La Fortuna to Sámara, Santa Teresa & Montezuma
Getting over my sinus infection, being a beach bum on sands all over the Nicoya Peninsula, and making friends with Capuchin monkeys that seem to make daily appearances in these parts of Costa Rica
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For how to get to and from La Fortuna, Samara, Santa Teresa, or Montezuma by shuttle, taxi, or public transportation, I cover it in Montezuma Foot Tracks. Click here for those step-by-step instructions.
January 15 - 21, 2023
I’m writing this from the wobbly, but tableclothed, plastic table in my one-room Airbnb apartment in Montezuma. Out my window, I can see a three-foot-long iguana perched in the tree. Yesterday, it was a capuchin monkey when I looked out. The last time I wrote, I was about to change locations, leaving La Fortuna and its healing hot springs in the rearview.
I’ve spent the past five days beach town hopping in the Nicoya Peninsula. From La Fortuna, my first stop was three nights in Samara, a place I very quickly grew an affection for. Its laid-back vibes and healthy sense of cafe culture really spoke to me. The beach is of course the centerpiece of town, but the restaurants, craft beer bars, and surf shops that double as cafes really know how to hold you when you’re not on the sand.
My hostel there, Hostel Samara, wasn’t much of a looker, but it had everything you could need, including a nice book exchange nook where I snagged “The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,” a book that’s been keeping me laughing long since Samara. I’m about halfway through it now.
In Samara, I was still battling what I discovered was a sinus infection. So my days were slow, chill, and repetitive. I’d work in the mornings from one of the cafes, and then switch into my bathing suit around midday after my homemade lunch of peanut butter and jelly prepared in the hostel kitchen. It was then finding a spot on the sand under the shade of the palm trees and spending the rest of the afternoon until sunset reading and listening to podcasts.
I seem to be naturally waking up at 6am here in Costa Rica, so I’ve also gotten into a bit of a routine of morning yoga on the nearest slice of beach, if I’m not attending a class at one of the local studios. I’m really loving the beach life and the rhythms I seem to be falling into here.
In between Samara and Montezuma, where I am now, I snuck in a quick one-night in Santa Teresa. After acclimating to Samara life, Santa Teresa felt like the big city, though it’s anything but. My first impressions were “I want to go back to Samara.” The town is laid out along one dusty street with no sidewalks and lined with restaurants, hostels, surf shops, and cafes. It’s much busier and buzzier, a bit of a shock to the system when you’ve been immersed in the exact opposite.
Nevertheless, I learned to adjust to my new surroundings and came to appreciate it for its sunsets, good food, and all the interesting nomads and travelers I met at my hostel, ISO Living Hostel. I especially loved the heavy surf presence in Santa Teresa. Every time I’m around surf culture, I get so inspired to return to that childhood dream of mine to be a “surfer girl.”
From Santa Teresa, I tried my hand at public transportation to get to Montezuma. It required first flagging down the bus to Cobano and then hoping that the arrival into Cobano synced up with the bus from Cobano to Montezuma. I wasn’t so lucky. When I got to Cobano, I discovered I’d just missed the bus and would have to wait three hours for the next one.
Fortunately, after getting that news, I spotted two other travelers negotiating with a taxi driver on fare to Montezuma. I joined them and we managed to share the cost of the taxi for maybe a dollar fifty more than the bus would have cost us, and we’d now get there in a third the time. Big win for all.
On the way into Montezuma, I got the scoop from my new friends and the taxi driver on where to eat and what to do in Montezuma. And later that night, I happened to walk into the same highly recommended pizza place as the girls from the taxi. They waved me over to their table and we chatted about travel, our careers, and taking leaps of faith in life between bites of our delicious pizza and sips of basil lemonade. We even discovered we may be in the same place, same time later this year. I love these sort of organic connections that happen when I travel.
I’ve now spent a night and a full day in Montezuma. Yesterday, I worked in the morning from a bakery cafe where yet more capuchin monkeys descended from the treetops in search of food from our empty plates. I walked the beach to a spot I saw on Google Maps that appeared to have a waterfall, natural pools and a rock garden right on the sand. In the process, I discovered a forested trail that followed the coast through a nature reserve and spilled out on a massive and quiet beach called Playa Grande.
It was a day of discovery, planned and unplanned, that left me feeling grateful for the way I’m doing life, for the way what could have been an average work day had I just been home in the states was full of surprise and beauty, time spent in nature, and visits from Costa Rican wildlife.
Today, I plan to take full advantage of my Saturday and go check out another waterfall, visit a craft brewery in a butterfly garden, and maybe try to time low tide so I can walk to the island the two girls in the taxi had told me about. We’ll see. I’m leaving room for the unexpected too.
How to Get from La Fortuna to Sámara:
By Shuttle: You can book a shuttle through Bookaway for about $58 USD. Bookaway works with the top, traveler-rated suppliers in Costa Rica (+ 90 other destinations around the world). They link up with a variety of local transport companies that offer door-to-door service in clean and air-conditioned shuttles, with a snack break halfway. Shuttles leave daily from La Fortuna at 8am and the journey is about 5 hours.
