While Santa Teresa, Costa Rica is a beautiful and popular travel destination, it may not be the right fit for everyone. Here are the top 5 reasons why you might reconsider visiting Santa Teresa.
1. Santa Teresa Costa Rica Can be Expensive
Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, can be relatively expensive compared to other parts of the country, mainly due to it being a popular tourist destination.
Dining out at restaurants can vary in price, with casual eateries offering meals around $15 per meal/person. Mid-Range restaurants may charge between $30 and $40 per meal/person. If you choose to dine at high end restaurants you can expect to spend upwards for $60 per person.
Grocery shopping can be relatively expensive in this area as well. Basic food items, such as bread milk and eggs are generally more expensive compared to urban areas. A loaf of bread might cost around $3, a litre of milk around $2 and a dozen eggs around $4. Its advisable to budget accordingly when visiting Santa Teresa Costa Rica, as the cost of living, dining, and shopping is noticeably higher due to its appeal as a tourist destination.
2. Limited Budget Friendly Accommodations
Santa Teresa is not your typical town as it basically consists of one long road. Here you will find all the restaurants, activities and beach access. If your accommodation is far from this main road, you may end up walking long distances or be required to drive every time you leave your apartment/rental.
While it’s not impossible to find budget friendly accommodations in close proximity to the main road, these accommodations can quickly fill up during the dry season and you can expect prices to be inflated during this time. Therefore, if you are planning a trip during the dry season, book your accommodations as soon as possible. On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from $80 to $350 per night for an accommodation in Santa Teresa. This obviously depends on your level of luxury and the amenities you want from your rental.
Here are a few budget friendly accommodations:
- Zeneidas Surf Garden: This is a hostel with an excellent location close to the beach. Price range from $45 to $120 per night depending on what season you are visiting.
- Cocobolo Surf Hotel & School: This is another, very beautiful, hostel. Location is near Hermosa beach, which isn’t bad. Price ranges from $70 to $140 depending on what season you are visiting.
- Cuatro Vientos Lodge & Apartments: This is another beautiful hostel that is located is Mal Pais. Price range from $60 to $150 per night.
3. Poor Road Conditions
Getting to Santa Teresa can be an adventure in itself. The town is known to have rugged, bumpy and sometimes challenging roads, especially during rainy season. If you’re not a fan of navigating unpaved, gravel roads, then the journey to Santa Teresa will be less then ideal for you.
I would recommend spending the money to take a shuttle service instead of trying to use public transportation to get to Santa Teresa. If you have a car, I would consider renting an ATV to get around Santa Teresa.
Rent a Car vs. ATV in Santa Teresa Costa Rica?
Many locals and travellers choose to rent ATVs or motorbikes to navigate through Santa Teresa. With a car you will find travel times are longer due to road conditions. Finding parking can be more challenging with a car. If your accommodation is central to the main road and you are not planning to explore the area, a car will be just fine. However, if you are planning for adventure, or your accommodation is not close to the main road, I would save yourself the headache and rent an ATV. If you are on tight budget, renting a bicycle is another option.
There are plenty of rental shops on the main road. Therefore you should not have a problem finding one if renting an ATV is something you choose to do in Santa Teresa. You can expect to pay around $70 per day for a ATV rental. If you are visiting during the peak season, I recommend booking one well in advance.
4. Large Crowds During Dry Season
If you are visiting Santa Teresa Costa Rica during the dry season/peak season, from Mid-December to April, you can expect to find a significant number of tourists, leading to more crowded conditions. The crowds in Santa Teresa tend to be young adults. If you are considering your visit during the dry season, you will need to consider the following:
- Crowded Beaches: Popular beaches such as Santa Teresa and Playa Carmen can get crowded during dry season. If you prefer quieter and more secluded beach experiences, you might want to consider exploring less-visited spots.
- Planning in Advance: Due to the higher number of tourists during the dry season, you will need to plan your activities and excursions well ahead to time. Popular tours and activities can get fully booked quickly.
- Longer Wait-Times: As with any vacation during peak season, with more visitors you might encounter increased waiting times for local services, such as restaurants, stores and rentals.
5. Beach and Surf are the Main Activities
If beach activities are not your thing, you wont find that there is much to do, in Santa Teresa.
The towns main attractions revolve around the beach and water-related activities. If you’re not interested in these, you may find the options for alternative activities to be limited. There are few things to do that are not beach related. However if you venture outside of Santa Teresa to you can find waterfalls, tide pools and mid afternoon turtle releases in Montezuma. Montezuma is another small beach town located approximately 45 minutes from Santa Teresa. This close beach town could be a good day trip or place to stay that offers less beach related activities.
Remember that what some people view as disadvantages, others may view as the charm of Santa Teresa. It’s essential to consider your preferences and travel expectations when deciding whether to visit this Costa Rican destination. Santa Teresa is a great destination to visit year-round and visiting during the off-season may help knock some disadvantages off this list, such as crowds and high prices.