Things to do in Santa Teresa with kids (or without)

Last updated on July 1, 2025

Santa Teresa is a laid-back surf town on the Nicoya Peninsula with a hippy soul and a whole lot of style. The dusty main road might not look like much at first glance, but it’s lined with hip cafés, boutiques, and surf shops. Plus, once you turn toward the beach, it’s a different world. Palm-lined sands stretch as far as the eye can see, with waves rolling in and sunsets that stop you in your tracks.

What started as a haven for hippies has become a bit of a mecca for digital nomads, surfers, and barefoot luxury lovers. Smoothie bars and boutique yoga studios rub shoulders with taco shacks and roadside BBQ joints. There’s a strong expat presence, and at times it feels more international than local, which can go both ways.

For us, it was a perfect mix of cool, creative, and family-friendly. While it’s definitely skewing more exclusive these days, there are ways to keep things more local and authentic. It was one of my favourite spots on our Costa Rica road trip.

What’s Santa Teresa like?

Unlike rowdy backpacker towns like Tamarindo, Santa Teresa is bohemian and relaxed. It began as a haven for hippy surfers, and while the style is now more polished and digital nomad friendly, the vibe is still chill. We stayed in the northern part of town, which is popular with families and perfect for re-living those backpacker days.

Where to stay in Santa Teresa with kids

Try to avoid all the Malibu-style rentals that people are building around town and go for something more local. The boom in the town’s popularity and development has hit many of the older businesses hard. We stayed at Blue Surf Sanctuary, which was like a luxurious grown-up version of a hostel. I can’t recommend it enough – read the full review here.

Things to do in Santa Teresa

Surf lessons

Santa Teresa is a surf town through and through, and we couldn’t have asked for a better place for the boys to have their first lesson. Toro, their instructor, was phenomenal – patient, warm, and totally in tune with how to make the experience fun and confidence-building. It was a joy to watch them light up as they caught their first waves.

Beach time

Santa Teresa’s beach is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever been to – wild and unspoiled, with sweeping sands fringed by jungle. It’s perfect for whiling away a day, building sandcastles, and playing in the waves.  

Tide pooling

When the tide goes out, it leaves behind shallow pools filled with crabs, shells, and other sea life. The best places for this are in the northern part of Santa Teresa at El Peñon and Playa Hermosa.

Horse riding

Explore jungle trails, beaches, and hidden paths by horseback – perfect for families and guided by local ranches.

ATV tours

Adventure-loving families can rent ATVs for guided tours along coastal roads and jungle tracks, discovering waterfalls and secluded beaches.

Boat trips and fishing

Take boat trips for whale watching, dolphin spotting, and fishing. Tortuga Island is a popular boat trip destination.

Bioluminescence tours

See the magical glow of bioluminescent plankton at night near Mal Pais – an unforgettable experience for kids and adults alike. We did this at Isla Chiquita and were all enchanted!

Montezuma waterfall

Head to nearby Montezuma for a hike to spectacular waterfalls and swimming holes. It’s also a cute little town to visit, smaller than Santa Teresa and with more of a classic hippy vibe.

Kayaking and SUP

Rent kayaks or stand-up paddleboards for peaceful explorations along the coast and mangrove forests.

Zip-lining

For adrenaline-seekers, zip-line through the jungle canopy with amazing views and exhilarating thrills suitable for older kids and adults.

Skydiving

If parents are craving extreme adventure, Santa Teresa offers incredible skydiving experiences – definitely one for the grown-ups!

Where to eat and drink in Santa Teresa

Santa Teresa has no shortage of good places to eat, from upmarket beachfront spots to rustic roadside joints. Here are some we loved:

Rocamar

Our favourite place to hang out in the Santa Teresa. The beachfront bar has an unbeatable location, perfect for watching the sunset. There are live music evenings, excellent tacos, and a rop swing that acts as a babysitter for the kids.

El Patio

Relaxed, atmospheric, and filled with locals. This garden café is a great spot for breakfast, lunch and people-watching.

The Bakery

Trendy, always busy, and for good reason. Excellent pastries, brunch dishes, and coffee, though The Bakery feels more like it could be in LA or Lisbon rather than rural Costa Rica. There’s air-con inside, which is quite a treat on boiling hot days!

Uma Beach Club

Upscale Mediterranean beach food in a stunning setting. The kids refused to eat there, which was a shame as the vibe was dreamy.

House of Somos

House of Somos really captures the hip Santa Teresa vibe. They hold lots of events and in the daytime, you’ll find many digital nomads. It’s a nice place to stop in for a coffee or juice. The evening has a more grown-up rather than family vibe.

Cafe Social

Casual breakfast/lunch option opposite Blue Surf, serving excellent smoothie bowls and healthy-leaning dishes.

Gaucha

Artisanal ice cream, coffee and Argentine pastries in a bright and friendly café.

Banana Beach Bar

I heard this bar was popular with families in the early evening, but we were there on a Tuesday when they have a big party and the vibe was definitely more grown-up than family-orientated. There was a DJ and the music was super loud. It felt a bit “clubby” so we didn’t stick around, but it’d definitely be fun without kids!

Kooks

BBQ-style food with a sports bar feel. We didn’t love it and decided to go elsewhere.

Grocery store

Brilliant, organic grocery store with loads of health foods and fresh fruit and veg.

How to get around Santa Teresa

The roads in Santa Teresa are mostly dirt and can get very dusty or muddy, depending on the season (they were soooo dusty when we visited in April).

The easiest and most popular way to get around Santa Teresa is by renting an ATV or UTV vehicle. The two-seater ATVs aren’t suitable for little kids, but the four-seater UTVs looked like a fun option. I would have quite liked to hire one, but we already had transport.

We visited when doing a big road trip around Costa Rica, so had our own 4×4 car. Parking was easy on the side of the road.

Walking is good for short distances, especially along the beach or the main road. Bikes are also available for rent, but are best suited for short trips.

Taxis and private shuttle services are also options if you don’t have your own vehicle, but these are a more expensive option.

How to get to Santa Teresa

Santa Teresa is fairly remote in terms of Costa Rica beach towns. The nearest airport is Tambor (a 45-minute drive away). But the likelihood is you’ll be arriving from the international airports of San Jose or Liberia.

From San Jose, you can travel with a combination of car and ferry. Drive/get a shuttle to Puntarenas(1.5 hours) and catch the ferry from there to Paquera (70 minutes). The drive from Paquera to Santa Teresa is just over an hour. You can book the Puntarenas to Paquera ferry here.

From Liberia airport, the drive/transfer is about 4 hours.

Bear in mind that some of the roads to get to Santa Teresa are very bumpy and/or involve river crossings, which Google Maps doesn’t tell you about. For example, if you drove straight down the coast from Nosara, you’d have to cross several potentially crocodile-infested rivers (not joking!), so you’d definitely need a suitable vehicle. We didn’t have a high enough 4×4, so we took the road inland instead.

Found this useful? Share it on Pinterest!