Top Free Activities in Santa Teresa
We at Costa Rica Beach Rentals know that vacation is all about treating yourself. Taking a break from the daily grind and getting away from it all is about replenishing our souls and filling our glass of happiness to overflow. That said, it doesn’t have to break the bank either. Once you’ve made it to our little piece of paradise, Santa Teresa, with its beautiful beaches and top surf breaks, there are plenty of things to do to help balance your vacation budget. Fine dining, craft beer, massages, and retreats are all the rave and easy to find from Mal Pais to Playa Hermosa, but there are a multitude of activities just as entertaining that won’t cost you a dime! Feel free to leave your wallet at home because we’ve got your guide to the top free activities in the area.
It’s low tide twice a day, and what better way to relax than in one of many local tide pools. The rocky outcrops of Santa Teresa do more than provide excellent surf breaks and well-defined beaches and bays. They also provide privacy for those looking to soak their bodies and soak up the sun at the same time. Pack a picnic, complete with a bottle of wine, and wonder out onto the rocks to find your own personal swimming pool with waves crashing just yards away. Often containing colorful tropical fish like you’d find in a city fish tank, these pools are the perfect temperature to relax in all day long and there are so many scattered around the area, there will always be one waiting just for you.
Another highlight on any tourism list for the area is consistently the Montezuma waterfalls. A three-tiered waterfall with gradually increasing drops are perfect for a swim or, if you’re the thrill seeker type, a bit of cliff jumping. Park in town to save a buck or pay just $2 for all-day parking close to the base, a short hike alongside a rocky riverbed opens into an awe-inspiring valley with a 60-foot waterfall. With multiple semi-submerged boulders perfect for the kids to jump into the cool waters or some simple sun tanning, the base pool will be where you’ll find a crowd during a holiday weekend. If you’re looking for more privacy, that can be easily remedied with a short hike around to the top where a 25-foot waterfall spills over the edge into another large pool. Trees perfect for hanging a slack-line across and a rope swing already in place makes this the hangout for more active participants. There’s even a small 10-foot waterfall where kids can safely jump and little wading pools above to soak in. The Montezuma waterfalls are a must-see budget or no budget, so be sure to check this one out.
If you’re looking for near complete isolation and beautiful vistas, a great activity can be the Manzanillo beach drive. While most all the beaches in the area are restricted to vehicles, an old thoroughfare to a nearby town Coyote allows vehicles to drive on the Manzanillo beach when it’s not turtle mating season. Vehicles can drive all the way to the Rio Bongo before having to turn back meaning you can put multiple kilometers between you and civilization. Perfect for taking a rented motorcycle or quad out, you’ll be able to open on the throttle and feel the wind in your hair. Stop off in a shady spot for a weekend picnic and some snorkeling around the reef or turn back and take a ride through the hills, this is a complete experience hard to find elsewhere in the world.
Last but certainly not least there is a highlight show every evening on the beaches here. The world-renowned sunsets of Mal Pais, Santa Teresa, and Playa Hermosa are so impressive that many businesses willfully close down from 5 to 6 so even local employees don’t miss the show. Whether it’s a heavenly golden glow shining up beneath the clouds, bathing the beaches in soft light or it’s the layered purples, pinks, and oranges that artists around the world attempt to capture in their paintings, the sunsets here are beyond the imagination. Every evening is something different with people often applauding as the sun sinks below the horizon, kids hoping to catch their first glimpse of the legendary “green flash” that’s a rare special treat. And it doesn’t end once the sun has gone to bed. The hour following sunset is known as “magic hour” due to that constantly changing color pallet of the sky. This is a highlight for photographers basking any subject in the perfect light and is often the time of day destination weddings are centered around.
So, there you have it, a complete day with not a dollar spent. Time to kick back and relax in your amazing beach rental. Plenty of memorable sights to behold that you’ll be able to make all your friends back home jealous with, and the best part about it is all the money you have left to treat yourself tomorrow. If you haven’t made your way here yet and you’re just checking into things, now is the time to rent. Costa Rica Beach Rentals is your place to find luxury rentals for a great price to push that happiness meter to overload. Santa Teresa is exactly the paradise you’ve dreamed of and we’ll be happy to help guide you to adding amazing details to that dream you’ve never even imagined. Now is the time, so don’t hesitate, even though in Costa Rica there is no such thing as too late. Pura vida!
