Montezuma, Costa Rica is a small village in the Nicoya Peninsula famous for its bohemian atmosphere and artsy hippie flair. It’s a very picturesque beach town surrounded by mountains, rivers and waterfalls, perfect for any beach bum or nature lover looking for a coastal escape.
Since the town is largely made up of a diverse and eclectic group of free spirited, alternative thinking foreigners, Montezuma is locally known as “Montefuma,” a nickname given by the Costa Ricans (fumar means to smoke). Regardless, visitors fall in love with the town’s mellow vibe, wild beaches and fascinating seascapes.
If you’re planning on visiting Montezuma, here is our guide to find information about the town, beaches and more.
Location and Directions
Montezuma Costa Rica map
Montezuma is located on the east coast of the Nicoya Peninsula.
How to get to Montezuma from San Jose
Driving and ferry
The best way to get to Montezuma from San Jose is by way of ferry. From San Jose, drive to Puntarenas, take the Puntarenas Paquera ferry and then drive about 36 kilometers (22 miles) to Montezuma.
If you aren’t able to make it in time for the ferry, you can also get to Montezuma from San Jose by land. You will have to drive up north on highway 1, cross the Taiwan Friendship bridge and then head south down the Nicoya Peninsula. This driving route takes around 7 hours.
Bus
There is a bus from San Jose to Montezuma every day at 6 AM and 2 PM. This is around 6 hours and goes by way of the ferry. It costs around 7000 colones and includes the ferry ticket. You can also take the bus from San Jose to Puntarenas (every hour from 6 AM to 7 PM), take the ferry and then grab the bus from Paquera to Montezuma (6:15, 8:15, 10:15, 12:15, 3:15 PM, 4:30 PM and 6:15 PM and continues onto Santa Teresa).
From Liberia
From Liberia, it is a bit trickier. The smoothest way is to take the bus from Liberia to Puntarenas, take the ferry and then grab the bus to Montezuma. It’s a bit roundabout but there is no direct road that connects Northern Guanacaste to the Nicoya Peninsula unfortunately.
If you drive, you will need to go via Nicoya around the peninsula for all paved roads.
The Town
Montezuma is a tiny beach town, you can easily walk the town end to end in about 15 minutes. There is one main road that passes through the outside of town and along the coast. From that road, there is one street that goes into town and ends at the northern end of Playa Montezuma. All these roads are paved until you reach Cabuya.
Roads are quite narrow and parking is very tight so if you don’t need to drive into town, I don’t recommend it. Also, the road going into Montezuma is very hilly, curvy and narrow so be extra careful driving at night. Don’t speed since many accidents happen on the curves.
You can see what the town looks like in this driving video below.
Beaches
Even though the town itself is small, you can walk for miles on the rocky coastlines of Montezuma, the bay and nearby beaches. Playa Montezuma is the main beach next to Montezuma Bay.
If you continue walking south, you will go to Las Manchas, Las Rocas and Los Cedros. All these beautiful beaches have similar characteristics: white-ish sand, a rocky coastline and strong waves. There’s a good chance you may be the only ones on those beaches since most people don’t walk all the way south.
If you keep going further south, you will end up in Cabuya. Cabuya is the tiny local town right before the Cabo Blanco Reserve and there are some interesting beaches there. There is even an island called “Isla Cementerio Cabuya” where you can probably guess, the locals from centuries ago buried the deceased.
One of the most charming things about the beaches around Montezuma are the tide pools. Since the coastline is so rocky, during low tide you can sit in the tide pools or see the many critters inside. You can swim at the beaches but be extremely careful because waves can get very strong and it’s very rocky.
If you go north 3-5 kilometers (1.8 to 3.1 miles), you will reach Playa Grande of Montezuma and Piedra Colorado.
Weather
Montezuma experiences typical tropical weather with a dry and rainy season. The sunniest and driest months are January – April and rainiest months are October and November. In January and February, there are strong winds.
Hotels
There are a handful of hotels in Montezuma but you won’t find any all inclusive resorts. Something very interesting we noticedabout this beach town is the number of backpackers camping on the beach. We’ve seen more foreigners camping in Montezuma than any other beach town so if you’re interested in pitching a tent on the beach, this is the best place for it!
