Our trip is winding down, just as I’m finally feeling as though I’ve got this place sorted! I figure I ought to do at least one post with relevant and practical information for anyone that is actually planning to visit Santa Teresa.
So here are come casual observations from a North American perspective:
Meals:
– A 10% gratuity is automatically added to all meals. Tipping beyond that isn’t customary, but you might add a little extra for an exceptional meal or service.
– There is no dress-code. Anywhere. Even at the more “expensive” restaurants, no one is wearing long pants and collared shirts. Women wear sundresses, or shorts and tank tops and the men are wearing shorts and t-shirts. The one main road that encompasses all of Santa Teresa is very dusty; whether walking or riding an ATV, you’re bound to get dirty, so leave your finery at home.
– We’ve dined at every “good” (according to TripAdvisor and local reviews, I mean) restaurant in town as well as more casual lunch spots. Service operates at a very relaxed, pura vida pace. My father, for instance, is an impatient diner and would have a hard time with dining at this pace. Also, meals aren’t necessarily synchronized the way we’re used to; at home, everyone’s meals arrive to the table at approximately the same time, but I’ve found that there can be up to 10-minutes between my meal arriving and Alistair’s.
– Favourite restaurants: Habaneros for it’s fantastic grilled lobster and tuna steaks. Koji has the best sushi–sooo good. And Olam has the best breakfast and brunches (all vegetarian); fresh fruit, nuts and grains, and delicious sandwiches and salads. I’m going to miss this place.
Lobster from Habaneros. The flash has made it look far less appetizing than it was.
In-town Travel:
Lots of fun, like a high-speed golf cart.
– As I previously mentioned, ATV travel is the way to go and it’s how everyone gets around. You can rent a car but it seems to be more trouble than it’s worth as the roads aren’t very wide. Drivers are on the aggressive side, but they’ll just drive around you if you’re slow or seemingly lost. You absolutely need a handkerchief and sunglasses/goggles or you’ll end up with a face-full of dust. ATV rental is about $80USD a day, but I’m sure you can get lower rates for extended rental periods.
Money:
Colones!
– The local currency, Colones, and American dollars are both equally acceptable.
– An easy conversion trick: drop the last three zeroes and double the Colones to get the USD rate. 5,000 Colones = $10 USD. Our bill at Koji, the “expensive” sushi restaurant was 35,000 Colones…so that’s $70USD.
– Most places accept cash only.
– There’s only one or two bank machines in town and they frequently run out of money–USD in particular. So stock up on funds before you arrive or, like us, you’ll be stuck paying international ABM fees every time you want to make a withdrawal.
Santa Teresa Beach:
– I swear, everyone on this beach is under thirty. The median age looks to be about 23. Everyone is in incredible shape–most are here to surf. Where are you hiding your old people, Santa Teresa? Maybe they’re less inclined to lounge on the beach in sweltering heat, tanning. None of the women go topless, but as I’ve previously noted, there’s plenty of ass to go around as everyone seems to wearing thong bottoms. We noticed almost immediately that there is an incredible gender divide amongst those hanging on the beach; large, roving packs of boys and great gaggles of girls…and the two don’t mix much. I don’t know why? Maybe an age thing? A cultural thing?
– There’s a lot of waves on this beach, so if you’re like me and don’t like getting smacked in the face with a wall of water, then wait till low tide and hang out near the tidal pools that form around the rocks. This has been my favourite thing to do. Hundreds of crabs scurry around the rocks! I watch them for hours…
Obligatory sunset pictures…
oooooh. ahhhhhh.
Assorted Observations & Tips:
– Bring a ton of sunscreen. We brought 4 mostly-full bottles and went through them in no time at all. We just had to pay $20USD for a bottle of sun tan lotion in Montezuma.
– Roosters crow at all hours of the day, not just at sunrise…as a city person, this was news to me.
– A friend who had recently traveled to the region had told us that “everyone speaks English”. This is absolutely not true. Aside from restaurant staff, I wouldn’t count on anyone speaking English. So grab a Rosetta Stone and brush up on your Spanish.
-If you don’t like dogs, don’t visit because they are EVERYWHERE. They’re not strays, they have owners, but they are not on leash and they just wander about freely. There are all varieties of mutts, but also a lot of really beautiful sweet-faced pitbulls…we miss our Emma.
This cat had been chilling on our porch. I adore it. Apparently, the guests prior to us had fed the cat 3-times a day. We must have been an incredible disappointment.
I’ve been spending my days marinating in ocean water and my lips always taste like salt now.
Is This the Way the World Ends? 