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A Founders Guide to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica 2022

Santa Teresa is beachy and off-the-grid, so of course it’s started to attract lots of digital nomads to Costa Rica. It’s still a hidden gem, so read this guide to find all the spots for a digital nomad Costa Rica has to offer. 🏝️🌞

8 min read

Startup Travel
A Guide to Santa Teresa for the Digital Nomad Costa Rica [2019 Update] cover

Renowned for its alternative, easygoing lifestyle, Santa Teresa is a laid-back surfer’s town, with lush, green forests adorning the tranquil beaches! Regarded as one of Costa Rica’s premier surfing spots, it offers plenty of thrill-seeking activities such as surfing, swimming, and reggae-bar hopping.

It’s a fantastic spot to relax, but what about work? Santa Teresa also caters to the digital nomad Costa Rica brought in. Catering to the affordable luxury of an air-conditioned casita for just under $1200, this postcard-perfect town is the ideal place to combine work with relaxation and adrenaline-filled activities. 

Photographer: Berti Benbanaste | Source: Unsplash

The exceptional and varied choice of food here is also an excellent incentive to visit. Spanish has influenced the culture of Costa Rica, and Spanish is spoken across the island. Local Costa Ricans are usually welcoming and accommodating to the digital nomad Costa Rica has invited to stay, so branch out of the DN community!

Why is Santa Teresa Costa Rica great for early-stage startup founders?

If you’re an early-stage startup founder, Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, is the perfect place to set up shop. Not only is the cost of living and doing business very affordable, but the relaxed atmosphere and abundance of natural beauty make it a great place to relax and recharge between bouts of work. And if you’re looking for some adrenaline-pumping activities to mix things up, Santa Teresa has plenty to offer. Whether you’re a surfer, swimmer, or hiker, there’s something for everyone.

So if you’re looking for a place to start your business and live the digital nomad lifestyle, Santa Teresa is worth considering. With its affordable luxury, laid-back atmosphere, and abundance of natural beauty, it has everything you need to be successful and happy. Give it a try – you won’t be disappointed!

The Best Cafes in Santa Teresa for Working

Known for the gourmet coffee beans native to the island, the digital nomad in Costa Rica will not find a shortage of delicious coffee! However, we don’t often come to cafes to taste the coffee; we go to get work done. There are quite a few if you need to find an excellent café to work in Santa Teresa. Check out one (or all) of the best cafes in Santa Teresa for the work day!

Café Social – Best Café Central Santa Teresa

A hip and modern café situated in the heart of Santa Teresa, Café Social makes you feel at home away from home. In addition to the relaxed atmosphere, the food served here is healthy, fresh and delicious. The wait staff here is kind and friendly, always trying to make you feel welcomed and going the extra mile. It has everything the digital nomad in Costa Rica could need and is an excellent café in central Santa Teresa.

The Bakery – Beachside Café Santa Teresa

With a terracotta-tiled roof and antique wooden chairs, the digital nomad Costa Rica might think The Bakery is traditional and outdated. No way! The Bakery is a breezy little café that promises a refreshing start to your day with its delicious range of breakfast and lunch choices. It serves black-bean burritos to the early birds. In contrast, the late risers are offered mouth-watering macchiatos, creamy pineapple-filled pastries, and delicious tacos — all made nearby the bakery. It’s the perfect place to refresh yourself in a beachside café in Santa Teresa.

 
 
 
 
 
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Crispy avocado tacos. My god! #vacaymonkeys

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These look so crunchy and delicious, not to mention healthy!

Coworking Costa Rica: The Best Spaces in Santa Teresa

With the inland forest and miles of coastline, the digital nomad in Costa Rica might think there aren’t many modern coworking spaces to choose from. That’s not true! With the surge of digital nomads, some options for coworking Costa Rica. Head over to a coworking space when you’re tired of snacking on healthy delights at the café (wait, does that happen?).

Selina Santa Teresa South & Cowork – Community and Coworking

This affordable coworking space is excellent for getting some work done, with plenty of desks, fast Wi-Fi, and a relaxed atmosphere. If you need a break from work, there’s also a swimming pool and bar on site. This is the perfect spot to take advantage of coworking in Costa Rica.

 
 
 
 
 
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Outsite Costa Rica – Accommodations and a view

This is another excellent option for coworking in Costa Rica, with a beautiful location right on the beach. If you need a break from work, there’s plenty to do nearby, including surfing, yoga, and hiking. And of course, the views are incredible. This is it if you’re looking for a breathtaking place to get some work done!

 
 
 
 
 
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The Best SIM Card Costa Rica Has for Digital Nomads

Movistar is the second largest network provider in Costa Rica and offers the best coverage and speed compared to other networks. Prepaid SIM cards can be purchased for CRC 1,000 or $1.62! This is the best deal for a SIM Card Costa Rica has on the market. They can be purchased at any electronics store or provider store. Further, you can avail the ‘MES’ pack that provides 3GB of internet for $15.

