Montezuma Costa Rica

Montezuma is a lively entertaining village famous for its cosmopolitan nightlife. The village is located on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula on the gulf side. This part of the world's untouched nature is the most stunning feature of Montezuma. Nature lovers can enjoy the endless pristine beaches, waterfalls in the jungle and the Absolute Nature Reserve Cabo Blanco, with its abundant wildlife.

Activities

Snorkeling trips are offered to Tortuga Island, horseback riding on the beach, bird watching tours, canopy tours, kayaking, hours long walks along undeveloped beaches, scuba diving {only in high season} and surfing are just some of the activities offered. Pick your adventure!

Shopping

Take a stroll through Montezuma and you will find a variety of local artists displaying their unique artwork. Come explore!

Restaurants

Montezuma has a very good selection of different restaurants, including Mediterranean food, Italian food, and Sushi and good local Costa Rican food. Get a taste of some local cuisine.

Montezuma Costa Rica

Planning activities in Montezuma isn’t hard: Just put on some hiking shoes or flip-flops and go for it.

The main activities here are enjoying the beautiful beaches, hiking the waterfalls and hanging out. You won’t find lots of tourist companies all competing for your activity dollar, or a row full of museums just waiting to be wandered through. You won’t find big malls or outlet centers.

You come to Montezuma for recharging and relaxation and it will reward you with beautiful scenery and crashing waves.

For a little bit of a workout, climb the waterfalls. This is one of the most popular activities in Montezuma. There are varying degrees of challenge here, so you can really customize this adventure to your fitness level, or the day’s energy level. Once there, get in the water and enjoy the cool of the fresh water after a long hike.

This area is also considered prime for surfing. You can enjoy the rather large waves here, and there are a few locals who will give you tips. A few shops along the beach can provide what you need for your hang time.

Relax on the beach, and enjoy the surf. The waves here can be big and loud and many visitors find the beach time here to be particularly relaxing and rejuvenating. Be careful in the surf, though, as those big waves can be dangerous.

Montezuma is a long-time favorite for travelers in Costa Rica. The picturesque little town is famed for its bohemian flair and the stunning beauty of the surrounding nature.

Montezuma

The town's center feels like the cozy open-air living room of the community where a continuous mellow party takes place. Just sit down in some bar or eatery and watch the scenery: Rastafarians, hippies, tourists and beauties with eccentric tattoos and piercing catwalk amongst the colorful stands of itinerant artists who are chatting and joking with their neighbors.

At night the most happening place is Chico's Bar right in the center of Montezuma where music, from reggae to salsa, is played until late in the night. But you might also opt for a tranquil cinema night with American movies, a live pianist play, or hang out at a bonfire on the beach.

Gourmets will certainly not complain about good restaurants in Montezuma where vegetarian fare, Mediterranean dishes or cutting-edge concoctions are served with class and style in a romantic atmosphere. Montezuma faces east, towards the Gulf of Nicoya, so that the moon shining over the water may grace beachside dining.

Montezuma Costa Rica

But there is not only night activity in Montezuma. Nestled into a landscape reflecting the tropical paradise, it also draws eco-tourists and beach lovers. High rising cliffs overgrown with lush tropical jungle cradle the village of Montezuma. Small streams flow down from the hills and form scenic waterfalls and natural swimming pools. Groups of capuchin monkeys live in the forests and are easy to spot.

Those who are looking for beach and sun can throw down their towel on Playa Grande, a few steps from the center of Montezuma, or go for a walk along the beach to discover secluded coves and tide pools.

Tour operators in Montezuma offer a range of packages to nearby sights and activities. A day jaunt to the nearby Tortuga Islands includes snorkeling in crystal-clear water and a barbecue at night. One kilometer out of Montezuma you can go on a canopy tour through a verdant river valley topped off by a waterfall, maybe you go scuba diving, sport fishing, kayaking or horseback riding, the choices are endless.

To get to the mainland of Costa Rica you can go by speedboats to Jaco. During the 45 min trip towards the rising sun you may sometimes see dolphins, manta rays or whales.

And the must-see for nature lovers is the nearby Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, located 9 km south of Montezuma.

