Things to Do in Santa Teresa: Every Activity With Prices and Where to Book

The things to do in Santa Teresa in 2026 are surfing (a group lesson is $60 to $85), a boat day to Isla Tortuga ($85 to $140), a bioluminescence night in Paquera Bay ($70 to $85 with pickup), the Montezuma waterfalls and zipline ($62 to $108), horseback on the beach ($45 to $130), and the free ones that fill most days: the beach, the tide pools at low tide and the sunset. Each section below gives the price and links to the guide that names the operators.

The short version

Plan three kinds of day. Surf days cost little once you have a board. Tour days cost $70 to $140 a person and need booking a day or two ahead in high season. Free days are the beach, a tide pool, the Thursday market and a sunset, and they are the ones people remember.

If you only book three things, make them a surf lesson on your first morning, Isla Tortuga or the bioluminescence tour midweek, and a day in Montezuma for the waterfall. If you want it laid out day by day, use the 3, 5 and 7 day itinerary. If you want every tour and operator side by side, read the best tours in Santa Teresa. Book direct with the operator, because the same tour costs more through an online marketplace.

Surf

Surfing is why most people come. Playa Carmen is the teaching beach, Playa Santa Teresa is a step up, and Playa Hermosa and the Mal Pais reefs are for surfers who already know what they are doing.

• Lessons. A 90 minute group lesson costs $60 to $85 and a private lesson $90 to $115, board and rash guard included. The best surf schools compares them by price and beach, and learning to surf here covers what a first lesson is like.
• Rent a board. Shops and prices are in surf board rental and repair.
• A full week. Surf camps bundle lessons, a bed and food.
• Pick your break. Use the break guide, the tide guide and today's forecast.

Boat days and the gulf

The calm water is on the other side of the peninsula, 60 to 90 minutes away by road, and most tours include the transfer.

• Isla Tortuga. White sand, snorkelling and lunch on a full day boat trip. $85 to $140 per person on a shared boat, pickup from 7:30am. Isla Tortuga from Santa Teresa.
• Bioluminescence. A night paddle or boat in Paquera Bay where the plankton glow. From $35 if you drive yourself, $70 to $85 with pickup. Go near the new moon. Bioluminescence tours.
• Sunset boat. Motor boats from the Tambor Bay side pair a sunset with a bioluminescence swim for $70 to $105. There is no catamaran based here. Sunset boat tours.
• Whale watching. Humpbacks pass from July to November and December to April, but there is no scheduled whale boat from Santa Teresa. Whale watching explains the one private charter and where sightings happen by luck.
• Snorkel and dive. Snorkelling and diving.
• Fishing. Inshore and offshore charters run $380 to $690 per boat. Fishing charters.
• Kayak and paddleboard. Mornings only, away from the main beach. SUP rental starts at $25 a day. Kayak and SUP.

Wildlife and reserves

• Curu Wildlife Refuge. Flat trails, monkeys and a calm beach about 75 minutes away. $17 at the gate for foreign adults, or $95 to $111 on a guided tour with transport. Curu from Santa Teresa.
• Cabo Blanco. Costa Rica's oldest reserve, 30 to 40 minutes south near Cabuya, open Wednesday to Sunday with a $12 ticket. Hiking Cabo Blanco.
• Sea turtles. Olive ridleys nest from about July to December. The projects near here are volunteer programmes with no scheduled public release from Santa Teresa. Sea turtles.
• What you will see anyway. Howler monkeys, iguanas and pelicans without paying for anything. Wildlife.

Waterfalls, ziplines and Montezuma

• Montezuma Falls. 40 to 50 minutes by car, with a free lower pool and upper tiers reached for about $5. Waterfalls near Santa Teresa.
• Zipline. Malpais Canopy Tour is 15 minutes away at $50 to $65. Sun Trails in Montezuma costs $62 to $108 and includes a swim at the upper falls. Zipline and canopy tours.
• A day in Montezuma. About $20 to $40 a person with parking, lunch and a swim. Montezuma day trip, and where to eat there.
• More days out. Day trips from Santa Teresa.

