Santa Teresa, Costa Rica is the next Tulum.

So says The New York Times, and I tend to agree, although a part of me hopes it never grows to that level of hip (sorry Tulum, you are still lovely).  In the most insane stroke of luck, just as we planned our Costa Rica visit for a friend’s wedding, I was the winner of a Refinery 29 online sweepstakes for a stay at Casa Chamaleon’s gorgeous property in Mal Pais. So we had to extend our trip!

Following a very bumpy four hour drive to the tip of the Nicoya peninsula, we arrived in Santa Teresa, a hip surfing town where everyone I saw was attractive, tanned, and possessed effortlessly great hair (the kind of beach waves I spend an hour with a curling iron to achieve, on both the men and women).  Most people navigated the dusty pothole-filled roads on ATVs, often with a surfboard strapped to their back.  Formerly a fishing and cattle village, Mal Pais is the quiet neighbor just north of Santa Teresa.  Forbes Magazine recently voted the beaches of Malpais and neighboring Santa Teresa as “One of the ten most beautiful in the world.”  I believe it – the beaches are so beautiful, it feels like they sparkle.

After checking into our delightful room, we grabbed lunch at The Bakery and hit the beach.  In the days that followed, we hiked an impressive waterfall, walked with wild horses on the beach, sipped pina coladas in our private infinity pool, ate some of the best grilled fish and Argentinian BBQ (with our toes in the sand), and were derailed twice by Google Maps that led directly into rivers (Ryan would have surely forged the rivers were I not to have reminded him of our strict car rental agreement directly advising NOT to forge the rivers).

As a cherry on top to the stunning surroundings, every restaurant we visited had incredibly delicious food and friendly service.  Here were some favorites:

• The Bakery -coffee, juices, salads, breakfast, pastries, sandwiches, EVERYTHING
• Habaneros – the looked cheesy at first but it was oceanfront and convenient to our beach spot so we stopped for a drink.  Service was so friendly that we came back for dinner and it was TO DIE FOR.  Succulent Grilled fish with our toes in the sand.
• Katana – sushi, mussels, curry, and a very friendly cat!
• El Facon –  there were several Argentinean BBQ spots but this was the newest one that all the locals were recommending at the time.  The atmosphere/vibe was super hip and fun with outdoor seating, a great playlist, and friendly service.  Switching to delectable roasted meats / BBQ after all the seafood was a great way to end the trip.
• There were SO many great restaurants we didn’t get to try – we will be back!