Where to get a gel manicure, acrylics, a pedicure, lash extensions, a lash lift or brow lamination in Santa Teresa and Playa Carmen, with hours, locations, price bands, hygiene notes and how far ahead to book in high season.
Cefra Studio Nails is the best dedicated nail salon in Santa Teresa in 2026, Jade Lashes at Playa Carmen is the lash specialist, and Almendra above Super Ronny 1 is the spa that can fit you in when everyone else is booked two weeks out. A gel manicure runs ₡15,000 to ₡25,000 ($30 to $50) and classic lash extensions ₡40,000 to ₡60,000.
The short version
Santa Teresa has three dedicated nail and lash studios and four spas or salons that do nails as part of a longer menu. The studios, Cefra, Jade Lashes, and Lotus Flower, are cheaper and more skilled at the technical work: acrylic structure, Russian manicure, volume lashes. The spas, Almendra, Aurora, Shusha, and OM, are the places to pair a manicure with a massage or a facial, and they answer WhatsApp in English. Tiffany's at Playa Carmen is the one where a couple can get a barber cut and a set of nails at the same time.
The thing nobody tells you before you arrive: in high season, December to April, the good nail techs here book out one to two weeks ahead, and one Almendra reviewer says it outright. Right now in late September you can get gel nails tomorrow. Plan accordingly if you are here for a wedding in January.
Cefra Studio Nails
Cefra Studio Nails is a dedicated nail studio in Santa Teresa (the listing gives the Cóbano road as its address, so confirm the exact spot on WhatsApp), and it holds the best rating of the nail specialists, 4.8 from nine Google reviews. Small numbers, but the regulars who leave them describe careful cuticle work and gel that lasts through a week of surfing. It is open 8:30am to 7pm Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday, the longest hours of any nail place in town, which matters when you want an early appointment before the beach.
Cefra does gel polish, builder gel, acrylic sets, nail art, and pedicures. Prices are not published; regulars report gel manicures in the ₡15,000 to ₡20,000 range and acrylic sets from about ₡25,000. Book on WhatsApp with a photo of the design. Who it suits: anyone who wants technical nail work rather than a spa manicure, and early risers. The caveat: it is a small studio with a short public record, so ask to see recent sets on the phone if you want something elaborate.
Jade Lashes
Jade Lashes at Playa Carmen is the lash specialist, working under the Dulce Morena Beauty Bar name on Instagram, and it is open 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday. Google reviews sit at 4.6 from ten. The menu is classic and volume lash extensions, fills, lash lifts and tints, and brow lamination and shaping.
Extensions take about two hours for a full set and need a fill every two to three weeks, so if you are here for a fortnight one set will see you out. Expect ₡40,000 to ₡60,000 ($80 to $120) for a classic full set and ₡25,000 to ₡35,000 for a fill or a lash lift; ask for the exact number on WhatsApp. Who it suits: anyone who wants to wake up, surf, and go to dinner without mascara for three weeks. The caveat: salt water and sunscreen loosen lash glue, so budget a fill sooner than you would at home, and wait 24 hours after the appointment before you get in the sea.
Salón Lotus Flower Nails Spa
Lotus Flower is a nail salon at Playa Carmen, open 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday. It does manicures, pedicures, gel, acrylic, and nail art, and it is the earliest opener of the three studios. The Google rating is 4.3 from 13 reviews, lower than Cefra, with praise for speed and price and a rating that suggests results vary between visits.
Prices are the local end: expect ₡12,000 to ₡18,000 for a gel manicure and similar for a pedicure. Who it suits: a quick, cheap pedicure near the cruce before a boat trip or a flight. The caveat: ask for the same technician you had last time if you liked the work, because the reviews suggest it varies.
Almendra Spa, Beauty and Salon
Almendra is upstairs next to Super Ronny 1 on the main road at Playa Carmen, open 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm Sunday, and it does nails, waxing, hair, skincare, and massage. Google reviews sit at 4.8 from 148, the deepest record on this list. One reviewer's line is the most useful sentence in this guide: Almendra is the only person in Santa Teresa who can do nails and get you in without booking two weeks in advance in high season.
The same reviews carry a caveat: a few English speaking clients found the owner short with them when they questioned prices. Ask for the quote in your WhatsApp message (+506 8844 5646) and confirm it before the appointment. Prices are spa level, ₡18,000 to ₡25,000 for a gel manicure. Who it suits: last minute bookings, and a manicure plus a deep tissue massage from Lucy, whose name comes up in review after review. The caveat: the price.
Aurora Spa
Aurora in Plaza Royal has run since 2019 and calls nail artistry its signature. The site sells packaged combinations: the Jetsetter Hands (gel manicure, custom nail art, and extensions), the Beach Goddess Set (spa manicure, spa pedicure, and hand massage), Eyes of a Goddess (lash lift, tint, and eyebrow threading), and a Vacation Ready waxing pack. Bookings are confirmed within two hours and a 15% discount applies when you book two or more services in high season. Google reviews are 4.7 from 82.
Hours are Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm or 6pm depending on season, closed Sunday. A 2026 notice on the site mentioned a temporary move to Mal Pais while the Plaza Royal space is rebuilt, so confirm the address when you book. Who it suits: nail art, a lash lift with threading in the same visit, and anyone who wants a package rather than a single service. The caveat: appointment only, and Sunday is closed.
Shusha Spa and Beauty
Shusha is at Playa Banana, about a kilometre north of the cruce, open 9am to 6pm seven days a week, with a 4.9 Google rating from 37 reviews. It does nails, hair, and facials, and the reviews are mostly women who booked two of the three in one sitting. Who it suits: anyone at the north end of town, Sunday appointments, and a full pre-event session (hair, nails, brows) in one place. The caveat: no website or price list, so send a WhatsApp with what you want and expect a same day quote.
