A day trip to Mal País and Santa Teresa from Cabuya

Mal País and Santa Teresa sit on the open Pacific just over the hills from Cabuya, with surf beaches and sunsets over the ocean. In the dry season you can take the rough 4x4 back road from Cabuya; the rest of the year, go round through Cóbano, about an hour. Swim with care: Playa Carmen and Santa Teresa have strong rip currents, and Playa Hermosa is the gentler choice.

Two very different neighbors

Cabuya faces the calm waters at the mouth of the Gulf of Nicoya. Over the hills to the west, Mal País and Santa Teresa face the open Pacific, with bigger waves, long beaches and sunsets straight over the ocean. A day there is a good contrast with village life, and you can be back in Cabuya for a quiet night.

Getting there: the back road or the long way

The back road. From Cabuya, a rough dirt road of about 7 km climbs over the hills to Mal País. The turn is at Salón El Higuerón, the village bar. It's steep in places and crosses 3 rivers. You need a 4x4, and the road is generally only passable in the dry season, roughly January to April. In the dry season, the drive takes about 15 to 20 minutes, or longer if the road is in bad shape. Don't attempt it after heavy rain or if you're unsure about a river crossing.

The long way round. The rest of the year, or if you're not in a 4x4, drive north to Montezuma, up the hill to Cóbano and down to the coast at Playa Carmen. It takes about an hour. It's also the normal route between Santa Teresa and Cabuya.

You can't enter Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve from the Mal País side. The only entrance is the ranger station near Cabuya.

Mal País

Mal País is the quiet southern end of this coast, a stretch of about 5 km of road from the edge of the Cabo Blanco reserve north toward Santa Teresa. The shore is mostly dark volcanic rock with pockets of beach in between, and the pace is slow. At low tide, Playa Cuevas has rock pools and snorkeling on calm days.

Keep an eye on your things here. Local guides advise against being alone on quiet beaches because of reports of robberies, and as anywhere on this coast, don't leave valuables in a parked car.

Late in the afternoon, look out to sea for pelicans flying past. Many of them nest on Isla Cabo Blanco, just off the tip of the reserve.

Playa Carmen

Playa Carmen is where the road from Cóbano reaches the coast, at a crossroads locals call "El Cruce." It's the main commercial hub of the area. The beach is a wide beach break that's popular with surfers of all levels. Swimming isn't recommended: the surf is heavy and currents are strong.

Santa Teresa

Santa Teresa begins about 3 km north of Playa Carmen. Its broad sandy beach has both point breaks and beach breaks, and the waves are generally more challenging than at Playa Carmen. Strong rip currents make swimming risky. The town has grown along its main road, with plenty of cafes, shops and surf schools.

Playa Hermosa

North of Santa Teresa, Playa Hermosa is a wide white-sand beach without rocks underwater and with milder waves. That makes it the most popular spot here for surf lessons and the best bet for a swim, though currents can still be strong toward the north end.

Surfing

If you want to learn, this is the place. Surf schools and board rentals are everywhere in Santa Teresa and Playa Carmen. One long-running option at the southern end is Mal País Surf Camp, which offers surf lessons and board rental and can also arrange other activities. For beginners, Playa Hermosa's gentler waves are a good start. For more on waves near Cabuya itself, see surf near Cabuya.

Safety in the water

The open Pacific here is very different from the sheltered water off Cabuya. A few simple rules:

• Don't swim where locals tell you not to, and never swim alone.
• Learn to spot a rip current: a calmer-looking channel of darker water running out through the waves. If you're caught in one, don't fight it. Swim parallel to the beach until you're out of it, then head in.
• Surf with someone who knows the break, especially at Santa Teresa's point breaks, which are better for experienced surfers.
• Mind the rocks at Mal País and around the tide pools, which are sharp and slippery.

A sample day

1. Morning: Drive over (back road in the dry season, the long way otherwise). Coffee and breakfast in Santa Teresa.
2. Late morning: A surf lesson at Playa Hermosa or Playa Carmen, or a walk and swim at Playa Hermosa.
3. Afternoon: Lunch, a browse along the main road, then rock pools at Mal País if the tide is low.
4. Sunset: Find a spot on the beach in Santa Teresa or Playa Carmen and watch the sun drop into the Pacific.
5. Evening: Drive back to Cabuya the long way. Don't take the back road in the dark.

The places in this guide

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