Santa Teresa

Getting There

If you are staying in Montezuma you need to take the bus to Cobano. From there you transfer and take the bus to Santa Teresa. From Cabuya you could do the same thing but you would first have to catch a bus to Montezuma. However, I decided to try my hand at hitchhiking. There is a small dirt road that directly connects Cabuya to Santa Teresa by way of Mal Pais. This path cuts through the jungle and in the rainy season it is often covered by rivers. The universe smiled down on me and a friend from Cabuya that wanted to surf  drove by on his ATV. He was able to take me to Santa Teresa, show me around and later drive me back! If you don’t feel like hitchhiking or taking a bus, renting a car or an ATV is the other option. 

While living in San Juan Del Sur in Nicaragua, I constantly heard other travelers rave about Santa Teresa. Also a surf town, Santa Teresa is known for having a great surf break with barrel waves. My hard core surfer friends always gushed about the magic of this place. Santa Teresa is stretched out along one main road that runs parallel to the beach. There are many restaurants, hostels and bars along this road. Unfortunately, I was there during the start of the coronavirus pandemic. All of the bars were closed as well as large public gatherings. Restaurants could only be filled to 50% occupancy. I’ve heard of Santa Teresa having full moon parties and other fun events. I just felt lucky that the beaches and restaurants were still open. 

The Bakery was our favorite food option in Santa Teresa. Savory croissants  with cheese and mushrooms filled one window. The other window had sweet pastries including cheesecake and brownies! 

There are a few beaches to choose from in the Santa Teresa area. I enjoyed Playa Carmen though there is also Playa Santa Teresa and farther north is Playa Cocal and Playa Hermosa. All are known for having excellent surf breaks and despite the hype they did not seem to be too busy or crowded (though maybe that had more to do with the coronavirus).

The perfect spot to watch the sunset is Banana Beach Bar. To our surprise, it was still open (because it is also a restaurant). This beach bar has a plethora of hammocks to relax on. There are fairy lights and umbrellas hanging from the sky and a variety of beach chairs and mattresses. This chill and cozy beach bar makes delicious (and expensive cocktails). As my trip was unexpectedly ending due to the coronavirus I decided to go all out and treat myself to two chocolate banana piña coladas for $12. Unlike Cabuya and Montezuma, Santa Teresa offers a clear view of the sunset. Even though it felt like the world was ending, we still saw many tourists in Santa Teresa. We tried to distance ourselves by a few feet as we watched the sunset in close proximity.

I loved the vibe of Santa Teresa. As a backpacker I felt more surrounded by my own age group than in Cabuya. I loved the modern luxuries of The Bakery but appreciated the simplicity of days full of surf, a town with one road and magnificent sunsets to end each day. I can only imagine in times that are not global emergencies this place would be even more lively!