Hotels in Montezuma offer accommodation for every taste and budget. In high season however, Dec - March the little town fills up and it is advisable to make advanced reservations.

Montezuma Costa Rica

Lying on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, Montezuma was a small remote fishing village until the 1980’s when it began to gain a repute of being an ideal budget location for the nearby areas of the Cabo Blanco National Park, the Isla Tortuga and the Curu Wildlife Reserve. Nowadays a popular hangout for young foreign travelers, who enjoy the village’s laidback lifestyle, Montezuma is a carefree place with a mellow vibe.

Among the more popular beach vacation destinations because of its ‘hippie’ lifestyle, Montezuma is a great place to stay at, with its charming beaches, cheap and economical hotels and accommodations, and good restaurants and cuisine. Though this tiny village retains most of its tranquil atmosphere, it is now a huge beach party stop teeming with younger tourists. After the sun sets, Montezuma is the place to be on the peninsula, with plenty of bars and discos found throughout the village. The entire area comes alive with music and dancing and you can find plenty of people relaxing and having a good time.

The beaches along the Montezuma coast are nice and pretty, separated by rocky outcrops and the surfing can get good. However, do be careful as the rip tide here can get quite strong and surfing can be rather difficult. Just on the other side of the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula is Mal Pais and the surf there can get much better. Besides surfing, snorkeling along the reefs, boogie boarding and horseback ridings are a few of the popular activities here. For a more quiet time, visit the secluded beaches of Cocal, Quetzals and Cocalito to just relax and take in the peaceful environs.

When in Montezuma, do visit the beautiful Montezuma waterfalls just outside of town. Over 50 feet high, this waterfall is a popular tourist attraction with many people jumping into the shallow pool below. However, caution is advised, as people have been known to hurt themselves on the rocks underwater, while jumping the falls.

Keep in mind that camping on the beaches in Montezuma is illegal, so try and find a room in the many affordable accommodations here. Do come here as it is definitely worth the visit! To get to Montezuma, catch the Puntarenas-Paquera Ferry and then drive out here or if you are in the area, take the route from San Pablo to Playa Naranjo to Cobano and then on to Montezuma. You can also fly from San Jose to Tambor and take a 30-minute taxi from Tambor.

Montezuma Costa Rica

As it snowed for the first time in a decade in Houston, it was more than pleasant to be treading the warm pacific waters in Montezuma. There are two popular routes for getting to Montezuma, one by plane ($70) to Tambor and the other originates in Punta Arenas via the ferry (1000 Colones) to Paquera. Paquera seems to be a town designed solely for carrying ferry passengers to the Montezuma Mal Pais region. There are plenty of autobuses ($40 pp) and public transport (1000 C) to get you there in about an hour and a half. The bus stops in the center of the action right next to the beach (Café Iguana and Bar Chico’s). Most of the bars, restaurants, and hotels are near this bus station. We made our way across the main beach near the waterfall to a little quieter hotel and then hit the sand. The beach here does not have crystal clear water, but the place is truly great for rest and relaxation with company. The sand is mostly volcanic, but not very muddy. In the super high season the beach would have 20 – 30 people lying out or in the water and it never really disturbed the peaceful sound of the ocean. A thirty-minute walk away from town will lead you to some pretty abandoned stretches of coastline. But don’t go to Montezuma for the solitude, because the place is full of people mostly in there 20-30s who keep the village buzzing. We met quite a few people who we enjoyed sharing travel stories and planning the next adventures with, and Montezuma is a good place to meet fellow travelers. There are some signs of the fishing village roots in Montezuma, but tourism is the main draw. Delightfully, we often heard jazz music in the streets at night with a light saxophone, guitar, drum, it was a real treat and unexpected

Montezuma Costa Rica

Montezuma Costa Rica is well known for its awesome surfing spots. People come here to change fast paced city lives for laid-back routines. Encounter an offbeat party scene, postcard scenery, miles of natural beauty. If you are interested in staying at impressive beach hotels, Montezuma might be a great choice. Benefit from seclusion, rich cultural atmosphere and environmental concern. This simpler lifestyle offered in Montezuma attracts artisans and celebrities. Enjoy nature in a Montezuma Costa Rica hotel. Check out our Montezuma hotel listings, you will find wide varieties, including some affordable ones for the budget conscious, others offer cozy bungalows right on the beach. Villas and bungalows are a common Montezuma Costa Rica lodging choice. Find an accommodation that suits your needs, make it part of your Costa Rican vacation, then contact our travel agents; let them book your Montezuma lodge today!

