Going to Santa Teresa this summer, wondering if anybody knows about any good restaurants or just some fun things to do there. And also, how's the surf?
surf is pretty fun. the main beach break will close out if it gets much above 8ft, something that is a real possibility depending on the time of year...when in the summer are you going? being a south facing region, it really pulls in swell coming up from the southern hemisphere. i was there back in 2005...there are a lot of really cool little restaurants & bars in town as i recall. i'm sure things have changed a lot since then, but it was a neat town. you'll have a good time, for sure.
Totally awesome little town with rock reefs north and south and barrelin beach breaks right out front. sun screen and light colored rash guards/tshirts will be your friend. plenty of cool locals and tourists to chill with and surf shops if you dont bring your own board. i stayed at xenedas (i think thats how you spell it) for cheap, like $20 a night, but its bare bones. everything is probably way more built up by now, that was a few years ago. 40's of imperial and "jamaican" were cheap and helped ease the pain at night. bring a mosquito net. no phone service when i was there, but a few internet cafes to report back home. have fun and get shacked.
It's my favorite place. try Zaneidas Lefts. bring rain gear, skeeter repellant and plenty of rope. the roads will be hazardous between Cobano to MP.
There's another old thread on here somewhere about Santa Teresa, see if you can search it. Good place to go in the summer for swell but it is the rainy season. If it maxes out at the beaches in town look north or south to find the reefs because they can get really epic. Montezuma is a cool little town a few miles away where you can hike to a waterfall and swim. You can rent ATV's, charter a fishing trip, go zip-lining, etc. Have fun!
santa teresa is nice but I would personally stay in montefuma, rent a car, and surf the whole area. The entire beach from the ferry to the point is nothing but rock reefs and coves. Mal pies is a super fun wave also. I probably said this in the last s.t. thread, but, my old man said that the place reminded him of vietnam
Just got back from Mal Pais/ST in late February, a lot of fun, glassy every morning - waist to chest at least (everyday), should be bigger in the summer. Lots of room to move. Awesome little bakery in town, bars, places to eat, etc...looking forward to going back. Rented a quad and took out to Cabo Blanco nature reserve for the day...seemed like enough stuff to do as well as surf everyday. Tommyh gave me some great advice on the area, he knows it well.
The last time I drove from Mal Pais to Cabuya thru Cabo Blanco, I saw a big black panther. it was in a gully between 2 peaks. I stopped, we made eye contact, and the thing jump straight up 20+ feet. I grabbed my camera and ran to where it was just standing. THEN I thought was a stupid move that was. I could hear its lips smacking prior to me running away screaming like a little school girl. if you get to Cabuya, there's a left hander that peals off a shallow shelf called Cedros. It's usually crowded. there's another break in between Cedros and Cabo on the south side of the bridge. High tide break only! at low tide the whole bottom is exposed and there are monoliths all over there. On the North side there a cool little hostel that was built by a guy named Fransisco. He's the pastor of the nearby church. the walls are slats and made to keep out rain and allow airflow.
Mal Pais Surf Camp is the bomb and just down the road a little bit. Da Monkey is a little bar in town that we had a great time at. Also, there is a restraunt right on the beach across from Frankie's Place that was fantastic.
We own a hotel in the area, and we post this blog about the area and the local restaurants. Sorry don't usually post here because I don't want to upset people, but I get no kick back from this businesses. http://blog.bluesurfsanctuary.com
Been there a few times now. I prefer Mal Pais over ST but both places are great! As for dinner the best restaurant (and reasonable) is in Mal Pais. Hotel Ritmo. Italian guy married a local Tica great food and plenty to fill you after a long day in the water. Jonathan the bartender to make a killer Mojito. I'm jealous...but enjoy!
A great place to eat is Las Pierdas..look for guys wearing shirts that say, "its the sh!t" its an Argentinian grill. Just down the road is an Israeli place and as always the bakery is awesome....lots of great food in the area. This time of year it does get big and close out at the beach breaks as previously mentioned, you can get an idea by checking out www.malpaisurfcam.com I think the camera is at a break called La Lara near Hermosa but it is a good indicator. Have fun and if you rent boards go to Jobbies.
I was down in Santa Theresa in November. One thing to note is that it can get pretty dusty if you're staying around the main dirt road thoroughfare through town (if you're planning to rent an ATV, bring some ski goggles), though late summer is the wet season so there should be fewer people, less dust and better deals to be had. When it gets overhead and the beach breaks start to close out, there's a great left point break called Sunset Reef down at the end of the road in Mal Pais where the fishermen launch from. You can enjoy a session there and then pickup some fresh fish for peanuts direct from the fisherman to grill up later. +1 on Las Piedras for their whole grilled chicken with Chimichurri.
November is definately the best time of year to go, before it gets nuts down there. Luckily they refuse to pave the road from Cobano so it hopefully will remain relatively quiet. You are right though about the dust, it is bad, last year they didnt have much of a rainy season so the roads were dry in November/ December, wound up buying a pair of goggles at the super ronnie, that by the time the month was up were just trashed. Hopefully this year will be a light rainy season as I go every year at different times trying to decide weather or not to move permanently and Im going in October during what is supposed to be the worst of the rain...but that time of the year seems to be the only time when Mar Azul breaks and is empty.
