For many students the idea of a vacation in an exotic beach paradise sounds like a wonderful dream that would be impossible to afford on a starving student budget. However with a little planning and flexibility finding that perfect beach to go along with your favorite beverage can go from a dream to a reality.
With countless miles of near perfect beaches to along with tropical rainforests teeming with dense foilage and wildlife, its no wonder that Costa Rica has become a top tourist destination. However Costa Rica is in danger of being overrun by American travelers and the rising cost of tourism is a sure sign of that. This doesn’t bode well for the average college student trying scrape together enough cash to afford a well deserved vacation from studying.
The good news is that with a little ingenuity and a sense of adventure, exploring the beaches and rainforests of Costa Rica is attainable even on a limited budget. One of the most beautiful and yet still relatively unknown beaches of Costa Rica is the small town of Santa Teresa on the Nicoya Peninsula. While the more popular beaches of Taramindo and Manuel Antonio have skyrocketed in both prices and tourists, Santa Teresa has managed to stay under the radar and the result is affordability and miles of nearly empty beaches to explore.
From San Jose a bus ticket to Santa Teresa costs $15 and leaves from the San Carlos bus terminal. The ride takes about six hours and includes taking a ferry followed by a scenic drive through the steep mountain roads that snake through a rainforest that looms over both sides of the road creating a tunnel effect. Once in Santa Teresa there are a number of affordable lodging options all of which are with stone’s throw to the beach.
For those on a ultra tight budget the Hostel Seven Casa De Gringi offer accommodations in a four bed dormitory for as little as $12 a night. For those who can stretch the budget the Hotel Raratonga offers private rooms for $40 a night in a Swiss Family Robinson type setting that leaves guests feeling as though they are living in a treehouse, albeit a treehouse with a swimming pool and beach access.
There is also plenty of affordable eating options including the Soda Tiquicia which is located right next to the Hotel Raratonga and offers a typical Costa Rican meal with a choice of beef, chicken, or fish with rice, beans, salad, and french fries for about $5. Additionally there are plenty of small supermarkets to shop at and most hotels in Santa Teresa have kitchens where guests can cook their own food.
However the best part of Santa Teresa is the miles of large sandy beaches that stretch as far as the eye can see and doesn’t cost a dime to enjoy. The beaches are wide with thick sand that is perfect for sunbathing and building sand castles. Perfectly situated driftwood litters the beach creating perfect places to sit and admire the views. There are towering rock formations that complement the backdrop of the lush verdant jungle that runs up against the brown sugar colored sand of the often empty beaches with only your own footprints breaking up its perfect symmetry, and reefs that during low tide create refreshing pools to cool off in.
Then of course there is the vibrant blue ocean with relentless waves that pound the shoreline and draw surfers from all over the world with hopes of conquering the nearly untameable waves. Watching the surfers is worth the trip itself and provides countless hours of entertainment as they go up against the giants waves that often swat them aside like the hand of Poseidon. Witnessing the daring magnificence of surfers dancing on top of the waves like ballerinas, taunting Poseidon before finally becoming enveloped in his watery grasp, is like watching poetry in motion.
For those who wish to brave the uncompromising waves themselves there are numerous surf shops along the beach road that offer surf lessons and surfboard rentals. Group lessons start at $35 and surfboards in all sizes are available for rent as low as $10 a day.
Santa Teresa is located in a central location of the Nicoya Peninsula and is near the remote beaches of Playa Hermosa and the popular hippie beach town of Montezuma. The famous Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve is nearby as well. The best way to visit these places is to rent an ATV ($60) for the day and navigate the steep, winding, dirt roads of the peninsula.
This is a great way to explore the lush green countryside and visit the various remote beaches of the region. Cabo Blanco is a must see on your visit as it offer hiking through the protected rainforest where colorful butterflies and hyperactive monkeys keep hikers company as they traverse the rocky trail through the rainforest that ends at yet another beautiful beach.
The remote beauty of Santa Teresa and the surrounding area is still relatively undeveloped and has remained untouched from mainstream tourism. Because of this the time is now to take advantage of the affordable paradise that this region of Costa Rica has to offer while the prices are affordable and the beaches unspoiled. So don’t let the idea that a student’s budget can’t be stretched far enough to experience this slice of heaven because much like any amazing offer it will soon come to an end.