main attraction is it's unique conditions for surfing and it's pristine subtropical nature. Horseback riding, sportfishing, canopy tours, scuba, and nature tours make up some of the other popular activities nearby. Malpais is a community unlike any other in Costa Rica with a strong surf culture and a the laid-back atmosphere that maintains the type of earthy tourism that made Costa Rica famous.

Santa Teresa
Santa Teresa extends for approximately 6 km. It has grown quite quickly in the last few years with people coming from all corners of the world, some settled and transformed this little fishing village into one of Costa Rica's trendiest destinations. With waves for the beginner to the fearless pro, waves are available for all, year round.

In the past there was a huge cattle farm, which in time got subdivided between locals, and then eventually was sold to foreigners seeking a place in Paradise. Today in Santa Teresa you will find many restaurants, places to stay to accommodate all budgets, horseriding, volleyball, beach soccer, canopy or even ultralight flying are but a few or it's diverse activities, whether you want to surf or just relax this is one of the Pacific's greatest spots.

Hotels
Malpais and Santa Teresa have many hotels and accomodations that range from beach hammocks, to cabinas, to four star luxury hotels. In this beautiful and tranquil beach community of Costa Rica there is something for everybody.

Cabo Blanco

The Cabo Blanco National Park is located 3 Km south, a paradise for tourists, students of biology and ecology. It's name derives from the Chorotega Indians who inhabited the area, they discovered a very smooth stone with wich they could draw, "mah pah" was the name they called it, hence the name according to one version. MalPais boasts a great selection of places to stay and eat from camping on the beach to luxurious resorts and a wide range of activities. Without a doubt it's a very attractive place to relax and enjoy the golden rays of the Pacific sunset.

Mal Pais - Santa Teresa - Costa Rica Malpais / Santa Teresa

Malpais and Santa Teresa lie on the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, which juts far into the Pacific Ocean on Costa Rica's Northern Pacific coast. A few nautical miles out away from the shore, the ocean bottom drops to over one thousand meters deep. Fish that dwell in the open ocean are often close to the shore, providing a spectacular environment for diving, fishing, snorkeling, and scenic boating, with visibility during the dry season of depths up to 100 feet.

Depending on the time of year, visiting Malpais and Santa Teresa area may bring you encounters with a wide array of sharks, tuna, manta rays, dolphins, jacks, barracuda, turtles, and even migrating whales traveling past the Malpais bay. The convergence of major marine currents coupled with the tropical climate and plankton blooms during the heavy rains supports a nutrient rich environment that is a lifeline in the migration routes of many species. Large schools of brilliant and majestic fish, soft coral systems, and mollusks abound in the rich maritime enviornment close to shore.

Malpais is a tranquil and modest seaside village with moderate and casual hotels spread out along three kilometers of road. While in recent years Santa Teresa has seen a boom in development, Malpais has retained a quiet and tranquil atmosphere with large areas undeveloped and unspoiled.

Malpais along the coast is rocky in most places, with fascinating volcanic formations gracing a unique natural scenery. Old growth jungle stretches right into the shore, where one may find a wide range of shore quality, from short sandy stretches, to rocky outcroppings, or beaches composed entirely of tiny crumbling seashells. Malpais is an ideal place to experience solitude within striking, unspoiled shore life.

The village of Malpais is nearly devoid of shops and tourist services, although hotels and dining options cover a wide range from local rustic to high budget restaurants with tremendous views into the hills of Guanacaste.

At the southern tip of Malpais is a small fishing port which serves as a base for boat tours around the tip of the peninsula. Fishermen will be guaranteed a good catch on nearly any day, and sight seers will not be disappointed if they visit the waters of the maritime sanctuary of Cabo Blanco.

At the southern end Malpais borders the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, while to the north it merges with Santa Teresa, where there's lots of shops, tourist facilities and a vibrant, hip and thriving surfer scene. Although Malpais is famed as one of the top surf destinations in Costa Rica, the most popular surf spots are actually on the beaches of its neighbor to the north, Santa Teresa, known on the international scene as the "New Eldorado."

New hotels and shops are springing up every day in Santa Teresa, and this former small fishing village with a 5 kilometer dirt road down the middle of town, has claimed the hearts of many who were just passing through on a surfing vacation, and decided to stay forever. Broad sandy beaches have surf for the advanced as well as the beginner. International tastes have brought a wide range of flavors to the restaurant scene of Santa Teresa, and during the high season especially there is abundant night life, dancing, and a range of live music to choose from. Day activities at that time of year span an interesting range of international influences, and visitors may find themselves passing on the traditional tropical fun to enjoy a class in acrobatics or choose from a wide range of yoga at different hotels. As the sun sets, everyone heads to the sprawling beach to watch the sunset and make plans for the evening.

Mal Pais is a tranquil little village with charming hotels loosely spread out along three kilometers of road.

At the southern end it borders the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve while to the north it merges with Santa Teresa where you find shops, tourist facilities and a vibrant surfer scene.

