Every tour sold in Santa Teresa and Mal Pais in 2026 with typical prices and the operators that run them, from Isla Tortuga at $85 to $140 to Curu at $95 to $111, plus how Zuma, Tiko, Tropical Tour Shuttles and the tour desk compare and where to book.
The tours worth booking in Santa Teresa in 2026 are Isla Tortuga ($85 to $140), a bioluminescence night ($70 to $105 with transport), Curu Wildlife Refuge ($95 to $111), the Montezuma waterfalls with a zipline ($62 to $108), horseback on the beach ($45 to $130) and a fishing charter ($380 to $690 per boat). Four operators sell most of them: Zuma Tours, Tiko Tours, Tropical Tour Shuttles and the santateresacostarica.com tour desk. Book direct, because the same tour costs more through a marketplace.
The short version
If you have one day for a tour, take Isla Tortuga in the dry season or the Montezuma waterfalls with a canopy ride in green season. If you have an evening, do the bioluminescence tour near the new moon. If you like animals, do Curu or the Cabo Blanco hike. If you are travelling with a group of five or more, a private boat is cheaper per head than it looks.
Prices below are the 2026 figures published on the operators' own pages or desks, taken in October 2026, and several exclude the 13% tax. Rates move in high season, which at Ollie's Adventures means a 10% increase from 20 December to 20 February and at Easter.
Every tour, with typical prices
| Tour | Typical price (2026) | Duration | Operators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isla Tortuga, shared boat | $85 to $140 per person | 7 to 9.5 hours door to door | Zuma Tours, Tropical Tour Shuttles, tour desk |
| Isla Tortuga, private boat | $480 plus tax for up to 4 (Tiko) | About 6 hours from Tambor pier | Tiko Tours |
| Bioluminescence | $35 kayak, $40 boat at the bay; $70 to $105 with a boat from Santa Teresa; $360 private | 3 to 6.5 hours | Tour desk, Tropical Tour Shuttles, Zuma Tours, Montezuma Tours |
| Curu Wildlife Refuge | $95 to $111 per person | 2.5 to 6 hours | Tiko Tours, Tropical Tour Shuttles, Enter Costa Rica |
| Cabo Blanco reserve | $83 per person with transport (Tropical); $12 entry if you go yourself | 4 hours | Tropical Tour Shuttles |
| Montezuma waterfalls | From $85 (Tiko, with town); free at the lower falls | Half day | Tiko Tours, Sun Trails |
| Zipline and canopy | $50 to $76 | 1 to 2 hours | Malpais Canopy Tour, Sun Trails |
| ATV tour | From $154 per ATV (up to 2 people) for the waterfall tour | 5 hours | Tour desk, rental shops |
| Horseback | $45 to $130 per person | 2 to 3 hours | Ollie's, Tropical, desk (Manzanillo), others |
| Sport fishing | $380 for 4 hours to $690 per boat for 5 hours | 4 to 8 hours | Tour desk, Tropical, local captains |
| Snorkel and dive | Discover Scuba about $185; Tortuga snorkel from $85 | Half to full day | Dive shops, Zuma |
| Whale watching | $650 private for 5 (Tambor) | 4 hours | Raccoon Travels |
| Surf lessons | $60 to $98 group, $100 and up private | 1.5 hours | Many schools |
| Sunset boat | $70 to $105 per person | 3 to 6.5 hours | Tour desk, Tropical, Zuma |
Isla Tortuga
The standard boat day. The Isla Tortuga guide covers it fully: a 50 minute boat ride, snorkelling on a volcanic reef, lunch on the beach, and a long day. The shared price is $85 to $140 per person. The tour desk lists $87 from Santa Teresa and $70 from Tambor, Tropical Tour Shuttles lists $85 from Montezuma beach with an optional $20 transfer from Santa Teresa, and a marketplace listing for Zuma Tours shows $130 per adult. Tiko Tours' private Tortuga is $480 plus tax for up to four. Best in the dry season, December to April.
Bioluminescence
A night kayak or boat in glowing water, with the full price ladder in our bioluminescence guide. The cheap version is $35 for a kayak at Paquera if you have a car. The easy version is $85 with transport from the tour desk, $105 from Tropical, or a Zuma or Montezuma Tours departure. Go near the new moon.
Curu and Cabo Blanco
Curu is a flat wildlife walk on the gulf side. Tiko charges $100 with entrance and transport, Tropical $95 with lunch, and Enter Costa Rica $111 before the entrance fee. See the Curu guide. Cabo Blanco is closer and wilder. Tropical Tour Shuttles sells it at $83 per person with transport for four hours, and doing it yourself costs $12 entry, with the reserve open Wednesday to Sunday only. Our Cabo Blanco guide covers the trail.
Waterfalls, zipline and ATV
Montezuma Falls is the best waterfall trip, and Sun Trails runs a canopy ride over it for $62 to $108. Malpais Canopy Tour is closer and cheaper at $50 to $65. The tour desk sells an ATV waterfall tour to Montezuma at $154 per ATV for two people, 5 hours. See the waterfalls guide, zipline guide and ATV guide.
Horseback, fishing and the water
Beach horseback varies most in price: Tropical Tour Shuttles has a $45 two hour ride around Mal Pais and $54 from The Place hotel, the desk's Manzanillo rides run $85 to $130 for three hours, and a typical two hour jungle and beach ride elsewhere is $68. Ollie's Adventures in Playa Carmen runs horse rides, ATV tours, surf and rentals but publishes no prices on its home page. See the horseback guide. Fishing charters run from $380 for four hours (desk, private, Mal Pais) to $690 for five (Tropical), and our fishing guide names the captains. For paddling see the kayak and SUP guide, for diving the snorkelling and diving guide, and for lessons the learn to surf guide.
