Montezuma is a picturesque village nestled into a breathtaking landscape of lush forest and pristine coast. Once a small fishing village, Montezuma has now become an international community with a friendly atmosphere popular with all of Costa Rica’s visitors. The enchanting surroundings form a tropical playground that provides a wealth of activities for the active tourist and the entertaining and unique centre of Montezuma, filled with a range of restaurants, shops and hotels, has something to please the tastes of all travelers.
Montezuma was formerly a tiny fishing village at the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. About 20 years ago Montezuma started to get noticed by young travelers because of its tranquil atmosphere and its beautiful location beach.
Montezuma is one of the most fascinating travel destinations in Costa Rica and is known as one of the most alternative and happening places. It’s great night-life, spectacular natural beauty, waterfalls, alternative culture, unique restaurants, shops and galleries make Montezuma a must for most itineraries.
The best seller Snorkeling tour to Tortuga Island, Scuba Diving, Sport Fishing, Horseback Riding to waterfalls, Canopy tours, Taxi boat to Jaco, are some of the many activities of this marvelous Costa Rica destination. All these special activities is better arrange them in advance, most of them are booked year in advance. There are various Tour Operators in town, from all of them we only recommend Zuma Tours; this is the only tour company with all the Law requirements, insurance, safety equipments, and responsible and friendly staff. And on top of all that Zuma Tours is the only company with bilingual guides for every single tour offer.
Since then numbers of small hotels and restaurants have popped up due to the demand and the atmosphere in Montezuma has evolved to more of a party.
The beach at Montezuma is still a nice place to relax and take in sun but as night rolls around people migrate towards the bars and discos and this tiny village comes alive.
Montezuma is also known for its large beautiful waterfall just outside of town. The waterfall is over 50 feet tall and it is a popular place for tourists to jump into the pool that the water falls into.
Montezuma is quite famous in Costa Rica for its lively international party scene and offbeat culture. Just as famous however, are the enchanting surroundings, with marvelous white-sand beaches, secluded rocky coves, and small rivers with picturesque waterfalls.
Stroll down the beaches of Montezuma area and find rocky outcroppings with tide pools where you can marvel at maritime mini eco-systems.
Or dip into the natural Jacuzzi pools of a river and enjoy the amphitheatre of the jungle rising up around you.
North of Montezuma, the wide sandy beach of Playa Grande is a favorite spot for beach fans and surfers and nude sunbathing.
From there you can walk or arrange a Horseback Riding tours along 7 kilometers of pristine coast to get to the El Chorro waterfall, where fresh water cascades off an escarpment into lava rock swimming pools and then into the ocean.
Come and discover Montezuma, one of the jewels of Costa Rica!
A 20 minutes stroll south out of town takes you to a set of three scenic waterfalls. The main attraction here is to climb the second set of falls and jump in. Though countless people do this everyday, be aware that half a dozen people have died attempting this (there’s a warning sing).
The first waterfall has a good swimming hole but it’s shallow and rocky and not suitable for diving. From here, if you continue on the well-marked trail the leads around and up, you will come to a second set of falls. These are the ones offer a good clean leap into the deep water below – and at 10m high, here are also the tallest.
To reach the jumping point, continue to take the trail up the side of the hill untill you reach the diving area. Do not attempt to scale the falls.
The rocks are slippery and this is how most jumpers have met their
deaths. From this point, the trail continues up the third and last set of falls. Once again, there are not suitable for jumping. However, there is a rope swing that will drop you right over the deeper part of the swimming hole.
A lot of traveler enjoy this activity, but as with anything of this nature, you undertake it at you own risk.
To get there take the main Montezuma road south out of town and then take the trails to the right after the bridge and past Hotel y Restaurant La Cascada. You’ll see a clearly marked parking area for visitor and the beginning of the trail that leads up.
Soda Las Gemelas
The best traditional and typical eat in town, where you can get a heaping and delicious Fish casado and good batidos (fruit shakes). We recommend: “Typical Breakfast”, “Tenderloin Las Gemelas”, and any of the really fresh seafood dishes.El Sano Banano
With a multipage menu that offers everything from yogurt to stir-fry to vegetarian specialties. Check the black board outside to see what is cooking, all these daily special are very well recommend for most of tourist. We recommend: “The Chicken Quesadillas”, “Curry Vegetables” and the “Mocha Chillers”.