Montezuma Costa Rica

Playa Montezuma is known as one of the most alternative and happening places in Costa Rica. It's great nightlife; spectacular natural beauty, waterfalls, alternative culture, unique restaurants, shops and galleries make Montezuma a must for most itineraries.

Sunbathing, surfing, fishing, partying, dancing, eating in fine restaurants, or just relaxing by the beach are some of the many activities of this Costa Rica destination.

Although you can drive from Nicoya, we do not recommend it. Catch the Tambor ferry at Puntarenas. Although you must use the ferry, the Tambor ferry trip alone is well worth the price as it winds through islands in the Gulf of Nicoya. Make sure that you get a ticket for the Tambor ferry and not the Naranjo ferry. They are two separate companies and they will definitely sell you the wrong ticket even if you tell them the Tambor ferry (as I found out). This adds a few hours of exciting driving to the trip.

If you like natural beauty, like to party and enjoy the alternative culture reminiscent of the sixties, you will love Montezuma. It is definitely not for everyone but is one of the hottest tourist areas in Costa Rica. Do book well in advance for holidays and the high season as the entire town does often fill up.

Montezuma Costa Rica

Montezuma Cove and Village - a picture perfect paradise in Costa Rica Montezuma is one of the world's most amazing places. Spellbindingly beautiful, incredible people, delicious food, a wondrous diversity of animals and birds, it's a place that's almost too good to be true... like something out of an exotic fantasy of what a jungle paradise beach town should look like. Read this article at EscapeArtist.com for more detail about Montezuma, Costa Rica.

Montezuma Cove and Village night scene In the 1960's a few foreigners discovered Montezuma, and moved here, before there were cars or electricity! Travel was done on horseback. Life was harder, but worth it. Over the decades, Montezuma was "discovered" and hundreds of people from all over the world, especially Italy, Germany, Canada, Argentina, and the United States. It became known as a secret hideaway for movie stars, musicians, and artists and creative people of all types. Before travel to Costa Rica was commonplace, Montezuma was already a world famous destinations for tourists "in the know" about where the best places on earth were.

Howler Monkey in Montezuma. These delightful animals roar like jaguars, frightening many tourists who don't know what they are. But, they are harmless vegetarians. Montezuma also became famous because of Swedish immigrant Nils Olof Wessberg and his Danish wife Karen Morgenson. They founded Cabo Blanco Reserve, and partly because of their efforts, Costa Rica's National Park system was created. Later, rich Costa Rican ranchers in the Osa Peninsula who were fighting the creation of the national parks, bringing international attention to their efforts, murdered Wessberg. Karen died a few years back, and both of these great heroes are buried in the jungle behind Montezuma.

Surfing at Playa Los Cedros, 5 minutes drive from Montezuma town. Meanwhile, the reputation of Montezuma grew as more people discovered the town and told their friends about it. Now it's become one of the most popular destinations for tourists in Costa Rica. It's no wonder, considering there is an incredible variety of activities available, such as: surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, body boarding, fishing, boating, hiking, waterfalls, cliff jumping, bicycling, motorcycle riding, yoga, dancing massage, and much more. Tourists could spend a month in Montezuma and do a different exciting activity every day.

Famous restaurant 'Playa de los Artistas' in Montezuma serves food as an art form The food in Montezuma is first-rate thanks to the many amazing chefs who have moved to the area. Costa Rica's best restaurant, Playa de Los Artistas, serves a different menu at their beachfront location every day. In addition, there's a bakery (Vanilla Cafe), a vegetarian restaurant (The Bakery Cafe), four Italian pizzerias, and another great restaurant called Cocolores.

