Montezuma

Montezuma is a town near the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula on the Central Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

Get in
Take the ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera (a couple of US dollars per person, or about $9 per car), and then drive or take a bus. The road from Paquera is Cobano is pretty well paved, though from Cobano to Montezuma the road is rather poor. By car, it will take about one hour to drive from Paquera to Montezuma. Obey the speed signs, as you may encounter traffic police.

Alternatively, you can fly from San José to the small airstrip at Tambor and then take a taxi. Sansa has daily flights, which take around 30 minutes. Flying is much more expensive than using ground transportation, but if you are short on time, flying is the way to go. Coming from Tamarindo or anywhere further north on the Nicoya Peninsula, there are shuttles available for the trip.

There are also taxi boats from Herradura to Montezuma.

Get around
The town is very compact and walking is the best way to get around. There is very inexpensive bus service from Montezuma to Cabo Blanco National Park and Mal Pais.

See

 * Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve Take the 8AM bus there to ensure you have enough time. It is a 2-hour hike from visitor's center to the beach. US$10 entry fee per person.
 * Waterfalls. There are 3 sets of waterfalls flowing into each otherwith pools to swim in on the bottom of each one. It's a very steep, somewhat dangerous climb to the 2nd part of the falls. Shoes are best but it can be done in sandals. To get to the falls just follow the creek up for 15 minutes and you'll see them. Ask any local for directions.
 * Horseback riding
 * Hanging out on the beach

Do

 * A variety of tour companies in Montezuma offer ATV/dirt bike rentals (about US$65 a day), horseback riding, and snorkeling tours.
 * Walk south from the village to get to some very nice and more secluded beaches.
 * Take the trail heading up the hill from Amor de Mar to get you to a beautiful three-tiered waterfall. Many jump from the top of the second one about into the pool below, but catastrophic injuries are not uncommon.
 * Proyecto Montezuma - TEFL Certification, Surf School, Spanish Classes, Tour Agency

Buy
Bring enough cash ($ or colon) to last your stay in Montezuma as there is only one ATM and it is almost always not working. The nearest bank is in Cobano, about 7 km away, and though it has ATMs, a taxi ride there and back will cost you around ₡10,000. Some stores do accept credit cards but not all of them. There are quite a few stores to purchase clothing, bathing suits, sunglasses, souvenirs, and so on. There are 2 medium-sized supermarkets, which will accept credit cards but won't provide cash back. Two internet cafes offer speedy, reasonably-priced Internet access.

Itinerant merchants and craftspeople line the streets of Montezuma, and their wares are often quite unique and interesting.

Eat
If you are coming in from other parts of the country, be prepared for high prices. Even the casadas will cost you US$5 and up. The majority of restaurants/sodas cater to an American audience with hamburgers, muffins, sushi, pancakes, and pizza on the menu. Not your regular Costa Rican food.


 * Playa de los artistas, great decor and great food, the menu changes daily.
 * Cafe Organicos, vegetarian and vegan food.
 * There's a restaurant in a somewhat hidden area, near the centre of town that serves a lobster buffet for US$12.
 * El Sano Banano, Montezuma - El Sano Banano offers nightly movies for free with the purchase of a meal over US$5. They also have great sushi offerings and good service.
 * El Sano Banano, Montezuma - El Sano Banano offers nightly movies for free with the purchase of a meal over US$5. They also have great sushi offerings and good service.

Drink

 * Chico's Bar - Chico's is in the center of town. Great place to hang out with locals and other tourists.

Sleep

 * Lucy's is north of town, and on the beach. US$10 per person.
 * There is a pretty cheap camping site. US$2 per person. Two-person tent costs $2 a night.
 * Many other accommodations are available, to suite all budgets. Some very swanky places, such as Anamaya Resort and Ylang Ylang, will be amenable to wealthy travellers looking for a good beach and some luxury.
 * Hotel Aurora, Montezuma - Offers hot water, air conditioning, television, and refrigerators in some rooms. Also features a shared kitchen. Rooms start at US$30 a person during high season.
 * Many other accommodations are available, to suite all budgets. Some very swanky places, such as Anamaya Resort and Ylang Ylang, will be amenable to wealthy travellers looking for a good beach and some luxury.
 * Hotel Aurora, Montezuma - Offers hot water, air conditioning, television, and refrigerators in some rooms. Also features a shared kitchen. Rooms start at US$30 a person during high season.
 * Many other accommodations are available, to suite all budgets. Some very swanky places, such as Anamaya Resort and Ylang Ylang, will be amenable to wealthy travellers looking for a good beach and some luxury.
 * Hotel Aurora, Montezuma - Offers hot water, air conditioning, television, and refrigerators in some rooms. Also features a shared kitchen. Rooms start at US$30 a person during high season.
 * Hotel Aurora, Montezuma - Offers hot water, air conditioning, television, and refrigerators in some rooms. Also features a shared kitchen. Rooms start at US$30 a person during high season.
 * Hotel Aurora, Montezuma - Offers hot water, air conditioning, television, and refrigerators in some rooms. Also features a shared kitchen. Rooms start at US$30 a person during high season.
 * Hotel Aurora, Montezuma - Offers hot water, air conditioning, television, and refrigerators in some rooms. Also features a shared kitchen. Rooms start at US$30 a person during high season.

Go next
If you are trying to make your way back to the San José airport, take a US$40 express 1-hour water taxi ride which takes you to Jacó. You can then take a US$60, 2-hour taxi ride (with air conditioning) to San José. Inter-city buses (no air-conditioning) run from Jacó to San José every few hours for about $5. The bus station is located across the road not far from the Best Western in Jacó.

To Monteverde by public bus: Take the morning bus in Monteverde to Paquera (₡ 1800). In Paquera take the ferry to go to Puntarenas (₡ 810). From the harbour take a taxi to the bus station (approx. ₡ 750). Wait 2 hours at the bus stop or have some food in a nearby cornershop. From there leaves a public bus directly to Monteverde (₡ 1450).