Properties in Costa Rica Blog

Santa Teresa and Montezuma are two popular beach communities located right
across the Nicoya Peninsula. A must visit portion of Costa Rica where you will find the
Pura Vida lifestyle at it best! Expats, hippies, wannabe hippies, adult surfers, kids
surfers, dog surfers, a place to connect with all kind of people. This area gets a lot of
tourism during the peak season (December thru April), but the long beaches have
enough space for everyone, you won’t even notice the number of people around you.
There’s one big question once you arrive in Costa Rica, how do we get to these
astonishing beaches?

The most popular way of crossing the Nicoya Gulf to get to Montezuma and Santa
Teresa is by ferry. This is a speedboat that transports vehicles and people from
Puntarenas to two different docks on the other side. You have two routes options:
Puntarenas – Paquera and Puntarenas – Naranjo.

The distance, by car or bus from San Jose to Puntarenas is about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Nevertheless, you should have a margin of 30 minutes to 1 hour to assure your place in
the ferry. During the high season, the time to get to Puntarenas changes, if you have
your own vehicle you must calculate about two to three hours from San Jose and you
must arrive at the dock at least 3 hours before to have your place assured in the ferry.
Both routes include fully equipped ferries, with air conditioner, indoor seats, tables,
outdoor seats and tables, a kiosk that includes chips and typically snacks such as
“pastelitos”, music and in both you will appreciate incredible views of the golf. On the
ferry, you’ll have beautiful views of “Isla San Lucas” an island located in the middle of
the gulf previously used as a jail. Also, if you ride during dawn you’ll be able to catch the
sunrise emerging through the mountains.

Let’s discuss the two routes to cross the Nicoya Gulf:

Puntarenas – Paquera: The ferry ride from Puntarenas to Paquera has a duration of one
hour and 10 to 20 minutes. Once you get to Paquera, you will have to wait your turn to
get off the ferry which, could last at least one hour or even more during the high season.
There you will have a one hour drive to Montezuma, and one and a half hour to get to Santa Teresa or paradise. The roads are mostly paved but you will have trams of
unpaved and curvy roads through the mountains. It is a bumpy ride, but totally worth it.

This is the best option to get to both beaches.

Puntarenas – Naranjo: This other option to cross the Nicoya Gulf is mainly a plan B. The
ride on the speedboat has the same duration as the one of Paquera: one hour and 10 to
20 minutes. However, once you get to the dock, you’ll have to add an extra 40 minutes
ride to get to Montezuma and Santa Teresa following the same road as if you take the
other ferry. This is a less required ride, that’s why during the peak season, riding the
Naranjo ferry could be a good option.

Tips:

Use comfortable clothes: If you don’t find a seat inside the ferry you will have to be on
the deck where the sun really burns. It gets warm, and sunblock is a must!
Pet-Friendly: Both speedboats are pet-friendly, there’s a special area where they can
stay during the ride aside from the multitude.

Time: Always make sure to get to the dock on time! If not, you will have to wait for at least 2
hours for another boat. A good tip is to call the central in Puntarenas to check the hours
of the ferry and their prognostics for the day you are going.

Enjoy: The most important part, be happy. Appreciate the views, feel the salty breeze,
take pictures. If there’s music on the ferry, dance!

Traveling to Costa Rica is pretty simple. Not everyone that travels here needs a “tourist visa”, it all depends on your nationality, duration of stay, residence and the purpose of your visit. There are some things to keep in mind if you are traveling here.

If you plan on visiting Costa Rica as a tourist and your country of origin is The United States, Canada or you are a European citizen, the only document you will need is a current valid passport in good conditions. Keep in mind that the authorities will demand a demonstration of economic solvency, requiring a minimum of $100 per month staying in the country. In addition, a return ticket or exit ticket must be shown for them to verify when you are leaving the country and for how long are you staying.

The maximum length of stay allowed is 90 days, which you can extend with a new tourist visa for another 90 days if you leave the country for a minimum of 48 hours.

For you to have a safe and tranquil return, make sure that the immigration officer who examines your passport when you enter Costa Rica stamps the corresponding “entry stamp” on it. If you plan on staying in Costa Rica for more than 90 days you must apply for a tourist Visa.

Another requirement to take in consideration is the yellow fever vaccine. If you, before entering Costa Rica, have remained in countries at risk, you must be vaccinated against yellow fever, which should be verified by means of the “International Certificate of Vaccination against Yellow Fever”, which is valid from 10 days after vaccination.

