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Banana Beach Restaurant

Food & Coffee · Nicoya Peninsula · Beachfront restaurant and bar

Banana Beach is a big open-air bar and restaurant right on the sand at the south end of Santa Teresa, a short walk from the Playa Carmen junction, with a small hotel of casitas next door. The ritual here is afternoon into sunset: loungers and sofas under palms and canvas sails, seafood, burgers, bowls, stone-oven pizza and coconut cocktails, then the sun dropping straight into the Pacific. After dark it becomes one of the town's main social spots, with DJs or live music and a bonfire on many nights and Santa Teresa's best-known New Year's Eve party. Give it 2–3 hours for sunset drinks and dinner, or a whole day with the pool day pass. It suits couples, groups and surfers who want a lively scene; families do fine in the daytime. The honest catch: prices are high for Santa Teresa, service is the most common complaint, and the bar was rebuilt in 2026, so older reviews and photos may not match what you find.

Hours
Official site: breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, music on many evenings; no times published. Online listings: 11:00–19:00. Confirm at +506 6103 4388.
Ratings
4.3 on Google (2,133) · 4.4 on Tripadvisor (1,014)

Highlights

  • Front-row Pacific sunsets from loungers and sofas set right on the sand
  • Food all day: ceviche, tuna and catch of the day, burgers, bowls, stone-oven pizza, a vegan curry and a kids' dish
  • Cocktails in fresh coconuts, smoothies and a 'one for $8 or two for $14' classic cocktail deal on the menu
  • DJs or live music with a bonfire on many evenings, and the town's legendary New Year's Eve beach party
  • The 'Banana Beach' surf break is right in front; the venue hosts surf competitions and can set up lessons
  • Day pass with pool access at the hotel next door, bought on the spot

Tips

  • Claim a seat facing the water 20–30 minutes before sunset; the front row fills up fast.
  • When it's busy, service can stall: catch a server early and order drinks and food in one go.
  • The two-for-one cocktail deal is the best value; a blogger regular swears by the margarita or sangria from it and the white fish carpaccio.
  • Make an evening of it: walk the beach from Playa Carmen toward Santa Teresa at golden hour (30–40 minutes) and finish here for sunset.
  • On party nights keep your bag with you on the sand, and head home with friends along the road rather than alone on the dark beach.

Good to know

  • Menu prices are in US dollars with sales tax included, but a 10% service charge is added on top; dollar amounts are converted at the day's rate.
  • No reservation needed for a normal visit. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve dinners should be booked ahead (+506 6103 4388), and the New Year's party is ticketed.
  • The day pass (launched November 2025) gives you the hotel pool and food from the restaurant; buy it at the restaurant or hotel reception, no booking. The price isn't published, so ask first.
  • The website gives no opening times: it says breakfast, lunch and dinner, while online listings show 11 am–7 pm. If you're coming for an evening party, check the night's plan by phone or on their Instagram (@bananabeach1).
  • The bar was rebuilt and reopened in 2026. The menu posted on the website is an older version, so expect some dishes and prices to differ.

What travelers love

  • The sunset view and the setting right on the beach
  • The lively, social vibe with music most evenings
  • Lots of ways to lounge: loungers, sofas, day beds, swings, a volleyball net
  • Creative cocktails and fresh seafood starters like ceviche and carpaccio

What some travelers don't like

  • Slow or disorganized service when it's busy
  • Prices that feel high for Santa Teresa: you pay for the view
  • Food that some find secondary to the atmosphere, with small portions
  • Music from the beach club carrying into the night for hotel guests

Dishes to try

burgers · fresh seafood · poke bowl · ceviche · tropical cocktails

Prices (as published)

