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03/08/13Just Back: Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

So in case you didn’t get the memo, this blog is meant to celebrate life’s important moments. Every single one of them, whether they’re grand adventures abroad or simple blissful milestones, like how my two-year-old son says the letter W (dubbie, dubbie, if you were wondering). My latest big moment came when I finally hopped a plane, and another plane, and another plane, to Costa Rica—a long overdue trip since one of my very best friends moved to the laid-back surf town of Santa Teresa on the Nicoya Peninsula. He’s been there for the better portion of a decade and for whatever reason I never made it south. Until now.

But first let’s get one thing straight: This was not work. Finally, I was not on assignment looking to uncover the Secret Hideaways of Costa Rica. Or the Top Ten Surf Spots of Santa Teresa. Or even to photograph Gisele Bundchen’s posh vacation home (yes indeed, she and hubby Tom Brady live there too) . This was a surf trip, plain and simple. And luckily I had two of the best partners in crime to show me the way. Greg, the aforementioned ex-pat who set up shop down south and never looked back; and Chris, my other surf-crazed amigo who when not surfing, dreams of surfing. This was gonna be pure R&R, plain and simple.

Now, I won’t bore you with a day to day report of what actually happened—after all, you can just imagine what old friends do when they haven’t seen each other in awhile—but suffice it to say we successfully indulged in all that Santa Teresa has to offer. That is, consistent waist to chest high waves at sunrise (that’s my nine foot Robert August sitting on gorgeous Playa Hermosa); treetop adventures galore (like this killer canopy tour in Montezuma, which included cliff diving into a waterfall); and some of the most memorable restaurants I’ve eaten at in awhile (like Vista del Olas in Mal Pais, where we grilled our own T-bone steaks after admiring a magical cliffside sunset).

Sounds pretty darn great, doesn’t it? Well, it was. When you wake up at sunrise and your only job is to walk five minutes to a golden sand beach, only to catch wave after wave, then later recount your triumphant day while sipping ice cold micheladas and perhaps, a cool fruit smoothie from Maracuya (hands down the best smoothie joint in Mal Pais), then I’d say you’ve successfully had one of the greatest days on record. Wanna see for yourself? Then try renting a room at Villas Solar, with four fully equipped villas in the heart of Santa Teresa (from $55 a night!) and a board from nearby Kina Surf Shop, which has one of the best collections in town.

So much for not being on assignment.