If you have been in transit through countries at risk in their trajectory towards Costa Rica in airports, ports and inter-border posts of countries at risk you will be exempted from the yellow fever vaccination requirement.

You are also exempt from the vaccination requirement if you have been in countries considered at risk but later have remained for at least 6 days, in a country that is not risky and have not developed fever in that period.

Countries that do not need a tourist visa are: Alemania, Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bélgica, Brasil, Bulgaria, Canadá, Ciudad del Vaticano, Chile, Chipre, Croacia, Dinamarca, Eslovaquia, Eslovenia, España, Estados Unidos de América, Estonia, Finlandia, Francia, Grecia, Hungría, Irlanda, Islandia, Israel, Italia, Japón, Letonia, Liechtenstein, Lituania, Luxemburgo, Malta, México, Montenegro, Noruega, Nueva Zelanda, Países Bajos, Panamá, Paraguay, Polonia, Portugal, Principado de Mónaco, Puerto Rico, San Marino, Serbia, Sudáfrica, Reino Unido e Irlanda del Norte, República Checa, República de Corea del Sur, Rumanía, Singapur, Suecia, Suiza, Trinidad y Tobago y Uruguay.

The countries considered at risk are: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, SierraLeone, Sudan, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana and Venezuela.

If you are moving to Costa Rica or planning a trip here, there’s some information
regarding the weather that you should consider. Costa Rica is known for its diverse
climate and vegetation that varies during the different seasons. It is composed of two
seasons: Dry or summer, and Rainy/green/winter.

Let’s discuss some of the pros and cons for each season.

Dry/summer:

Pros: From December thru April you will find sunshine and little clouds throughout the
country. Costa Rica is diverse and unpredictable regarding climate, so the season can
begin earlier or prolong a little bit. This is the peak tourist season since people from the
northern countries try to avoid the cold winters and come looking for the true tropical
experience. During this period of the year, most of the modern amenities such as bars
and restaurants, groceries stores, hotels are always full of foreign and locals tourists. If
you would like to visit volcanoes and mountains, this season means fewer clouds and
fog. Most volcanoes will be exhibiting the peaks and offering a surreal experience with a
clear view of the crater. You will be able to enjoy surfing, fishing, scuba-diving, all in
translucent oceans with the ideal temperature. As well as extreme sports such as
bungee, canopy and hiking with little or no rain at all.

Cons: Since the dry season occurs during Costa Rica’s peak season, prices tend to be
a lot higher. Finding an affordable private house for your vacation, or vacancy in a hotel
may be a tough task if you don’t book it with anticipation. Flights prices also tend to go
up for these months. Costa Rican tourism is also strong, and when combined with
foreign tourism beaches may seem full as well as the highways. Expect long waiting
lines in restaurants and overbooked tours.

Rainy/Green/Winter:

Pros: The rainy season goes from May thru mid-November. Just like the dry season,
these periods may extend or diminish. Nevertheless, rain begins until 3 pm, having
plenty of time during the morning to enjoy the light breeze and sunshine. Rain often help
alleviate the warm and humid weather. Activities such as hiking and rafting are
predominant during the “winter”. Making reference to the name of “green season”,
plants and trees that were once dry from the previous season, will nourish while
enjoying the tropical rainforest habitat to its maximum. This is the best time to visit the
rainforest and have a full experience of it. Another good reason to visit Costa Rica
during this season is that it offers a majestic show of whale watching, a unique and natural experience. Another pro for this season is that prices are lower and you will be
able to find different promotions and offers for tours and lodging.

Cons: If you are an outdoors person that doesn’t enjoy the rain, this is a big problem.
The rainiest months occur in October and November where the entire country receives
from 330-350 millimeters of water, having dark and colder days than the rest of the year.
If you go to the beach, on the Pacific side, be prepared for storms and strong currents in
the ocean. Also be cautious while driving, the highways in Costa Rica have plenty of
dangerous bends and in the rain and fog they tend to be difficult to see. Another issue
on the highway are landslides, so be alert all the time to prevent accidents of this
magnitude.

Something to keep in mind, when the Pacific coast has one kind of climate, the
Caribbean coast will have the opposite climate. Anytime you visit Costa Rica you will be
able to enjoy the beautiful landscape, beaches and activities that it has to offer!