Santa Teresa, Costa Rica ~ Trip recap!

Want to get away to relax AND adventure? This just might be the perfect trip for both!

My friend Chelsey, whom I had met training in Newport Beach, reached out saying she was putting on a 6 day yoga retreat in Santa Teresa. I had never been to Costa Rica nor had I ever gone on a yoga retreat. But being the spontaneous creature that I am, and having an extremely busy and productive year, I knew it was the perfect trip I had been needing and I was in. After mentioning it to my boyfriend, he was in too…for the surf. ;)

This trip was a 10/10 in my book. It was the perfect mix of decompressing from a stressful work routine + reigniting my thrill for adventure. Give it to nature to suck you in and spit you out in the best way possible.

We spent the entire trip in the beach town of Santa Teresa—a quaint jungle by the beach, known for it’s laid back lifestyle filled with good food and people looking to slow down and connect to nature and themselves.

Travel Steps:

Step 1: Book your flight. We used Copa Air because it was the cheapest and included 1 free checked bag! We booked it less than a month before. LAX —> SJO. The flight was $525 round trip, with a 1 hour layover in Panama. I couldn’t find a direct flight. Copa Air had in air access to their app in which you could watch movies and shows but no screens on board.

Recommend: Taking a red-eye! We took an overnight flight there and it was great, especially if you can sleep like me ;). First flight 6.5 hours. Second, 1.5 hours. BUT you’re not done yet…

Step 2: Book your 2nd flight. SJO —>TAMBOR. Once you arrive in SJO, you will literally walk 100 yards outside to the domestic departures. We used Green Airways. This flight was $200 round trip and you need it to get to the peninsula of Santa Teresa. It is only a 30 min flight and super fun with amazing views. 😍 Ps. It’s a very small plane.

Step 3: Book a taxi or bring cash for a taxi waiting! You’ll need a ride into Santa Teresa. It’s about a 45 min drive from this spot.

Step 4: Buy health pass!

It’s about $10 a day. Download the QR code, needed for screening at security and boarding. We did not need a covid test to fly but we did need one on the way back. So you will have to arrange one there.

Packing: If you can, I’d try and not check a bag! You barely wear much while you’re there and I ended up wearing the same items. It’s hot and humid. Think: summer camp vibes! Outdoor fun. Leave the fancy at home.

Things I wish I brought:

Less leggings and more shorts. It’s humid guys. Nothing more than casual. Even if it’s a dress.

Sarongs! I bought one there (overpriced though). These come in so handy going from your hotel to the beach, and they’re so light and comfortable. I wore this the most with a bikini top.
Bring a few so you can use one for lying on the beach and you won’t need much ;)

Bring:
CASH (I can’t say this enough. They had 2 ATMs there but they weren’t working every time I tried). They take credit cards at some places for sure but other places only cash!
I’d come prepared so you don’t have to waste time looking for them and have more time to play.
Weeks worth of:
-Active wear. Sports bras, tanks and short bottoms.
-Shoes like flip flops, tevas and running shoes.
-Short Jogger set. Wore this Free People set a lot! (On sale)
Comfy and loose!
(Bring clothes/shoes you wouldn’t mind getting dirty from hiking, rain and dirt).
I recommend Vuori active wear. They have a great variety for all body shapes.
Bug spray. Bugs weren’t too bad until the last day when I had 6 bites haha.
Comfortable beach bag or tote.
Nothing flashy. It’s very laid back there even when you go out to dinners. I brought 2 silkier dresses and never wore them.

WHERE WE STAYED:

We came 2 days before the yoga retreat and stayed at Selina Santa Teresa North for the first 2 days. It’s a cute, pink surf hostel with quick access to the beach. It has a pool and lots of meetups going on. Only $75 a night and that was for a queen and 1 bunk room. Yes, they have AC! This is a perfect place for people who spend the whole day adventuring. It also had a few cute clothing spots next to it where I bought some local glasses and a hat :)

Apparently they have Selinas in lots of other countries - super cool!

The next places we stayed was House Of Somos. We stayed here for a week. It was amazing and probably the trendiest on the street.

We felt so safe here! It has an airstream bar inside, and the restaurant here was one of my favorites! There’s a pool and tons of places to lounge and feel the zen. We did morning yoga here on the top deck, which was right outside our room. They have AC and just the cutest decor. You can rent surf boards here and they also had a kitchen area and fridge for you to buy and cook if staying more long term.

It’s actually quite small so you will get to know others staying there.

Keep in mind, the main street in Santa Teresa isn’t that long and filled with lots of restaurants and hostels - so don’t stress to much about where you stay!

Activity MUST DO’s:

Rent ATV’s. It’s the best way to get around town. Faster than cars, the roads can be sketchy. They were $75/day.
Local surf right in front! Playa hermosa is a great beach to learn. They have tons of rentals and surf lessons if you’re new too. Get out there the water is warm!
Sunsets. It feels like the whole town watches the sunset every night on the beach. They all clap and juggle soccer balls. It’s a great time to connect with nature.
Local Full Moon party. It felt like the whole town closed up early to attend this on the mountain DJ party. It started at midnight, which was tough because I fall asleep much earlier than that. But I jumped on the espresso martini train and it was well worth it! We rode ATV’s, and thank God we did because it was straight up a dirt mountain in the jungle haha. We only stayed a couple hours but it felt fun to do something spontaneous through the Santa Teresa grape vine.
Excursions: (I would choose a 2-3). I don’t recommend taking on too many or you’ll end up wiped out.
Montezuma Waterfall. This is about 40 min from Santa Teresa. By ATV is fastest. An easy hike if you start at the top and go down. It’s beautiful! And wasn’t too crowded.
Tortuga Island (with a local tour guide!). There was mixed feelings about this one from the group, but I also know some were from Hawaii and have super high expectations of snorkeling 😅 We ended up going with a local guy, he was fun and eccentric. He took us on a small boat (not where most boats leave from) and gave us beers for the super fun journey. It was about an hour ride to the turtle shaped island. And you know I loved that, since I have a pet tortoise 🥲💚. We stopped to snorkel around a rock which was fun but you don’t see too much.
When we got to the island, a picnic meal was included. I feel like this could be a touristy activity, but I enjoyed the local “Cocolocos” they were making us straight from coconuts. While on the island we saw wild pigs and a peacock. All in all it was worth it if you just want to chill on an island! But if you get bored easily, you may want to skip this little trip.
Other people did zip lining and went to see monkeys, so that’s another idea!

All in all, Santa Teresa was the perfect trip for getting back to nature and enjoying the simple things in life. I made new friends and got to spend quality time with my boyfriend away from our crazy work schedules. This place will shift your perspective in the most positive way. The “PURA vida” culture they are encompassing there is contagious and I respect it so much. I talked to multiple people living there saying, they moved there from Argentina because of the lifestyle. This little beach town is probably going to blow up over the next few years, so I would get there before the prices really get high. Because to be honest, it’s not incredibly cheap at this point, but still affordable!

Next time I’d love to see more parts of Costa Rica, more mountains and jungles but this beach only trip was one for the books! As our yogi teacher Chels reminded us daily, “Why not?!” 😉

Go. Do it. Don’t hold back.