The field guides
Know before
you go.
262 honest guides to getting here, finding your break, choosing a town and living well on the Nicoya Peninsula.
A useful first read
Start here: editor's picks
A few clear starting points before you get into the full field guide.
Digital NomadsBest Coworking Spaces in Santa Teresa
Internet speeds, desk setups, community vibes, and pricing, the coworking spaces that actually support real work.
Where to StayBest Hotels in Santa Teresa for Every Budget
22 Santa Teresa hotels ranked across budget, mid-range and luxury, with 2026 nightly rates, beach access, pools, breakfast and one honest caveat each.
Food & DrinkBest Restaurants in Santa Teresa
The Santa Teresa restaurants actually worth eating at, from $6 casados to $50 omakase, ranked by what's good, not who paid for the most ads.
41 guides shown
Food & Drink
Argentinian Food in Santa Teresa
Argentinian food in Santa Teresa: El Facon’s wood-fire grill, verified evening hours, menu access, alfajores and how to check individual dishes.
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Asian Food Beyond Sushi in Santa Teresa
Asian food beyond sushi in Santa Teresa: Happy Bowl’s actual 2026 menu, curries, pad Thai, chicken katsu, posted prices and dietary distinctions.
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Beach Picnics and Takeaway in Santa Teresa
Plan a beach picnic in Santa Teresa: takeaway choices, food and water storage, beach access, shade, waste and why delivery to the sand is not assumed.
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Best Chocolate Cake in Santa Teresa
Our local chocolate cake pick is Eat Street’s vegan cake. Compare the verified menu evidence, The Bakery’s alternatives, whole cakes and current availability.
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Birthday Cakes and Custom Cake Orders
Order a birthday or custom cake in Santa Teresa: The Bakery’s published whole-cake service, vegan requests, portions, notice, pickup and delivery questions.
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Birthday and Celebration Dinners
Book a birthday or celebration dinner in Santa Teresa: restaurant versus villa chef, current menus, group deposits, dietary needs, cakes and transport.
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Costa Rican Dishes to Try in Santa Teresa
Costa Rican food to try in Santa Teresa: gallo pinto, casado, plantains, local fish and the actual dishes advertised by local restaurant menus.
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Eating Out With Children in Santa Teresa
Eat out with children in Santa Teresa: menu-backed choices, early kitchen times, high-chair questions, allergies, takeaway and practical family dinners.
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Eating With Food Allergies in Santa Teresa
Eating with food allergies in Santa Teresa: real menu ingredients, communication with kitchens, cross-contact, translated requests and preparing your trip.
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Where to Buy Fresh Fish Near Santa Teresa
Buy fresh fish near Santa Teresa: Pescaderia Mal Pais, what to ask about the catch, preparation, pricing, cold transport and cooking at your rental.
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Gluten-Free Eating in Santa Teresa
Gluten-free eating in Santa Teresa: actual menu labels at The Bakery and Eat Street, the low-gluten distinction, cross-contact questions and self-catering.
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Keeping Kosher in a Santa Teresa Villa
Arrange kosher food for a Santa Teresa villa: Chabad orders, Pesach groceries, refrigeration, supervision, and the questions to settle before arrival.
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Late-Night Food in Santa Teresa
Find late-night food in Santa Teresa using actual operator information, kitchen closing times, delivery windows and realistic last-order questions.
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Mother's Day in Santa Teresa
Mother’s Day in Santa Teresa: dates, verified local options, booking questions, transport and how to avoid outdated event announcements.
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Thanksgiving in Santa Teresa
Thanksgiving in Santa Teresa: dates, verified local options, booking questions, transport and how to avoid outdated event announcements.
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Valentine's Day in Santa Teresa
Valentine’s Day in Santa Teresa: dates, verified local options, booking questions, transport and how to avoid outdated event announcements.
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Food & DrinkBeachfront Restaurants in Santa Teresa: Where to Eat on the Sand and Book a Sunset Table
Manzú, Uma, Rocamar, Banana Beach, Restaurante Playa Carmen and Ranchos Itaúna compared for eating on or facing the sand: what to order, price level, reservations, sunset timing and honest caveats.
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Food & DrinkBest Early Breakfast in Santa Teresa: What Opens at 5:30, 6 and 7am for Surfers
Where to eat breakfast in Santa Teresa and Playa Carmen before and after a dawn surf: bakeries open from 5:30am, sodas with gallo pinto, cafes from 7am, with 2026 hours and prices.
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Food & DrinkBest Burgers in Santa Teresa: Kooks, Jacky Buns, Santa Fusion and 4 More Compared
Seven burger kitchens in Santa Teresa and Montezuma ranked on what to order, price, sides and hours, from Kooks' 250 gram smash burger to Eat Street's 5,800 to 7,900 colon NoMad menu.
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Food & DrinkBest Restaurants in Montezuma: Where to Eat, What to Order and What It Costs
Playa de los Artistas, Cocolores, Ubin, Agrá, Puggo's, Sano Banano, Chelo and the Montezuma sodas compared on food, hours, price and who each one suits, for day trippers and overnight guests.
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Food & DrinkFood Delivery in Santa Teresa: SIPP, Eat Street, Groceries and Alcohol Without Uber Eats
How food, grocery and alcohol delivery works in Santa Teresa, Mal Pais and Playa Hermosa in 2026: the SIPP app, direct delivery from Eat Street and The Bakery, Market & More, Tipsy, fees, hours and villa tips.
