In this post we come to tell you a little about how muchhh we did at our end of the year in Selina Santa Teresa ... A place that has absolutely everything needed to have an epic vacation.

How to get there? There are two ways to get there:

1 by ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera ... for those who prefer to chill instead of driving.

2 doing the huge turn around the bridge La Amistad ... for those who prefer to enjoy driving a long and beautiful road (like us)

Selina Hostel Santa Teresa With Waze

What to bring? Beachwear, hammocks, towel, sunscreen, repellent, a bottle of water, beach games and whatever you can think of.

Vehicle: Automobile Parking: In front of the Hostel Pets: Yes Camping: No Contact: Selina Santa Teresa www.selina.com Cost: Selina from $ 18 per night

Santa Teresa Beach

To get to Santa Teresa we left at 5:30 am from San Jose, as it was December 26, so we got nervous about missing the first ferry and then having to wait 2 hours for the next one... we went around the bridge La Amistad, took around the same amount of time with 170 kms difference.

We lasted almost 7 hours getting to Selina, but it was all good because when we arrived we ran into the coolest hostel we had seen in a long time. It is easy to recognize because of its pink color and because it is the largest building on the main street. We left the stuff in the room and then we went at once to eat at the restaurant, which let me say it was delicious.

Then we decided to rest in the room and finish watching the sunset on the beach that is about 100 meters from the hostel walking (obviously). This beach is crazy awesome, white sand, some lost rock formations and many waves ... perfect for surfers. After dinner, we rested because the next day we planned to go to Montezuma.

Montezuma Waterfall

How to get there? It's about 40 minutes by car and there are 2 ways to get there: By Mal País (ballast street with rivers) / Or by Cóbano (asphalt street).

Montezuma Waterfall With Waze

Distance: 700m to the base, 1.5km to the top. Difficulty: Medium - High

What to bring? Swimsuit, change of clothes, towel, beverages, waterproof camera, snacks to share and excellent attitude.

Vehicle: Automobile Parking: Yes Pets: Yes Camping: No Contact: The premises Cost: Free

Once we arrived we went around the town (it is not very big) and then we went to look for the famous waterfall in Montezuma.

To arrive is super easy, just arrive and leave the car in the parking lot (one thousand pesos) and then walk along the river, the vast majority is a path made by the same locals which means that it is not in good condition. In total 700 meters walk to the base of the waterfall where it is more crowded with people and it is also here where the locals do all epic dives.

There is enough picnic area on the stones that work as an amphitheater for visitors who are spending their Sunday there. Another important point is the white-faced monkeys, these dudes are little thieves and they really steal what they want, so never trust them.

From here, if you want more adrenaline / adventurous ... you can go to the waterfalls above, to get there you have to follow your instinct and climb a path that makes a curve that goes around the entire cascade, it is not easy as there are several parts where you have to climb by clinging to branches, stones, and ferns. The climb is worth it since you get to a pool much less crowded and also where to go to the water.

We stayed for a while in the waterfalls above, and we had a great time, after the splashing we had a mini picnic and then went down again to the pool below. We spent less time in the pool below since we were intimidated by white face monkeys ... afterward, we went back to Mal Pais to see the sunset.

Cavalcade in Haciendo Arío Another day in Santa Teresa and with this came another adventure, so we got up early and went to a supermarket to buy an improvised breakfast that we ate on the way to Hacienda Arío. When we arrived at the hacienda (awesome) they told us a little history of the farm and also about the people who will guide us in the day.

They gave us a delicious coffee while we explained how to handle the horses and thus feel comfortable during the ride. That's how we got together and went out to see the farm. During the tour, we passed forests, a mountain with an incredible view of Playa Arío, which is, in fact, a protected area. After some photos, we went down to an incredible paddock with giant trees that gave a monstrous shadow to finish the ride with refreshing piped water inside a shelter built by Hacienda Arío.

This hacienda is super cool because it protects a giant area, it also hires locals and as if that were not enough it improves the quality of life of its inhabitants by providing education and water.

After the pipe water, we went back along the beach, thanks to Gloriana who took off an impressive speed, where my cell phone flew... Even so, we all survived, some sorer than others but happy to have visited this place.

Contact: Hacienda Ario Horse Tour: 8777-2319 or 8431-9538 Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/arioranch/ Cost: $ 65 per person (minimum 2) $ 80 private

SURF classes

After the ride we arrived obviously hungry to the Santa Tere Selina, we ate tasty food and we had already programmed surf lessons with the tours of the hostel on another beach next to Playa Hermosa.

At 3 pm the instructor passed by the hostel in a car full of boards and we went straight to the beach. Here they taught us how to load the longboard up to the techniques to stand on the board. Once ready we went to the water, and one by one we were able to stand on the board until we were able to master it.

The experience was incredible, not only because of the surfing but because of the amazing sunset behind us ...

Santa Teresa is not just a beach, it is a place where there are plenty of activities, mountains, waterfalls, and things that leave us wanting to return and continue exploring this area of Puntarenas.

BONUS This beach is hidden inside the Cabo Blanco National Park on the Malpais side ... it is amazing and it was where we saw the first sunset of the year! With Waze