THE BEACHES OF SANTA TERESA
Santa Teresa has several beautiful beaches, each with its own personality. In this guide, we’ll take you through Playa Carmen, Playa Santa Teresa, Playa Hermosa and Playa Manzanillo — what each one is like, and when we like to go.
Playa Carmen
This is our home beach <3 If you walk down the hill from Mint you’ll find yourself at Playa Carmen. It’s a fairly busy beach with several surf spots and some beach bars. If you walk south you’ll come to Malpais where we like to go for our morning walk and in front of the restaurant Banana Beach is where we surf most of the time. It’s on this beach that you’ll find two of our favorite beachfront restaurants, Shambala and Uma, and if there’s a surf competition in town it will most likely be in front of the restaurant El Carmen.
Our tip: Our favorite tidepool is located on the northern end of Playa Carmen, in front of Rancho Itauna. Check the tides and go for a swim when it’s low!
Playa Santa Teresa
A beautiful, wide, white sand beach with lots of things going on. This is where you’ll find the most surfers in the morning (at the break called La Lora) and where everyone gathers for sunset in the evening. It’s a long beach with fast and hollow waves and the parking area in front of Fermata serves as a bit of a town meet-up spot. At the northern end of Santa Teresa you’ll find Rocamar that is our favorite beach bar and restaurant.
Our tip: If you’re going surfing and La Lora is very crowded - walk a little bit north and you’ll find similar waves and less of a crowd.
Playa Hermosa
Playa Hermosa literally means beautiful beach and it is stunning. Compared to Playa Carmen and Playa Santa Teresa this beach is quite small and shaped like a little bay. The waves here are usually more mellow and it’s shallower so it is a great spot for beginner surfers or anyone who wants to go for a swim. The stretch of beach between Playa Santa Teresa and Playa Hermosa has lots of little rock formations that create tidepools at low tide and it is a beautiful spot for sunset.
Our tip: There is a cute coffee shop on the way down to the beach, called Mantaraya, which serves some of our favorite coffee in town!
Playa Manzanillo
About a 30-minute drive north from Mint you’ll find Playa Manzanillo. We love this beach for a nice walk, where you’ll usually see more dogs than people. This beach is wide and the water is pretty shallow so there are some great spots to go for a dip. On your way back you can take the mountain road through Santiago and stop for lunch at a Santa Teresa classic - Al Chile Viola.
Our tip: There’s a road between Playa Hermosa and Playa Manzanillo which follows the shoreline. It’s a beautiful drive and you can stop anywhere to find little hidden spots perfect for a quick dip.
