It is always exciting here when November arrives! After a very rainy October, the sun has come out and people are beginning to return to town. Businesses that were closed for October maintenance, have started opening up again, and town is abuzz. With the new high season approaching, we thought we would let you know about some of the exciting new developments in Santa Teresa for this year.
(1) Cobano Airport:
One of the biggest developments is the opening of the Cobano Airport! The new airport is located close to the gas stations, just outside of Cobano town centre. It was inaugurated on the 5th August 2023. Sansa started flying in and out of Cobano on the 15th October, and Costa Rica Green Airways will be transferring their flights to Cobano from November.
The new airport is only a 17-minute drive from Santa Teresa! Travel to and fro is now even quicker, with a flight from San Jose only taking 25 minutes.
(2) New Beach Clean Up project:
In the second half of 2023, the Nicoya Peninsula Waterkeeper (NPWK) launched a fantastic new campaign - The Beach Cleanup Project. Thanks to the efforts of the NPWK, Santa Teresa will be the first town in Costa Rica to establish a solution for the microplastics that plague the world´s waterways and beaches, and cannot be recycled by traditional means.
NPWK now has 5 employees (plus volunteers) who clean the beaches from Monday to Friday, 7am to 4pm. The beaches covered are Mal Pais, Carmen, Santa Teresa, Hermosa and Manzanillo. The team ensures proper disposal of each type of waste material that they collect.
The microplastics (´tragic plastics´) are recycled via the environmental initiative of Paisajes sin Plástico. The microplastics that are collected on our beaches are inserted into concrete blocks for construction, using RESIN8 technology.
You will see the collection point for the NPWK Beach Clean Up Project opposite the Wave Mall (close to the Green World). Another collection point is being set up in Manzanillo for the northern beaches.
(3) Gaia - the New Waldorf School:
Another huge development is the establishment of the new Gaia school, just outside of Manzanillo. Gaia is a Waldorf school and brings an exciting alternative approach to education. With the Waldorf curriculum, storytelling and the arts are incorporated into all subject areas, with an emphasis on music, language, practical skills and immersion in nature. The grounds and the classrooms are beautiful, located on a huge property which has been carefully reforested over the last 20 years.
The school currently offers pre-kindergarten to 5th grade (4 to 11 years old), with capacity for between 60 and 80 students. Enrollment is now open for 18 month to 3 years old, with a start date for this age group early 2024. Each year the campus will be expanding, with plans to offer an additional grade each year up to 12th grade. A school bus is provided at an additional cost, with departure from Mal Pais, Santa Teresa and Hermosa.
It is a huge plus to parents to have this new option for schooling, which expands the local private school options for kids to three - Hermosa Valley School, Futuro Verde and now Gaia.
(4) New Police Station:
Another significant development is the approval by the Costa Rican government for the funding of a permanent 24/7 police delegation in our town. The Ministry of Public Security (MSP) will be working together with the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism (ICT) to build the new police station. The budget for the new station is approximately $610,000, which will be funded by the ICT and will cover the terrain studies and constrction. Once completed, the buildings will be donated to the MSP. The MSP will provide the design and construction plans, as well as the interior furnishings and equipment.
Currently the closest police station that is open 24 hours a day is that located in Cobano. This new police delegation is great news, and will be a great addition to our developing town.
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