Better beach? samara or santa teresa
 

better for relaxing & restaurants? thanks

I really don't think one is better than the other for relaxing and restaurants. Samara is easier to get to but Santa Teresa is really beautiful. So....? Flip a coin?

ylangylangresort.com

my fav in the Montezuma area

best beaches and food.

playasamara.net more of a local joint can

get very crowded with locals local food good

good hotel values but overall not as pretty.

moanalodge.com another nice hotel but Santa Theresa

more surfy Montezuma more beachy great Toruga Island dives

from there also zumatours.net

Have fun,

I would vote for Santa Teresa, the beach is beautiful, and it´s not as crowded as Samara, in my personal opinion. Whenever I´ve been to Santa Teresa, I´ve stayed in Tropico Latino, www.tropicolatino.com, I like it a lot.
Enjoy

I've been to both areas many times. They are both pretty but differ from each other.
Santa Teresa/Mal Pais beaches are more rocky and more rough. Great for surfing, no so great for swimming. The 'town' is, for the most part, strung along one main road across from the beach. It has more 'nightlife' as there is a 'surfer/backpacker' vibe and generally a bit younger crowd.
Samara also has restaurants and accommodations on the beach, but the 'town' also stretches 3 or 4 blocks inland. The beach is very pretty and very safe for swimming, not so great for surfing, although a good place to learn as waves can be much smaller. Also, there will be more places on this beach where you can find shade, which is important so some people, me included! The visitors here will be more 'families' and a lot of Europeans. As mentioned, Samara is eaiser to get to.
Hope this info helps.

Forgot to mention, in Santa Teresa, I also like Tropico Latino, and in Samara, Treetop Inn.

Bookmarking. :)