Santa Teresa & Malpais, Costa Rica – Beach and Jungle

Santa Teresa beach was voted one of the top ten beaches in the world by Forbes Magazine.

Welcome to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world: Malpais and Santa Teresa, known for their rugged jungle beauty, unforgettable sunsets, and especially the epic surf in Santa Teresa. The area has also become known as a hot spot for amazing cuisine in Costa Rica, since many amazing chefs have moved here from different parts of the world.

The instant you arrive in Santa Teresa and Malpais, you’ll find a very special place, quite unlike most other beach towns in Costa Rica. This town has been compared with Hawaii 40 years go, or the beach towns of California, but with monkeys, warm water, and friendly locals.

Despite the fact that word has discovered Santa Teresa and Malpais in recent years, the area still has gorgeous beaches that are uncrowded, as well as secret waterfalls with warm water pools surrounded by jungle canopy, and surf spots with no one there.

Santa Teresa and Malpais are two small beach towns that are run together and create one incredible spot for surfing. Malpais is more rocky, but Santa Teresa is primarily sandy surfing beaches with warm, clean water and year round epic waves. The area has many surf schools, camps, and instructors who make their living here.

There are many tourists from Europe and South America … not just the U.S. and Canada, and many have stayed in the area, opening up a variety of hotels and restaurants. The food in Santa Teresa is beyond belief for such a small place. Many five-star chefs have set up their own restaurants in Santa Teresa, and they consistently produce incredible food.

Santa Teresa has also become very popular as a surf destination from within Costa Rica itself, and many Costa Ricans visit the area on weekends and holidays. The name Malpais translates directly as “bad country” but in fact is better translated as “badlands” because the area’s rivers dry up during the rainy season, making it inhospitable to cattle and farmers. But now, there are many wells drilled in the area, providing water to the citizens of Santa Teresa.

Santa Teresa, Costa Rica offers a variety of luxurious villas and vacation rental homes. The most consistently popular are the beachfront homes, which always fulfill the tropical beach fantasies of their rental clients. These range from $350 to $2000 per night, although there are a few cheaper options. Even the highest price vacation rental houses are frequently booked, and many celebrities and movie stars have been seen here escaping the cameras of the paparazzi. This may be because Forbes Magazine voted the beaches of Santa Teresa to be among the top ten most beautiful in the world.

Renting a villa for vacation, as opposed to staying in a hotel, has become very popular, and is growing. Many travelers have discovered that they can have more space and privacy for less money, and they enjoy the unique nature of each home. There are a variety of architectural styles among the rental houses in the Santa Teresa and Malpais villages, something to suit the taste of everyone.

The hotels of the area are unique and mostly mom-and-pop type of places. The beachfront hotels are the most popular, ranging from $100-$1000 per night for a room, and the rooms of all price categories are frequently booked. The gorgeous setting of Santa Teresa makes it very popular with honeymooners, and for people having weddings, and many of the rental houses and hotels cater to such clientelle.

Article submitted by Geoffrey McCabe from Santa Teresa Vacation Home and Rental, please visit his website  for your vacation home and rental needs.

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