By Public Transport: If that’s a bit outside your budget, it is possible to travel by public transport via the stopover town of San Ramón. Head to the terminal in La Fortuna to find out the latest bus schedule. At the time of writing this (early 2023), the first bus of the day was departing at 5:30am through Transportes Carbachez y Hijos. It’s about a two-hour journey to San Ramón from La Fortuna. From San Ramón, you’ll catch a bus direct to Sámara - about a 3- to 4-hour journey. Empresa Alfaro is one such company that operates the San Ramón-Sámara route.
The Route:
La Fortuna to San Ramon (~2 hours via Transportes Carbachez y Hijos)
San Ramon to Sámara (~3-4 hours via Empresa Alfaro)
How to Get from Sámara to Santa Teresa:
By Shuttle: You can book a shared shuttle through Bookaway from Sámara to Santa Teresa. Bookaway works with the top, traveler-rated suppliers in Costa Rica (+ 90 other destinations around the world). They link up with a variety of local transport companies that offer door-to-door service in clean and air-conditioned shuttles. Depending on the company you go with, prices can range from $43USD to $58USD and shuttles depart daily at 8:15am, 1:30pm, and 2:30pm. The total journey should take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours or 3 hours by private transfer ( also listed on Bookaway).
As a head’s up, when I traveled from Samara to Santa Teresa by shared shuttle, there was a stop about halfway where some of us had to relocate to another van, as not everyone traveling from Samara is headed to the same final destination. This is just how they do it, so don’t be surprised. There was also one stop for food and a bathroom break shortly after that van transfer.
By Public Transport: Now, if you’d prefer to save some money, there is the option to take a combination of public buses and a ferry to get from Sámara to Santa Teresa, but I do not recommend it as it will be one very long travel day with lots of chances for missed connections as buses and ferries have limited schedules. But here’s how you could do it…
The Route:
Sámara to Nicoya (~1.5 hours / $1.60USD) - buses leave roughly every hour or two
Nicoya to Cruce de Barranca (~2-3 hours) -
Cruce de Barranca to ferry port in Puntarenas (~15-30 minutes)
Ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera (~75 minutes / 810CRC) - latest schedule here
Paquera to Cóbano (~1-2 hours)
Cobano to Santa Teresa (~1 hour)
*Important Note: While this is the verified route, I cannot promise that each bus will drop you off at the exact spot the next one will pick you up. You may need to walk to a different terminal or potentially take a short taxi ride to the correct pick-up point.
How to Get from Santa Teresa to Montezuma:
By Private Taxi or Uber: Santa Teresa and Montezuma are only about a half-hour drive from one another. If you don’t mind paying anywhere from $20-50USD (depending on how good you are at haggling), this is by far the quickest and easiest option.
By Public Transport: It is possible to travel by public bus between Santa Teresa and Montezuma, however, it will turn what could be a quick 30-minute drive into a 2.5- to 3-hour journey, and that is if you time the bus in Cóbano right. The benefit is it will only cost you a mere $4USD total. Here’s how to do it:
The Route:
Santa Teresa to Cóbano via Transportes Cobano (there are various bus stops along the main road in Santa Teresa) - ask a local for the latest schedule as it’s not entirely fixed
Cobano to Montezuma via Tranportes Cobano - latest schedule
Travel Resources
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Accommodations: When I’m not booking directly with the accommodation (which is sometimes cheaper), I often use Booking.com, Trivago, and Hostelworld.com. Agoda is also a great tool when searching for longer stay options at discounted rates that include hotels and private homes.
Tours: While I personally prefer do-it-yourself travel most of the time, sometimes it’s just better with a guide. In those cases, I typically use Viator, GetYourGuide, EatWith, and Airbnb Experiences. For self-guided audio tours, I recommend WeGoTrip.
Flights: My favorite flight aggregator tool is WayAway and my favorite tool for finding out about the best flight deals is FareDrop.
Shuttle Services: My go-to is Bookaway. They operate in more than 90 countries and work with only the top-rated suppliers in each country.
Travel Insurance: If you’re a full-time nomad like me, I recommend SafetyWing. For medical coverage during shorter trips, I frequently use and would recommend Squaremouth. It aggregates your options across more than 22 providers and offers what I’ve found to be the best rates.
Travel Debit & Credit Cards: If you travel often and like perks like airport lounge access and annual travel credit, I recommend the Capital One Venture X credit card that includes Priority Pass, a $300 annual travel credit, and covers your Global Entry or TSA Precheck fee. For a fee-free ATM card that reimburses you at the end of every month for any incurred ATM fees, I recommend opening a Schwab Bank Investor Checking Account.
VPN: I recommend Surfshark. It’s one of the best and most budget-friendly VPN services out there.
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A solid 24 hours is all I had in the Nicoya Peninsula surf town of Santa Teresa. Here's how and where I spent my precious time.