Whales, sunsets, turtles and tide pools
There is no scheduled whale watching boat from Santa Teresa, only a private charter from Tambor and chance sightings on Tortuga trips. Sunset boats are motor boats paired with bioluminescence, and there is no catamaran based here, as the sunset boat guide explains. Turtle projects are volunteer programmes, per the sea turtle guide. The tide pools are free.
The operators compared
santateresacostarica.com tour desk (Bioluminescence Tour from Santa Teresa). The clearest price list in town: 18 tours with published "from" prices, including bioluminescence, Tortuga, horseback in Manzanillo, ATV, surf lessons and fishing. It does not name the operators on most tours and does not list Curu, whales, snorkel or dive. Good for price clarity, a reseller in structure, so ask who runs the trip.
Zuma Tours (Plaza Kahuna in Santa Teresa and a second office at the Montezuma football field). The biggest local operator, running boats here since the 1990s, with Tortuga, Sunset and Bioluminescence, Curu, fishing, scuba, ATV, canopy, surf lessons, horseback and taxi boats. Phone (506) 2642-0024 or (506) 2640-0093, WhatsApp (506) 8840-4389, reservations@zumatours.net. Its site publishes no prices, which is the main reason to message first.
Tiko Tours (Playa Carmen). Small groups and private options. Published prices for Curu ($100 with entrance) and Montezuma Town and Waterfalls (from $85), a private Tortuga trip, and private transport. WhatsApp +506 8651 2093. Free cancellation 48 hours ahead and a 50% deposit.
Tropical Tour Shuttles. A shuttle company that also sells tours with fixed prices: Tortuga $85, Bioluminescence $105, Malpais Canopy $55, Montezuma Canopy $76, horseback $40 to $54, Curu $95, Cabo Blanco $83, sport fishing $690 per trip. The tidiest price page of any operator here.
Ollie's Adventures (Playa Carmen). Horse stables, ATVs, side by sides, motorcycles, bicycles and surfboards. Open Monday to Saturday 7:20am to 6pm, Sunday 7:20am to 3pm. Phones +506 6331 0253 and +506 8816 3310. Reserve tours two weeks ahead and rentals two months ahead for the high season.
Montezuma side. Montezuma Tours, Sun Trails Tours and Adventure Nicoya cover bioluminescence, canopy and boat trips from Montezuma. Two other directory names, Cabo Blanco Travelers and Blue Line, publish no website or price, so call before relying on them. Pura Vida Adventures in Playa Carmen is listed by a surf camp directory as a surf and yoga retreat company with week long packages, not a day tour desk.
Booking direct, through a hotel or through a marketplace
Book direct whenever you can. Operators publish the same tour at different prices depending on who sells it. Tortuga Island from Zuma shows $130 per adult on a marketplace, while the same island day is $85 to $99 direct with transport on other pages. An older Tico Times piece described one traveller paying $55 for a trip another paid $35 for.
A hotel desk is convenient, pays for pickup, and can sort a problem, but it adds a margin and often does not tell you which operator is running the trip. Ask for the operator's name and compare it with their own page. A marketplace gives you card payment and a refund policy, but costs more and the operator you meet may not be the one you booked.
Practical rules. Ask whether tax is included, since Tiko's prices add 13%. Ask what the entrance fee covers, as at Curu where some tours include it and some do not. Ask the group size and the boat or vehicle. Pay a deposit by card if you must, and keep the balance for the day. Message first on WhatsApp, because operators answer faster there than by email.
Choosing by situation
Rainy day: Curu in the morning, the tide pools when the sky clears, a town lunch in Montezuma. Kids under ten: Tortuga on a boat, Ventanitas tide pools, Curu. Couples: bioluminescence or a private sunset boat. Surfers with one day off: horseback or Cabo Blanco, because they cost the least surf time. Group of six or more: a private boat is cheaper per head than six shared seats, so ask Tiko or the desk for a quote.
Browse every tour and outdoor operator in one place at the /directory/activities hub.
FAQ
What are the best tours in Santa Teresa?
Isla Tortuga for a full day, bioluminescence for a night, Curu or Cabo Blanco for wildlife, the Montezuma waterfalls with a canopy ride, horseback on the beach and a fishing charter. Each has its own guide on this site.
How much do tours cost in Santa Teresa?
Isla Tortuga costs $85 to $140 per person, bioluminescence $70 to $105 with transport, Curu $95 to $111, zipline $50 to $76, horseback $45 to $130 and fishing $380 to $690 per boat. Prices exclude 13% tax on some pages.
Who runs the tours in Santa Teresa?
Zuma Tours, Tiko Tours, Tropical Tour Shuttles and the santateresacostarica.com tour desk sell most of them, with Sun Trails, Malpais Canopy Tour and Ollie's Adventures running their own. Check each operator's page.
Is it cheaper to book a tour directly?
Usually yes. A Zuma Tortuga trip shows $130 per adult on a marketplace and $85 to $99 elsewhere, and hotel desks add a margin. Ask for the operator's name and message them directly.
Do I need to book tours in advance?
In high season, 20 December to 20 February and Easter, yes. Ollie's recommends booking tours two weeks ahead. In green season two or three days ahead is usually enough.
Are there whale watching or catamaran tours from Santa Teresa?
Not on a schedule. There is a private whale charter from Tambor and chance whale sightings on Tortuga trips, and the nearest sailing catamarans are on the Guanacaste coast.
