Malpaís and Santa Teresa
Malpaís is located 4 miles (6.5 km) north of Cabo Blanco National Park, Malpaís sits at the southwestern cusp of the Nicoya Peninsula, opposite Montezuma. Malpaís and Santa Teresa are both excellent beaches to just kickback and unwind.Renting a car in Costa Rica.
Malpaís gives a great opportunity for visitors to get away from more crowded destinations. It is an excellent place to enjoy the incredible natural surroundings in relative peace. Malpaís has a relaxed attitude, therefore it offers relatively few services with regard to tours. Nevertheless visitors can arrange canopy tours. They can also take horseback rides along the beach.
The village of Malpaís is accessible by road via Highway 160, or you can take the ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera or Naranjo Beach, and ride a bus or drive the rest of the way. Flights to the nearby town of Tambor are also available via San José and Liberia.
The nearby Cabo Blanco Absolute Reserve can make an excellent day trip from Malpaís. It is important to ask and check with locals before going to the Reserve. Usually a visit requires entering the town of Montezuma. Costa Rica car rental.
On its southern end Malpaís borders the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve while on its northern end, on Playa Carmen, it merges with Santa Teresa where visitors can find shops, tourist facilities, and a lively surf scene.
While in recent years Santa Teresa has seen a boom in development, Malpaís has retained its quiet atmosphere and unspoiled nature. The coast of Malpaís is in many places rocky, with bizarre volcanic formations making for fascinating landscape.
To get here you need to head to Puntarenas. Once you are there you’ll board the ferry and cross the gulf of Nicoya, getting off either Paquera. In terms of crossing on the ferry, you have a few options. To get to Paquera, take either the “Ferry Peninsula ADIP” or “Ferry Naviera Tambor.”
Once you reach Paquera, turn left at the main street’s intersection and drive for about 40 km along highway 160 until you reach the Playa del Carmen intersection. Turn left and you will be in Malpaís in 3 km. A right turn will take you to Santa Teresa.
If you don’t want to take the ferry, you can continue along the Inter-American Highway towards Liberia. After 128 km, take a left onto the road that leads to La Amistad Bridge. Drive for about 50 km along this road until you reach highway 21. Take a left onto highway 21. You will continue on this road for another 130 km until you reach Malpaís. Hwy 21, does, however turn into highway 160 as it turns west from the southeast corner of the peninsula. Again, remember that when you reach the intersection at Playa Carmen, take a left to get to Malpaís. Car rental Costa Rica.