The Nicoya Peninsula is usually the last stop of a Costa Rica trip: volcano and cloud forest first, then the beach to slow down. The catch is the journey. Santa Teresa is 5½ to 6 hours by road from San José airport (SJO), or a 30- to 35-minute flight to Cóbano airport (ACO). Each itinerary below gives a day-by-day outline and the real drive time for every leg. They're starting points: move the days around to fit your flights.
The four shapes at a glance
| Itinerary | Length | Bases | Longest leg | Airports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arenal to Santa Teresa | 7 days | La Fortuna, Santa Teresa | 6–7 h (La Fortuna → Santa Teresa) | SJO in and out |
| Santa Teresa and the Gulf side | 5 days | Santa Teresa | 30-min flight, or 5½–6 h by road | SJO |
| Honeymoon: Santa Teresa and Nosara or Islita | 10 days | Santa Teresa, then Nosara or Punta Islita | 4½–5 h (to Nosara) | Into SJO, out of LIR |
| Family: Arenal, Santa Teresa and Sámara | 10 days | La Fortuna, Santa Teresa, Sámara | 6–7 h (La Fortuna → Santa Teresa) | Into SJO, out of LIR |
Times are typical door-to-door times in normal conditions and include the ferry crossing where there is one. Add time on holiday weekends, in heavy rain and for stops. The sun sets between about 5:15 and 6 p.m., so plan every long drive to finish in daylight.
7 days: Arenal to Santa Teresa
The classic shape: volcano, hot springs and rainforest first, then three nights of beach. It's the one I suggest for a first trip of a week.
- Day 1. Land at San José airport (SJO) and drive to La Fortuna, 2½ to 3 hours. Hot springs in the evening.
- Days 2–3. Arenal: the volcano trails, hanging bridges and La Fortuna waterfall.
- Day 4. La Fortuna to Santa Teresa, 6 to 7 hours by road and the Puntarenas–Paquera ferry. Leave early to make a midday sailing and arrive before dark.
- Days 5–6. Santa Teresa: a beach morning, the tide pools at low tide, a yoga class, the sunset. Add Isla Tortuga or Cabo Blanco (open Wednesday to Sunday) on one of the days.
- Day 7. Santa Teresa to San José airport, 5½ to 6 hours by road and ferry. Or fly: a 30- to 35-minute flight from Cóbano to San José (Cóbano airport is 25 to 30 minutes from town) can get you to San José in time for an afternoon flight home.
Total drive time: about 14 to 16 hours by road, or about 9½ to 11 with the Cóbano flight home. With a Monteverde night added, the drive to Santa Teresa is a little shorter: 5 to 5½ hours. Getting around: Santa Teresa and La Fortuna, Santa Teresa and Monteverde, San José airport to Santa Teresa and Cóbano airport to Santa Teresa.
Insider tip: on the long day from Arenal, leave La Fortuna by about 7 a.m. and aim for the 12:00 ferry from Puntarenas. You'll reach Santa Teresa by mid-afternoon, and the dirt last stretch is much easier in daylight.
5 days: Santa Teresa and the Gulf side
A short trip, or the beach end of a longer one. One base in Santa Teresa, and the calm Gulf of Nicoya side as your day trips.
- Day 1. Fly from San José to Cóbano (30 to 35 minutes), then 25 to 30 minutes to your hotel. Sunset on the beach.
- Day 2. Tide pools at low tide in Malpaís, a lazy afternoon, dinner in Santa Teresa.
- Day 3. Isla Tortuga: a full-day boat trip (about 7 hours, with pickup in town) to snorkel in calm, clear water.
- Day 4. Cabo Blanco at 8 a.m. (Wednesday to Sunday), about an hour away, then lunch and the waterfall in Montezuma on the way back, 35 to 40 minutes from town.
- Day 5. Leave by road: stop at Curú, 6 km before the Paquera dock, for monkeys and a swim, then take the ferry and continue to San José (5½ to 6 hours in all, plus the stop). Or fly back from Cóbano.
Total drive time: about 1 hour to and from the airstrip, plus the day trips, if you fly both ways. See things to do in Santa Teresa and Tambor and Curú.
10 days: a honeymoon in Santa Teresa and Nosara or Punta Islita
Two beaches with two moods: the sunsets and restaurants of Santa Teresa first, then somewhere quieter to finish.
- Day 1. Land at San José. Fly to Cóbano (30 to 35 minutes) if you land early enough for a daylight flight, or spend the night near the airport and fly in the morning.
- Days 2–5. Santa Teresa: a beachfront bungalow, a couples' surf lesson at Playa Hermosa, a spa afternoon, Isla Tortuga and a sunset every evening.