Only a half hour drive away is Malpais/Santa Teresa, the Pacific Coast beach communities that attract surfers from around the globe. It's an easy drive to visit these gorgeous beaches and watch the sunset. Plus there are another few dozen restaurants to try.

View from above Playa Hermosa, from Santa Teresa to Malpais, all the way to Cabo Blanco Park. It’s no wonder that the Montezuma/Malpais area has seen rapidly escalating real estate prices as many people have decided to try living in paradise or investing here. With 40 million baby-boomers in the U.S. set to retire in the next decade, and 8.9 million Americans with liquid assets of over $1 million dollars to invest, smart investors can see that this area is set to become one of the most expensive beach real estate markets in the world. Many people who have been coming to the area for years now wish they had bought something years back and are buying now before it becomes unaffordable to all but the super-wealthy.

Spending time in Montezuma

I heard quite a bit how Montezuma was a must for a young person going through Costa Rica, and found it to be a most enjoyable place. Originally a small fishing village, Montezuma is dominated by European backpacker types, and English is most often spoken.

As it snowed for the first time in a decade in Houston, it was more than pleasant to be treading the warm pacific waters in Montezuma. There are two popular routes for getting to Montezuma, one by plane ($55 ow) to Tambor and the other originates in Punta Arenas via the ferry (1000 Colones) to Parquero. Parquero seems to be a town designed solely for carrying ferry passengers to the Montezuma Mal Pais region. There are plenty of autobuses ($40 pp) and public transport (1000 C) to get you there in about an hour and a half. The bus stops in the center of the action right next to the beach (Café Iguana and Bar Chicos ). Most of the bars, restaurants, and hotels are near this bus station. We made our way across the main beach near the waterfall to a little quieter hotel and then hit the sand. The beach here does not have crystal clear water, but the place is truly great for rest and relaxation with company. The sand is mostly volcanic, but not very muddy. In the super high season the beach would have 20 – 30 people lying out or in the water and it never really disturbed the peaceful sound of the ocean. A thirty minute walk away from town will lead you to some pretty abandoned stretches of coastline. But don’t go to Montezuma for the solitude, because the place is full of people mostly in there 20-30s who keep the village buzzing. We met quite a few people who we enjoyed sharing travel stories and planning the next adventures with, and Montezuma is a good place to meet fellow travelers. There are some signs of the fishing village roots in Montezuma, but tourism is the main draw. Delightfully, we often heard jazz music in the streets at night with a light saxophone, guitar, drum, it was a real treat and unexpected.

Favourite spots:

The main beach was a very enjoyable place to spend most of the time. Cabo Blanco nature reserve, Playa de la Manch, the Waterfall.

What's really great:

The people we met in Montezuma really made the trip worthwhile, most were not from Costa Rica, but everyone really seemed to be enjoying themselves. A lot of moonlight conversations in different languages with Imperials on the sand next to the waves with new friends. The pace of life was simply relaxing and easy to enjoy yourself.

Sights:

Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve was a real adventure since we got truly lost, we crawled two miles down a river bed to the ocean and finally found where the trail was supposed to end. Plenty of time to enjoy the howler monkeys and worry about poisonous snakes. The Montezuma waterfall is very close and worth the trip. The pool in the waterfall is very cold and refreshing for your skin after a couple of days of tropical sun. I also wish I would have gone to Mal Pais which is very close. Public transportation outside of Montezuma to Parquero is VERY limited, so you really have to plan ahead.

Accommodations:

At first I was afraid that our hotel was too far away from the town center, but it turned out to be a good move. We stayed at Hotel Los Mangos twice in a hostel type room and once in a bungalow. The hostel room was more than pleasant and at a good price considering the season, the bungalow was a real treat and an excellent nights rest. This hotel offers Yoga classes and has a magnificent pool (to wash the salt water away). We also stayed at Amor Del Mar, which has a grand lawn that juts out in the Pacific (great for sunset), this hotel also has a tasty restaurant. Both these hotels are close to the waterfall and about a 5 minute walk from the town center. From friends we learned that the hotels in the center were unbearably noisy and without the best facilitates. Our spot was quiet enough to hear the waves breaking each night. Pension Lucy also seemed a nice spot.

