Santa Teresa
Costa Rica · Central America
Santa Teresa has the rhythm I want: surf at sunrise, nature all around, enough modern infrastructure to build, and a community with energy rather than pure drift.
Operational notes
1-3 months
Beach break with consistent daily surf rhythm
Intermediate and above, but committed beginners can build here
Spread-out beach town
Good enough to run real workdays, though still not a frictionless city setup
More expensive than it should be, but the lifestyle stack justifies it better than most beach towns
Best when you want warm-water surf and a strong routine more than urban variety
Why I think this
Santa Teresa: Surfing, Building, and Finding Rhythm
A month into Santa Teresa: surfing at sunrise, building with Kyle, and shifting from travel mode to mission mode.
Voice Notes, ClaudeBot, and Showing Up Fully
Writing from WhatsApp with ClaudeBot transcribing, reflecting on presence, communication, and the tech letting me stay close to the waves and the work.
Last Days in Santa Teresa: Surfing, Yerba Mate, and Gratitude
Wrapping up 1.5 months in Santa Teresa with reflections on surfing, discovering yerba mate, entrepreneurship, and heading back to Florida after 3 months abroad.
Leaving Santa Teresa: Lessons in Leadership and Identity
Landing back in Florida feeling more out of place at home than anywhere else in the world, and why that is exactly the point.