- Day 6. North to Nosara, 4½ to 5 hours on the paved road (or 3 to 4 hours or more on the coastal road in the dry season, with a high-clearance 4x4). Or to Punta Islita, about 2 hours in the dry season and 3 in the rainy season, with the last 15 km on a dirt road.
- Days 7–9. Nosara: yoga, long walks on Playa Guiones, and the Ostional turtles in season. Or Punta Islita: a villa, the spa and the bay.
- Day 10. From Nosara, 2 to 2½ hours to Liberia airport (LIR) for your flight home, or about 45 minutes by air to San José. From Punta Islita, drive out via Sámara and Nicoya to Liberia.
Total drive time: about 7 to 8 hours by road after the flight in. Want a volcano too? Add three nights at Arenal at the start and fly to Cóbano from San José. Getting around: Santa Teresa to Nosara. For hotels, see where to stay in Santa Teresa.
Insider tip: do Santa Teresa first and the quiet place last. You'll have the social beach town while you still want to go out to dinner, and end with nothing to do but rest, 2 to 2½ hours from Liberia airport.
10 days: a family trip with Arenal, Santa Teresa and Sámara
Volcano, surf lessons and calm water, with a different airport home so you never drive back across the country.
- Day 1. Land at San José airport (SJO) and drive 2½ to 3 hours to La Fortuna.
- Days 2–3. Arenal: hanging bridges, the waterfall, hot springs.
- Day 4. La Fortuna to Santa Teresa, 6 to 7 hours by road and ferry. Break it up with stops for lunch and a stretch, and check your car seats before you set off.
- Days 5–7. Santa Teresa: tide pools, a first surf lesson for the kids at Playa Hermosa, Isla Tortuga, Cabo Blanco's easy loop trail.
- Day 8. Santa Teresa to Sámara, 4 to 4½ hours on the paved road.
- Day 9. Sámara: calm, reef-protected swimming and Playa Carrillo.
- Day 10. Sámara to Liberia airport (LIR), 2 to 2¼ hours, paved all the way.
Total drive time: about 14½ to 17 hours in four legs. To cut the long day, swap the drive from Arenal for a night in Monteverde (Monteverde to Santa Teresa is 5 to 5½ hours). Getting around: Santa Teresa to Sámara and La Fortuna to Santa Teresa. Families: see Santa Teresa with kids.
When to go
December to April has the most sun and the easiest roads, and it's when hotels and flights fill first. From May to August, rain mostly comes in the afternoon and rates are lower; September and October are the wettest months, when the dirt roads are at their worst and the coastal road north is often impassable. Month by month, see the best time to visit Santa Teresa.
Real trips through the peninsula
The trips below are real itineraries Anywhere travelers took with a Nicoya Peninsula beach as the finale, each planned by our Costa Rica insiders around one set of flights and one pace. Borrow the shape that fits yours. Read more about us.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Santa Teresa?
Four or five nights. The trip in takes most of a day by road (5½ to 6 hours from San José airport), so with fewer nights you spend a big share of your stay traveling. With five nights you get beach days plus Isla Tortuga and Cabo Blanco.
Can you do Arenal and Santa Teresa in one week?
Yes: three nights at Arenal and three or four in Santa Teresa. The drive between them is the long one, 6 to 7 hours with the Puntarenas ferry, so start early and break it with stops. Fly home from San José, or take the 30-minute flight from Cóbano to San José on your last day.
Should we fly or drive to Santa Teresa?
Flying from San José to Cóbano airport (ACO) takes 30 to 35 minutes, then about 30 minutes by road, and it saves most of a day. Flights run in daylight only and have tight bag limits. By road it's 5½ to 6 hours from San José airport with the ferry, or 4½ to 5½ hours from Liberia airport. See getting to Santa Teresa.
Which airport should we fly into?
For Arenal first and Santa Teresa last, San José (SJO) in and out usually works best, with the Cóbano flight back if you want to skip the drive. If your trip ends in Nosara or Sámara, fly home from Liberia (LIR), 2 to 2½ hours away. A different airport in and out saves backtracking.
Can we add Nosara to a Santa Teresa trip?
Yes, with three or four nights in each. The paved road between them takes 4½ to 5 hours. In the dry season a shorter coastal road (3 to 4 hours or more) is possible with a high-clearance 4x4, but it has river crossings. See Santa Teresa vs Nosara.
What's the best order for Arenal, Monteverde and the beach?
Volcano and cloud forest first, beach last: Arenal, then Monteverde, then Santa Teresa. Monteverde to Santa Teresa is 5 to 5½ hours with the ferry, a little shorter than from La Fortuna. Finishing on the beach means your last days are the slowest ones.
