Santa Teresa

The whole strand has a sand bottom, so waves can be ridden anywhere along it. At low tide they break further out and beginners work there.

Half an hour of driving and a walk upriver reach three falls in a row. Some sections need hands on the rock, so shoes matter.

No protected area here is older, and it was set aside in 1963. Two hours of walking down reaches a beach with almost nobody on it.

Low tide leaves water standing in hollows between the rocks. It warms up and people sit in it watching the surf.

A small village across the peninsula has a waterfall dropping straight into the sea. The lanes are short enough to walk the whole place in ten minutes.

With no surface on it the road throws up heavy dust in the dry season. A quad bike has become the usual way of getting about.

Down at the village's southern edge the waves come in smaller. It looks toward the setting sun, and people gather to sit there in the evening.

A roofed platform set among the trees is where classes run. Birds and surf are both heard and there are no walls.

Their dawn calls carry three kilometres. They live in the trees over the village and the sound wakes everyone.

A ferry links the mainland to the peninsula several times daily. It takes vehicles, the crossing runs ninety minutes and dolphins sometimes show from the deck.

A wide beach running north from Santa Teresa village. With few shops or lodgings, it holds fewer surfers than the stretch in front of town and the sand stays empty. At sunset on a low tide, the wet sand mirrors the sky and draws photographers.

A small fishing village past Santa Teresa's southern edge, on the road to Cabo Blanco. Boats come in on the rocky shore, and a few kitchens cook what they landed that day. Far quieter than the surf strip, it draws people driving down for the evening sun.

An island in the Gulf of Nicoya reached by boat from the Montezuma or Paquera side, with a white sand beach and clear water. Most go on day tours that snorkel, eat lunch on the island and return. Shade is scarce, so bring sun cover.

A private refuge on the way from the Paquera ferry to Santa Teresa. Its beaches and forest paths often turn up white-faced capuchins and deer. Handy straight off the boat, it makes a short walk for people on their way into the peninsula.