Prime grass-fed beef burger with fries — Food menu posted on the official site (2021 version, still online 2026-10); tax included, +10% service$15
Grilled catch of the day — same menu$21
The Crown ceviche (fresh tuna) — same menu$15
Green curry (vegan) / with chicken / with white fish — same menu$17 / $19 / $22
Stone-oven pizza — same menu$12–15
Kids' chicken schnitzel with fries — same menu$12
Smoothies — Drinks menu on the official site (2021 version)$6–8
Local beer (Imperial, Pilsen) — same drinks menu$5
Classic cocktails (margarita, mojito, daiquiri, sangria, colada…) — Cocktail menu on the official site (2021 version)$8, or 2 for $14
Specials in coconut or pineapple (Coco Loco, Pink Colada) — same cocktail menu$14
Day pass (hotel pool) — Buy at the restaurant or hotel reception, no booking (official post, 2025-11)not published

Before you go

Tickets
Free entry, no ticket
Road
Paved all the way
Facilities
food, shade
Kids
Good for kids
Fewer people
Seats facing the sunset fill up fast: come 20–30 minutes before sunset. Party nights (Wednesday and Saturday in the venue's 2025 posts) are the busiest
Season
Clearest sunsets in the dry season (Dec–Apr); the green season (May–Nov) is quieter, with afternoon showers
Checked
2026-10

Questions travelers ask

Is Banana Beach open in 2026?

Yes. The bar was rebuilt and reopened in 2026, and the venue posted new photos in July 2026. One regular notes it may not be fully back to its old level yet.

Do I need a reservation for sunset?

No, seating is first come, first served, so arrive 20–30 minutes before sunset. Only the holiday dinners (Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve) need a booking by phone.

Which nights are the parties?

There's music most evenings, often with a bonfire. In the venue's own 2025 posts the big nights were Wednesday and Saturday, and travel guides also mention Friday bonfires, so check their Instagram (@bananabeach1) for this week.

How expensive is it?

On the menu posted on their website, mains run about $15–28, pizzas $12–15, local beer $5 and classic cocktails $8 or two for $14, plus 10% service. That menu is older, so current prices may be higher.

Is there a day pass?

Yes, since November 2025: it includes the hotel pool and you can order food from the restaurant. You buy it at the restaurant or reception without booking; the price isn't published.

Can you surf there?

Yes, the 'Banana Beach' surf break is right in front and the venue hosts surf competitions. The hotel can arrange lessons with local instructors.

Is it good for kids?

In the daytime, yes: there's sand to play in, a kids' dish on the menu and the day-pass pool. Evenings turn into a party with loud music.

What are the opening hours?

The venue says it serves breakfast, lunch and dinner but doesn't publish times; online listings show 11 am–7 pm. Call +506 6103 4388 before an evening visit.

Contact & directions

Secret spots nearby

  • Playa SueñosBeach · Free · hidden gemA wide, clean stretch of white sand between Playa Carmen and central Santa Teresa with shade trees along the back.
  • Playa Carmen (Mal País)Beach · FreeA long surf beach just south of Santa Teresa with a more relaxed feel, forest behind the sand and beginner-friendly waves.
  • Playa Santa TeresaBeach · FreeMiles of pale sand, consistent surf and black-rock points — the beach that turned a dirt-road village into the Nicoya Peninsula's surf and yoga capital.
  • Mal País Tide Pools (Mar Azul)Swimming spot · FreeNatural 'hot tubs' carved into the volcanic rock shelf at Mal País: when the sea pulls back, it leaves clear pools full of little fish, some barrel-sized, some big enough to float in.
  • Mal País fishing harbor (Playa Muelle)Landmark · Free · hidden gemPast the last surf hotels, Mal País ends at a small fishing harbor on a little cove: boats heading out for snapper, wahoo and roosterfish, and the departure point for fishing, snorkel and SUP trips into the Cabo Blanco marine area.
  • Playa Mal PaísBeach · FreeThe quieter, rugged southern neighbour of Santa Teresa - a working fishing beach with dark sand, rocky points, tide pools and big sunsets.

Read more

Sources: https://bananabeachcr.com/ · traveler reviews checked 2026-10-12