Overview
Malpais is a town in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica which began as a fishing and cattle-farming village, and has become popular among surfers and adventure travelers around the world.
Description
Mal Pais is a small tranquil neighborhood, loosely spread out along five kilometers of road. Its southern limit abuts the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve on the very tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, while to the north it runs into Santa Teresa. Here, at the road intersection of "El Cruze", the road from Cobano ends on the beach of Playa Carmen. Across from the intersection, the busy beach town of Santa Teresa sprawls to the north, with a lively surfer scene, many hotels, bars, restaurants, and shops.
Many people refer to the entire beach area as Mal Pais, so when you hear of Mal Pais being one of the top tourist destinations in Costa Rica, it actually means the beaches of Santa Teresa and Playa Carmen.