This artfully decorated beachside restaurant has received positive local reviews. The brief international/Mediterranean menu is constantly changing, though you can always count on fres seafood.Ylang Ylang Restaurant
About a 15 minute walk north of town aling the beach you will find this world class restaurant, which belongs to the Ylang Ylang Beach Resort, formerly call El Sano Banano Beach Resort.
Café Iguana.
This cheerful place has good cappuccinos, sandwiches and fresh juices.
This pleasant patio restaurant offers candlelit dinners and heaping portions of French-influenced cuisire.
Water Taxi – Speed Boat – Taxi Boat
There is a regular boat service Jaco – Montezuma. The boats leave Montezuma to Jaco at 6:30 AM and 9:30 AM. In the Jacó shore, the boats leave at 7:30 AM and 10:30 AM. The ride takes 1 hour and cost US$35. Always is better make your reservations in advance at Zuma Tours office, or online using this website.MINIVAN shuttles
During the dry season, you can find overland transfer by minivan to destinations such as Tamarindo, Samara, Liberia, Monteverde, Arenal, San José and Limon (saving at least one day of travel). Departures depend on demand, but can cost from US$40 to US$60, depends where you are going. We recommend you make your reservations in advance.
During the rainy season, the stretch of road between Cobano and Montezuma is likely to require 4WD. Colectivo taxis between the two towns cost US$6 and can take up to five people. A 4WD taxi from Montezuma to Paquera will cost about US$40, to Cabo Blanco about aUS$12, and to Malpais or Tambor airport about US$30. There aren’t many taxis around; but you can reserve one at Aventuras en Montezuma.
The many rivers flowing around Montezuma and the steep landscape produce an abundance of waterfalls of various sizes. A short hike up stream will take you to the first of a set of 3 stunning waterfalls with refreshing swimming holes below.
For the curious visitor, take a day to explore all the other nearby rivers and find secluded natural jacuzzi pools and cascades to sit under for a relaxing massage.Cabo Blanco
Cabo Blanco absolute Nature Reserve located on the southern tip f the Nicoya peninsula was the first protected area in the country. The 1,172 hectares which make up the reserve are classified as moist tropical forest
With its unique combination of climate and geographical location, it ranks as one of the most beautiful places on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.
CurúDespite its small size, Curú refuge contains a great variety of fauna and flora, both terrestrial and marine. Despite its small size it boasts 5 different habitats in the refuge including semi-deciduous forest, mangrove swamp and deciduous forest. 232 species of birds have been counted on the refuge and several rare species of mammals including ocelots, pumas and anteaters. A project to reintroduce scarlet macaws and spider monkeys into the area has been very successful. Of vital importance to the marine ecosystem is the fascinating habitat of the mangrove swamps. An immense number of small organisms living in the nutrient-rich mud of these swamps build the basis of the marine food chain.
Here are the breeding grounds of many Pacific fish, and crowds of water birds feed and nest in the thickets. All five of Costa Rica’s mangrove species are represented in Curu.
Curú is a 45 minute drive from Montezuma. ATV is your best option so you can stop by Tambor, located in Bahia Ballena, and explore the many small villages along the way. Taxis are available, as well as the public bus between Montezuma and Paquera which drives right by the entrance.
BeachesThe shores of Montezuma are covered by a wide selection of beaches separated by rocky headlands. A relaxing walk north along the beaches to Playa Grande, will take you over 5 unique beaches and through the Nicolas Wessberg reserve. Playa Grande is a favourite beach for most of Montezuma’s visitors. Its’ long flat sandy shore make it a great place to swim and the perfect breaking waves, one of the best spots for boogie boarding or surfing.Continue north along the coast and you will discover Cocalito beach home to the famous ‘El Chorro’ waterfall which drops directly into the ocean.
To the south of Montezuma the shores are lined with volcanic rock formations dotted with several secluded beach coves. Worth a look are the tide pools where you can examine the extraordinary marine life.
Mal Pais On the west shore of the Nicoya peninsula is a beach combers and surfers paradise. Mal Pais and Santa Teresa known for there pristine beaches and perfect breaking waves, are becoming one of the hot spots in Costa Rica. Take a day trip over to play in the waves and then enjoy the gorgeous sunset over a delicious seafood dinner.
Taxi or ATV is the best way to get there or public transportation is available as well.