How to Get Around Santa Teresa Costa Rica

Santa Teresa is a dirt-road town that gets extremely dusty during the dry season. There are many opportunities to rent one, and using ATVs does sound like a convenient option, but it only stirs up more dirt. It’s wisest to consider a bicycle to get around Santa Teresa! Alternatively, you can hire taxis that typically cost between $4 and $8, depending on your destination.

digital nomad costa rica
Photographer: Drew Sullivan | Source: Unsplash

The Best Restaurants Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

Costa Rican food has its flavorful, smoky identity, although many of the staples are borrowed from Latin American cuisine. One thing that’s for sure: Costa Rican food is almost always healthy, which is perfect for the digital nomad in Costa Rica who may not have much time to exercise! There’s no reason to feel guilty when visiting the restaurants Santa Teresa; Costa Rica has on offer. So go on and try them out!

digital nomad costa rica
Plantains and rice always go together in Costa Rica!
Photographer: Charisse Kenion | Source: Unsplash

Soda Tiquicia – Costa Rican Food Santa Teresa

Suited ideally for the typical Central American cuisines, Soda Tiquicia is by far the best value-worth restaurant in the town. While their serving plates are enormous, you will not be left hungry or empty your wallet. It’s great to experience the local food culture, so give Costa Rican food Santa Teresa is taking a chance! Try their signature Casado dishes, stuffed bean burritos, and exquisite fish soup.

Banana Beach Restaurant Santa Teresa

The food at Banana Beach Restaurant Santa Teresa is delicious, but that’s not the only thing attracting the digital nomad Costa Rica to this hotspot. This beach bar in Santa Teresa is the total package! They have something on the menu for everyone, vegans, vegetarians, meat-eaters and even gluten-free eaters.

The best part is the beautiful beachside service and the live music at night. This beach restaurant doubles as a bar/club once the sun goes down, so head here whether you’re hungry or not (just as long as you’re thirsty). Once you get to Banana Beach Restaurant, you may never leave!

 
 
 
 
 
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• Friday Night 💕 • #bananabeachbarandrestaurant #lidodisavio #lidodisaviobeach #mare #sea #serata #fridaynight #venerdisera #venerdi #ristorante #tramonto #tramontosulmare

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Nightlife and Bars in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

Like any beautiful beach town, Santa Teresa is full of open bars, cocktails with fresh-squeezed juice and speakers bumping mellow beats. After the day, it’s time to check out the thriving nightlife in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica! Beach vibes can be found at almost any bar, even the dive bars, so don’t hesitate to explore. Here are some of our favourite bars in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica.

Vista de Olas – Best Beach Bar Santa Teresa Costa Rica

A must-visit bar to wind down after a tiring day at work, Vista de Olas offers the best sunset views in the town. Nestled on the outskirts of Santa Teresa in Mal Pais, Vista de Olas lets you savour the sunset away from the bustle in a luxurious infinity swimming pool. Oh, did we not mention that there’s a swim-up bar? There are too many reasons why Vista de Olas is the best beach bar Santa Teresa has. Savour their wide selection of cocktails, soak up some sun and thank us later.

 
 
 
 
 
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#every #saturdays #party #poolparty #come #join #us #america #turist #fun #thanks

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Take advantage of this beautiful resort without paying for a place to sleep!

Discobar Lora Amarilla – Best Reggae Bar Santa Teresa

It can be hard to mingle with the locals as a digital nomad in Costa Rica, but this disco bar is the perfect place to do it. Filled with locals and visitors alike, the Lora Amarilla simultaneously serves cheap drinks and fantastic music. Like all the best bars in Santa Teresa, La Lora Amarilla isn’t far from the beach. Come on Thursdays when they have their legendary reggae parties. They don’t call it the best reggae bar Santa Teresa has ever seen for nothing!

Monthly Airbnb Price for the Digital Nomad Costa Rica

The rental prices in Costa Rica are cheap, which is why there’s been such a surge in the digital nomad Costa Rica group. A fully-furnished one-bedroom apartment costs around $800 a month in Santa Teresa. After all, you can’t just sleep on the beach every day…can you?

digital nomad costa rica
How much for the little hut?
Photographer: Sam Beasley | Source: Unsplash

How Is the Wifi Speed in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica?

While there are plenty of spots with excellent wifi speed in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica isn’t known for being extremely well-connected. After all, the remoteness and off-the-grid freedom bring the digital nomad to Costa Rica! In those remote spots, don’t count on being too connected. If wifi is advertised by a hotel, bar, or restaurant, they’ll have a reliable enough connection. The average wifi speed in Santa Teresa is 5 Mbps.

P.S. Wifi connections can cut out infrequently during the rainy season, so be aware.

digital nomad santa teresa
Photographer: Mario Purisic | Source: Unsplash

 

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