Tiny houses & cabins in Santa Teresa & Mal País

Santa Teresa and its quieter neighbor Mal País sit on the Nicoya Peninsula's southern tip, known for consistent beach-break surf, a dense concentration of yoga studios, and a dusty coastal road that still floods in patches during rainy season. The swell suits intermediate and advanced surfers more than total beginners, though several schools run lessons on the calmer days. South of town, Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve — Costa Rica's oldest protected area, dating to 1963 — closes certain trails on Mondays and bans litter and drones. Montezuma, twenty minutes east, adds waterfalls and a more bohemian pace. Tiny-house stays here tend toward elevated wooden bungalows and jungle cabins on the hillside, built to catch the ocean breeze rather than air conditioning.

Getting here means the Puntarenas–Paquera ferry (about 70 minutes) plus an hour's drive, or a short domestic flight to Tambor with a transfer. Santa Teresa isn't a budget destination — prices run closer to an international surf town than to rural Costa Rica generally.