Quads and horses

• Rent a quad. $60 to $90 a day plus tax with a $500 deposit. It doubles as your transport. ATV and quad rentals.
• Guided ATV tour. ATV and quad tours.
• Horseback on the beach. $45 to $130 depending on length and operator, best in the last two hours of light. Horseback riding.

Beaches, tide pools and sunset

These cost nothing and they are the core of the trip.

• Beaches. Ten beaches compared, from Carmen to Hermosa, and the Playa Hermosa area guide.
• Tide pools. Four sets of natural pools on the rock shelves at low tide. Arrive 30 to 60 minutes before the lowest tide and wear reef shoes. Tide pools.
• Sunset. The whole town walks to the water around 5pm. Sunset spots.
• Thursday market. Food stalls and the town in one place. The Thursday market.
• The full free list. Free things to do.

Pools, spas and slow days

• Beach clubs. Rocamar gives you a bed on the sand for a $15 minimum spend. Beach clubs.
• Pool day passes. A handful of hotels sell one for $30 to $60. Pool day passes.
• Yoga. Yoga studios and Pilates.
• Spa, sauna and ice bath. Recovery passes start at $30. Spas, saunas and ice baths and massages.
• When it rains. Rain usually arrives after 2pm and lasts an hour or two. Rainy day activities.

Eat and go out

Dinner is an activity here. Start with the best restaurants and the beachfront tables, and use cheap eats for the rest of the week.

Nights follow the weekday more than the venue. The nightlife calendar shows which night belongs to which place, the best parties ranks the recurring ones, and jungle parties covers the events up the hill. Check what is on this week before you plan around one.

With kids, as a couple, or on a budget

• Families. Santa Teresa with kids.
• Couples. A honeymoon or couples trip and date night.
• Groups. Bachelor and bachelorette trips.
• On a budget. Santa Teresa on a budget.
• Not surfing at all. Things to do beyond surfing.

How many days you need

Three days covers a surf lesson, one tour and one good night out. Five days adds Montezuma and a second tour. A week lets you leave whole days empty, which is the part of Santa Teresa that works best. If this is your first visit, read first time in Santa Teresa before you book anything.

Browse every tour operator, surf school and activity at the /directory/activities hub.

FAQ

What is there to do in Santa Teresa besides surfing?

Take a boat to Isla Tortuga, see the bioluminescence in Paquera Bay, swim at the Montezuma waterfalls, ride a zipline or a horse, hike Cabo Blanco, and soak in the tide pools at low tide. Add yoga, a spa afternoon, the Thursday market and the sunset, and a week fills without a board.

How much do tours cost in Santa Teresa?

Most tours cost $70 to $140 per person in 2026. Isla Tortuga is $85 to $140, bioluminescence with pickup is $70 to $85, Curu is $95 to $111 guided, and a zipline is $50 to $108. Fishing is priced per boat at $380 to $690.

What can you do in Santa Teresa for free?

The beaches, the sunset, the tide pools, the Thursday market and the lower pool at Montezuma Falls cost nothing. Parking at the falls is $5 and Cabo Blanco is $12 if you want to add a hike.

Do I need to book activities in advance?

From December to April, book Isla Tortuga, bioluminescence and surf lessons one or two days ahead, and a week ahead over Christmas, New Year and Easter. In green season most operators take a booking the evening before.

What is there to do in Santa Teresa when it rains?

Surf in the morning, because rain usually arrives after 2pm, then book a spa session, a sauna and ice bath, a Pilates class or a long lunch. September and October bring heavier, less predictable rain, so keep boat tours flexible in those months.

How many days should I spend in Santa Teresa?

Plan at least three full days, and five to seven if you can. Getting here takes most of a day in each direction, so a two night stay is mostly travel.