Laid-back surf towns
Southwest of Montezuma, on the Pacific ocean side of the Nicoya Peninsula, Mal País (Bad Country) and Santa Teresa draw people who want a laid-back vacation and who appreciate the great surfing on both beaches.
The coastline here is beautiful and dramatic, rock outcroppings alternating with long stretches of white sand, with dense foliage covering the hills sloping down to the shore.
Carmen and Santa Teresa especially are expanding rapidly and consist of hotels, restaurants, and new homes strung along the main road, which is unpaved and runs parallel to the beach. Rutted lanes veer off the main road and head for the beach.
From the inland town of Cóbano the road leads southwest to Carmen. Go left at the crossroads and you'll find Mal País; go right and you'll hit Santa Teresa.
Keep heading north (the road gets progressively worse) and you'll come to Manzanillo. Keep going up the coast, and if the road is passable, you'll eventually reach Bongo, Caletas, and Punto Coyote, tiny towns more often accessed from the north or from inland.
The coastline here is beautiful and dramatic, rock outcroppings alternating with long stretches of white sand, with dense foliage covering the hills sloping down to the shore.
Carmen and Santa Teresa especially are expanding rapidly and consist of hotels, restaurants, and new homes strung along the main road, which is unpaved and runs parallel to the beach. Rutted lanes veer off the main road and head for the beach.
From the inland town of Cóbano the road leads southwest to Carmen. Go left at the crossroads and you'll find Mal País; go right and you'll hit Santa Teresa.
Keep heading north (the road gets progressively worse) and you'll come to Manzanillo. Keep going up the coast, and if the road is passable, you'll eventually reach Bongo, Caletas, and Punto Coyote, tiny towns more often accessed from the north or from inland.
| Area | Nicoya Peninsula |
| Categories | Activities, Beaches & Towns |
| Website | http://www.nicoyapeninsula.com/malpais/ |