Map of the Santa Teresa Area, Costa Rica
Santa Teresa is a street village with hotels and services lined up along 4 kms of road from the intersection of "El Cruze" on Playa Carmen to "La Lora" on Playa Santa Teresa and beyond. Without a vehicle you will often find yourself hoofing along the street from your hotel to a shop or venue, unless you choose to walk along the beach which parallels the street. More: Description of Santa Teresa
North of Santa Teresa
On the way to Playa Hermosa: El Peñon
After "La Lora" the busy part of Santa Teresa ends. The beaches to the north are less crowded and hotels are spread out.
2 kms after "La Lora" you pass by the "Peñon", a sugar-loaf shaped rock in the sea. Here the road touches the shoreline.
Some 200 m after the Peñon is a great spot for snorkeling and swimming in a tide pool behind a reef.
Playa Hermosa, Santa Teresa
Another 2 kms further you arrive at a junction where the road to your right goes uphill to Manzanillo and
further on to Samara and Nosara,
while a turn to the left brings you to Playa Hermosa.
Playa Hermosa (Beautiful Beach) lives up to its name: it's the picture perfect tropical beach, wide and sandy,
with swaying palm trees and almendros. Swimming is safe as there are no underwater rocks. Be cautious however of the rip tides
on the northern part of the beach.