Tiffany's Barber Shop and Nails Salon
Tiffany's at Playa Carmen is half barber chair, half nail table, open 10am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 6pm Saturday, closed Sunday, with a 4.7 rating from 15 reviews. Manicures and pedicures are simple and cheap for the area, ₡10,000 to ₡15,000, and walk-ins work on weekday afternoons. Who it suits: a couple where one wants a fade and the other wants gel, or a quick pedicure without a booking. The caveat: one nail table, so you may wait. The barber side is covered in the barbers guide.
Brows, waxing and sugaring
Brow lamination and shaping are done at Jade Lashes and Aurora, and threading at Aurora. For hair removal, Skin & Soul Holistics in Plaza Las Palmas is the sugaring specialist, open 9:30am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and 10:30am to 5pm Sunday by appointment, and it does not do nails or lashes. OM Spa, 200 metres north of the football field, does manicures, pedicures, and waxing with the Spanish hard wax system alongside its massage menu, 10am to 6pm daily and to 4pm Sunday. Both are covered in more depth in the spas, sauna and ice bath guide.
How to choose
| Place | Where | Best for | Hours | Gel manicure band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cefra | Santa Teresa, Cóbano road | Technical nails, early appointments | Mon to Sat 8:30 to 7 | ₡15,000 to ₡20,000 |
| Jade Lashes | Playa Carmen | Lash extensions, lifts, brow lamination | Mon to Sat 10 to 5 | Lashes ₡40,000 to ₡60,000 |
| Lotus Flower | Playa Carmen | Quick, cheap pedicure | Mon to Sat 8 to 6 | ₡12,000 to ₡18,000 |
| Almendra | Above Super Ronny 1 | Last minute in high season, nails plus massage | Daily 10 to 6, Sun to 4 | ₡18,000 to ₡25,000 |
| Aurora | Plaza Royal (confirm) | Nail art packages, lash lift plus threading | Mon to Sat 10 to 5 or 6 | ₡18,000 to ₡25,000 |
| Shusha | Playa Banana | Sundays, hair and nails together | Daily 9 to 6 | ₡15,000 to ₡22,000 |
| Tiffany's | Playa Carmen | Walk-in, couple's visit | Mon to Sat, closed Sun | ₡10,000 to ₡15,000 |
All bands are estimates from what regulars report, since none of these businesses publishes a list. Ask on WhatsApp and you will have a number in colones within a few hours. At roughly ₡500 to the dollar, ₡20,000 is $40.
Practical notes
Hygiene is the question to ask, and the good studios like being asked. Look for single use files and buffers, metal tools that come out of a sealed pouch or an autoclave, and a fresh towel on the table. The dedicated studios expect the question; the spas run on hotel standards. If a technician reuses a file from a drawer, leave.
Lead time is the other. From December to April, book nails a week ahead and lashes ten days ahead, and book both before you arrive if you are here for an event. Right now, in late September, same day or next day is normal at every place on this list.
Pay in colones. Cash everywhere, cards and SINPE Móvil at the spas and most studios. Tipping is not expected; 10% for a long set is a kind gesture. The tipping guide covers the norm.
Salt, sun, and sand shorten everything. Gel lifts faster when you are in the water every day, so ask for a builder gel base if you surf. Lash glue weakens with sunscreen and salt, so keep oil based sunscreen off your eyes and rinse in fresh water after the sea. Pedicures with hard gel survive flip flops and dirt roads better than regular polish.
If it is your hair that needs the attention, the hair salons guide covers colour, keratin, and braids at the same salons. Browse every salon and spa in the /directory/heal hub.
FAQ
How much does a gel manicure cost in Santa Teresa?
Expect ₡12,000 to ₡25,000 ($24 to $50) in 2026, with the nail studios (Cefra, Lotus Flower, Tiffany's) at the bottom of the range and the spas (Almendra, Aurora) at the top. Acrylic sets start around ₡25,000. Nobody publishes a price list, so ask on WhatsApp before you book.
Where can I get lash extensions in Santa Teresa?
Jade Lashes at Playa Carmen is the specialist, open Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, doing classic and volume sets, fills, lifts, and brow lamination. Aurora in Plaza Royal does lash lifts and tints with threading. Budget ₡40,000 to ₡60,000 for a classic full set and allow two hours.
How far ahead do I need to book nails in high season?
One to two weeks for the popular technicians from December to April, and longer around Christmas and Easter. Almendra is the salon known for fitting people in at short notice, at spa prices. Outside high season, including now in late September, most places can do next day.
Can I surf after getting lash extensions or gel nails?
Wait 24 hours after lash extensions before you get them wet, then rinse in fresh water after each surf and keep sunscreen away from your eyes; expect a fill sooner than at home. Gel nails are fine immediately, but ask for a builder gel base if you are in the water daily, because regular gel lifts faster in salt.
Which nail salons in Santa Teresa are open on Sunday?
Almendra (10am to 4pm) and Shusha (9am to 6pm) are the two on this list open on Sunday. Cefra, Jade Lashes, Lotus Flower, Aurora, and Tiffany's are closed. Plan your pre-event appointment for Saturday if you need a specific studio.
Where can I get a pedicure near Playa Carmen?
Lotus Flower opens at 8am Monday to Saturday and is the quickest, cheapest option, Tiffany's takes walk-ins on weekday afternoons, and Almendra upstairs next to Super Ronny 1 does a spa pedicure seven days a week. All three are within a few minutes' walk of the cruce.