Although Mal Pais is famed as one of the top surf destinations in Costa Rica, the most popular surf spots are actually on the beaches of Santa Teresa -> Surf in Mal Pais and Santa Teresa

While in recent years Santa Teresa has seen a boom in development, Mal Pais has largely retained its quiet atmosphere with large areas of unspoiled nature.

The coast of Mal Pais is in many places rocky, with some bizarre volcanic formations creating fascinating scenery.

On a beach walk flocks of pelicans will sometimes be your only company. Old growth forest spills down to the shore where rocky outcroppings alternate with sandy stretches and beaches made up entirely of tiny shells.

At the southern end of Mal Pais is the small fishermen port which is also the basis for tours by boat around the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. The maritime sanctuary of Cabo Blanco serves as a nursery for many aquatic species and from your boat you can watch dolphins, manta rays or whales. If you are into fishing, a good catch is almost guaranteed.

There is no entrance to the Cabo Blanco Park from the Mal Pais side but there are various options to explore the direct neighbourhood of the National Park. You can swoop through the jungle on a canopy tour, amble on horseback through the hills of Cabo Blanco, or hike along the coast: Playa Las Suecas lies on the border to the National Park. You get there by passing by the fishermen port, then follow the dirt road until you see a small path to your right which takes you to the beach. The large rocky pool of Playa Las Suecas is the best spot for snorkeling in Mal Pais.

The village of Mal Pais is essentially devoid of shops and tourist services. Hotels and dining options however range from top notch to rustic though scenic beachfront with the surf bashing over jagged cliffs and views across the beach of Santa Teresa and far beyond to the hills of Guanacaste.

From Mal Pais to the Cabo Blanco National Park

From the village center of Mal Pais it's a scenic 9 km drive to Cabo Blanco on a little road over the hills and via the small village of Cabuya. The first 2 kms of way passes through a river valley with marvelous lush jungle covering steep slopes on both sides. Then the road goes steeply uphill into the rolling hills of the Cabo Blanco backlands. There are no houses all the way to Cabuya (7 km from Mal Pais) and you have to cross two rivers. In rainy season this is not always possible.
Before the road drops down to Cabuya you will have a panoramic view of the valley of Cabuya with the prominent Cemetery Island.

The Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve opens at 8 a.m. and the earlier you go the more you will see. A hike to the beach of Playa Cabo Blanco and return takes approx 4 hours. Open hours are 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Mondays and Tuesdays the Cabo Blanco Reserve is closed

The beaches of Malpais and Santa Teresa belong to the best surf spots in Costa Rica. There are a variety of world-class breaks offering ideal surf conditions throughout the year.

The main surf beach, Playa El Carmen, is on the border between Malpais and Santa Teresa. It has a good set of sand bars that offer some nice lefts and slightly longer rights. As with all beach breaks, the sand bars can change overnight. For latest information ask at the Malpais Surf Camp or at one of the surf shops in Santa Teresa.

The break of Playa Carmen is popular with long-boarders but you can always find a few hot short-boarders pulling tail slides, aerials and 360s.

Rip tides and beach breaks at Playa Carmen are less powerful than in other surf spots of the Costa Rican Pacific, making the surf suitable for beginners to learn on.

The waves tend to get heavier, faster and steeper as you head north towards Playa Santa Teresa. Here it is easier to find your own uncrowded peak but you should be careful for submerged rocks in the sea.

Overview of Surf Spots:

El Carmen: A long right and a shorter left, surfing over sand. It is the best break for beginners learning to surf.

The other surf spots in Malpais are more challenging and not suited for beginners:

Punta Barrigona: A reef break with a long lefthander which wraps round the point turning into a great hot dog wave as it moves through the inside. Needs a lot of swell to work properly.

Los Suecos: Another lefthander reef break with a fast take off followed by a long workable wall. Gets hollow with size and offshore winds but does also need a good swell to work.

Surf in Santa Teresa and further north:

Santa Teresa: Usually bigger and more hollow than Playa Carmen. The surf is better on low tide when waves tend to be faster.

Playa Hermosa: Beach break, lefts and rights. A long sandy beach, rather uncrowded. Another new thrill here is kite surfing.

Manzanillo: The reef is offshore at the north end of the beach. Very fickle wave which needs a lot of swell to work.

Santa Teresa
When you drive down the road from Cobano to the beach, you will get to "the crossroads", near Franks Place and the new mall. Santa Teresa is everything to the right, and Malpais is everything to the left. The crossroads is at Playa Carmen. No one knows what to call this area. Is it Malpais, Santa Teresa, or Playa Carmen? Whatever you call it, the 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 there 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. Every week another building appears, and there is a lot of development. So far, nothing over three stories high, but high-rise condos seem inevitable, since the real estate prices have made land very expensive. Still the prices rise as 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.

Most of Santa Teresa is white sand beaches, with occasional rocky outcroppings. There are many public access roads to the beaches, and many natural rocky outcroppings and occasional rocky bottoms create some interesting and varied surf conditions. There are two great point breaks in Santa Teresa. 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 known as the place where the beautiful people of the world come to surf. Many celebrities and supermodels have been spotted here, sometimes riding a wave next to you. This is a surfer's paradise with beautiful sunsets almost every night.

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. It has 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.

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