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Food & DrinkBest Ice Cream, Gelato and Desserts in Santa Teresa: Gaucha, L'arte del Gelato, The Bakery and Indigena Chocolate
Where to cool down in Santa Teresa, Montezuma and Cabuya in 2026: Argentine ice cream at Gaucha, vegan Italian gelato at 2,500 colones a scoop, The Bakery's dessert menu, bean-to-bar chocolate, and afternoon hours.
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Food & DrinkBest Italian Restaurants in Santa Teresa: Amici, Pronto, Al Chile Viola, Muzza and Montezuma's Kitchens
The Italian restaurants of Santa Teresa and Montezuma ranked in 2026: homemade pasta, gnocchi, wood-fired pizza, wine lists and prices, plus which ones close for green season.
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Food & DrinkBest Pizza in Santa Teresa: Amici, Muzza, Pronto and the Rest Ranked
Every pizza worth ordering in Santa Teresa, Mal Pais and Montezuma in 2026: wood-fired Neapolitan, sourdough, beachfront slices and cheap delivery, with prices per pizza and who delivers.
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Food & DrinkBest Private Chefs in Santa Teresa: Villa Dinners, Weekly Cooks and What They Cost
How to hire a private chef for a villa in Santa Teresa or Mal Pais in 2026: Aroma, ByLombardi, Jona Vecino, Mario Espinoza and the platforms, with per-person and per-day pricing, minimums, dietary handling and how far ahead to book for December to March.
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Food & DrinkBest Seafood and Ceviche in Santa Teresa: La Cevicheria, Sargo, Rocamar and the Montezuma Tables
Where to eat the catch of the day in Santa Teresa, Mal Pais and Montezuma in 2026: five ceviche styles at La Cevicheria, Sargo's fresh-fish menu, sunset tables at Rocamar and Manzú, and prices.
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Food & DrinkBest Smoothies, Açaí Bowls and Juice Bars in Santa Teresa
Where to get a proper açaí bowl, a green smoothie or a fresh juice in Santa Teresa after a surf, with 2026 prices, portion sizes, opening hours and the vegan options at each spot.
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Food & DrinkBest Sodas in Santa Teresa: Casados and Gallo Pinto
Compare Santa Teresa sodas by neighborhood and meal: Tiquicia, Soy Tico, Pura Vida, Tipico Mall, La Choza and Montezuma options, plus ordering advice.
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Food & DrinkBest Steak, BBQ and Asado in Santa Teresa: Kooks, Casa del Mar and Chelo
Where to eat smoked brisket, Argentine asado and a proper steak in Santa Teresa and Montezuma in 2026: cuts, prices, portions, reservations, and which grills are closed for green season.
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Food & DrinkBest Sushi in Santa Teresa: Nami, Satori, Yasumi Omakase, Katana and Koji's
The five sushi restaurants in Santa Teresa and Mal Pais worth your colones in 2026, with roll prices, the $79 omakase night, reservation rules, fish sourcing and which one is closed until November.
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Food & DrinkBest Tacos and Mexican Food in Santa Teresa: Taco Corner, NoMad, Rocamar and the Taco Tuesday Deals
Where to eat tacos in Santa Teresa in 2026: Taco Corner's 1,000 colones Taco Tuesday, NoMad and the Agave mezcal bar at Eat Street, beach tacos at Rocamar, birria at Coyote, and who is open late.
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Food & DrinkKosher and Israeli Food in Santa Teresa: Blooma, Chabad and Zula
Kosher and Israeli food in Santa Teresa: Blooma, Chabad meals, Zula, actual menus, villa catering, groceries and separate Passover arrangements.
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Food & DrinkBest Bakeries in Santa Teresa
Sourdough, pastries, and fresh bread, the bakeries that make mornings worth getting up for.
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Food & DrinkBest Bars and Cocktails in Santa Teresa
14 bars in Santa Teresa ranked: Drift for cocktails, Rocamar for sunset swings, Banana Beach for 2 for 1 drinks and Tikiliano for late nights.
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Food & DrinkBest Brunch Spots in Santa Teresa
Acai bowls, eggs benedict, and everything in between, the morning spots worth dragging yourself out of the hammock for.
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Food & DrinkBest Coffee in Santa Teresa
Pour-over, cold brew, espresso, where to find genuinely good coffee in a town that runs on caffeine and surf.
Read · 6 min →- Food & Drink
Best Restaurants in Santa Teresa
The Santa Teresa restaurants actually worth eating at, from $6 casados to $50 omakase, ranked by what's good, not who paid for the most ads.
Read · 16 min → 
Food & DrinkWhere to Eat Cheap in Santa Teresa: The Local Spots
Sodas, casados, and street food, how locals eat for $5-8 a meal and where to find it.
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Food & DrinkDate Night in Santa Teresa: Where to Go
Romantic restaurants, sunset spots, and evening plans for couples who want more than a beach bonfire.
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Food & DrinkGrocery Shopping in Santa Teresa: Supermarkets, Markets, and Delivery
Where to buy groceries, what's available, what's expensive, and the delivery services that actually work.
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Food & DrinkVegetarian and Vegan Guide to Santa Teresa
The restaurants, cafes, and shops that take plant-based food seriously, not just a sad side salad.
Read · 6 min →