Mal Pais, Costa Rica

Malpais is a tranquil community with houses and some few hotels loosely spread out along five kilometers of road that begins at "El Cruze", the intersection where the road from Cobano ends at Playa Carmen.

Old tagged road sign of Malpais /Santa Teresa.
Nowadays replaced by hideous giant billboards

On Playa Carmen Mal Pais merges with Santa Teresa where you find shops, tourist facilities, and a vibrant surf scene, while at its southern end Malpais borders the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve.

Surf in Mal Pais

Mal Pais is the more peaceful part of the combined villages of Santa Teresa and Malpais. In fact, many people refer to the entire area as Mal Pais so when you hear of Mal Pais being one of the top surf destinations in Costa Rica, it is in fact the surf beaches of Santa Teresa and Playa Carmen.
See » Surf in Malpais and Santa Teresa

While in recent years Santa Teresa has seen a boom in development, Mal Pais has retained its quiet, laid-back atmosphere and unspoiled nature. The coast of Mal Pais is in many places rocky, with bizarre volcanic formations making for fascinating landscape.

Rock formations on the beach of Mal Pais

Old jungle forest grows right down to the shore where rocky outcroppings alternate with sandy pockets of beach, some made up entirely of tiny seashells.

At the southern end of Mal Pais you'll find the small fishermen port where boat and fishing tours will take you around the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. The maritime sanctuary of Cabo Blanco protects many aquatic species, and from a boat you can watch dolphins, manta rays or whales. See: Malpais Underwater
Most hotels in Mal Pais and Santa Teresa can arrange a boat tour with a local fisherman.

Playa Suecos near the Cabo Blanco Reserve

Although Malpais directly borders the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve there is no entrance to the park from this side (see below: From Mal Pais to Cabo Blanco).

To explore the direct neighbourhood of Cabo Blanco take a canopy tour on the edge of the nature reserve, or go on a horse tour.
See also: Activities in Mal Pais and Santa Teresa Also bordering the national park is one of Mal Pais' most scenic beaches: Playa Suecos (also called "secret beach" and not quite a secret anymore), a small white-sand cove surrounded by a rocky outcrop and known for being one of the best snorkeling spots in the Mal Pais area.

Enjoying solitude on the beach of Mal Pais

While Mal Pais does not offer shops and tourist services there are lovely hotels and vacation rentals ranging from luxury to rustic, often overlooking scenic beachfront where the surf crashes over jagged rocks.

Map of Mal Pais with Hotels

From Malpais to the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve

Mal Pais road to Cabuya

From the village center of Mal Pais, it's a scenic 8 km drive to Cabo Blanco that takes you on a small road over the hills and through the small village of Cabuya.
The first 2 kms passes through a river valley with lush jungle covering steep slopes on both sides. After that the road goes steeply uphill into the rolling hills of the Cabo Blanco backlands. There are almost no houses on the way and you have to cross two rivers, which should be dry during high season but often impassable during rainy season. Before departing, check if this road is even open.
The alternate way to get from Mal Pais to Cabo Blanco is via Cobano and Montezuma.

The Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and a round-trip hike takes approx 4 hours.
Mondays and Tuesdays the Cabo Blanco Reserve is closed.