Nightlife:

Every night was capped off at Chico’s (right near the bus stop) which has two or three dance floors and an outdoor part near the pacific with reggae music, candles, and tiki lights. The bar has all types of drinks and is an alright place for clubbing.

Hangouts:

The bars around the beach are pretty enjoyable with hamocks and a great view. There is no hope for a real pub, but every place has Imperial and Pilsen beers, and plenty of tropical drinks. Guaro, the Costa Rican sugar cane liqour (30 proof) is also very good.

Restaurants:

Cocolores was excellent and I must recommend there filet (yeah I know Costa Rican beef usually isn’t good, but this one is!) and their lobster, both are very inexpensive. Café Lucy was excellent, as was Café Iguana (especially there smoked tuna sandwich). Breakfast is a real treat in Costa Rica, with blackberry milkshakes and fresh mango, papaya, pina, with yogurt and granola.

Montezuma Costa Rica

À partir de Puerto Viejo, nous avons pris le bus pour revenir à San José et de là, nous voulions nous rendre à Montezuma. Après 10 heures de bus et 3 heures de traversier, nous y étions. Montezuma est un méga-village. Que des restos et des boutiques-souvenirs. Comme si c'était un piège à touriste! Il n'y a absolument rien à des kilomètres! Il n'y a pas grand chose à faire dans ce village, on ne peut pas se baigner parce qu'il y a trop de roches...

Nous avons fait un tour en équitation.C'était vraiment beau, les longues plages désertes avec la forêt d'un côté et la mer de l'autre... Jean, qui est de nature héroïque semble-t-il, a sauvé sa douce de manière très spectaculaire..!!! Il a rejoint, au grand galop, le cheval de sa blonde qui était en détresse (au grand galop elle aussi) et il a tiré sur le harnet et le cheval de Marie s'est arrêté!! Mais tout ça à toute vitesse! Wow!

Aussi, nous sommes allés à Coco Blanco. Un parc national où la forêt est très dense. On y a entendu des singes hurleurs. Le petit trek durait environ 4 heures aller-retour. On aboutissait sur une incroyable plage...Cette randonnée était mémorable!

Montezuma Costa Rica

On our way to Montezuma, we came across a random corner of a road after a bridge that had several cool looking trees that were crawling with howler monkeys and another type of smaller monkey. They were so loud that we actually heard them from our car and pulled a u-turn before we ended up seeing them. We stopped and took a bunch of pictures, impressed with our first real encounter with the wildlife.

The pavement quickly abandoned us and we spent a good while trekking along a winding, slightly bumpy dirt road through the mountains and the rain and cloud forest. The roads actually weren't that bad, I guess, since we passed two oil trucks along the way.

Finally hit town, got a hotel and grabbed some food at ____soda_____ , where the fish casado, veggie soup, and seafood spaghetti were really good (they love Italian in Costa Rica, particularly in Montezuma). After a couple mojitos, it was time for bed.

The next morning we had breakfast of "beaten of fruits" (a lost-in-translation way of saying fruit smoothies or shakes, which are tasty and really popular everywhere) and headed off to snorkel on Isla Tortuga.

The 40-45 minute boat ride to Tortuga was really scenic, along mostly untouched stretches of beach. Saw a waterfall and a cool rock formation near the island. After getting to Tortuga, we snorkled for a bit before and after lunch and saw a ton of fish. Unfortunately, the jellyfish are really tiny and impossible to see, and Curt got stung by 4, 3 on the face (lip, cheek and eyebrow) and 1 on the hand. Pretty sexy look!

We went ashore for lunch, checked out the beach and souvenir shop, and sunbathed for a bit. An adorable tame pig was wandering around the beach area most of the time and would take naps and let people bury it in the sand.

The sky broke open in the afternoon and we got pelted with rain during the vast majority of the boat ride back - lucky it wasn't cold out! We hung out at our hotel and then went for dinner at ____rest_____ , which was good and had some interesting drinks.

Overall, Montezuma was cool and definitely had the most character of all the places we had been up to that point. The weather was generally good, though, it did seem like the type of place where it rains off and on throughout the year.