As for hotels, here are our recommended places.
Ylang Ylang Resort: Secluded upscale resort on the north end of Playa Montezuma, the only beachfront resort. They have jungle or ocean view rooms, luxury tents and a tree top canopy house. Rooms start at $170.
Hotel El Sano Banano: This budget hotel is right in town and also has a restaurant. They have 12 modest rooms and guests have access to the Ylang Ylang Resort property and pool. Rooms start at $60.
Kalapiti Luxury Jungle Suites: This luxury house up in the mountains outside Montezuma has 3 suites, a pool and restaurant. It’s more like a luxury vacation rental, perfect for families, big groups or couples. Suites start at $300 a night, minimum 3-5 nights.
Luz en Cielo B&B & Hostel: This hostel is a little bit outside town which is nice since it won’t be so noisy for a hostel. They have dorms, cabinas and a small apartment. A bed in a dorm starts at $16, cabinas start at $70.
Restaurants
There are plenty of excellent restaurants in Montezuma due to the diverse group of immigrants. Here are our favorite places:
Soda Tipica Las Palmares: Best place for traditional Costa Rican food. This soda is a little outside of town and it has a nice view of Las Manchas beach.
Cafe Organico: Great place for vegetarian/vegan food. Right in town.
B Bar: Excellent burgers and sandwiches.
Cocolores: Great mix of food from curry, Mediterranean, seafood and more.
Chelo Pizza: One of the best pizzas we’ve had in Costa Rica. Also has delicious pasta.
Tierra y Fuego: One of the best Italian restaurants in Costa Rica. Excellent pizza, pasta and drinks.
Things to Do in Montezuma Costa Rica
For a small town nestled in a remote corner of the country, there is a plethora of fun outdoor activities to do.
Montezuma Waterfalls: This is the most popular thing to do in Montezuma. The surrounding mountains are filled with rivers that create scenic waterfalls. The entrance to the Montezuma waterfalls is by Hotel Cascada by the bridge. There is a parking lot and lots of signs. We recommend wearing hiking sandals or water shoes, it is a bit too slippery for flip flops.
The hike is about 20 minutes to reach the first waterfall. There are 3 total.
Walk the coastline
You can spend one whole day walking on the beach along the coastline. Walk up to Manchas beach, swim in the tide pools, play with some monkeys and walk back during sunset.
Sea Turtles
Ridley sea turtles lay eggs on Playa Montezuma and a conservation group releases baby sea turtles every day during the season. We visited in February and they were releasing them every afternoon.
Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve: The largest reserve in the Nicoya Peninsula is not too far from Montezuma and you can take a guided hike to see the nature and wildlife.
Tortuga Island: Spend a day at the beautiful Isla Tortuga. Tour companies like Zuma Tours depart from Montezuma and cruise through the Gulf of Nicoya to take you to the white sand beach resort.
Playa Cocolito and El Chorro waterfall: If you have a car, visit the breathtaking Cocolito waterfall and beach. You can also take a horseback riding tour from Montezuma.
Nightlife
Montezuma can get noisy in high season with many tourists looking for a good time. Popular places for nightlife is Cafe Organico and Chico’s Bar. Ask around to see what’s going on that night because it always changes.
Read other city guides below!
Santa Teresa: Popular surfing and yoga town in the Nicoya Peninsula
Mal Pais: Small fishing village by Santa Teresa
Tamarindo: Popular surfing and backpacker party town in Guanacaste
Jaco: Closest beach town to San Jose, known for parties and surfing
Puerto Viejo: Biggest town in South Caribbean, party town known for beautiful beaches and wildlife
Kim says
Does the sea turtle release go through March?
Sammi says
I am not positive, we were there mid February and they did them everyday. The project’s name is ASVO, you can contact them to check.
Andy says
I stayed in Montezuma for a week in November for the yoga retreat in Hotel Los Mangos. They have great yoga classes with one time entry fee of $20. We had our breakfast from Hotel Amor del Mar and it was delicious, especially the fruit juices. Soda tipica never disappointed me, I tried a few other restaurants, but they were hit or a miss, not consistent. Farmers market had some interesting items, they had a great ceviche. Watching sunrise, beach walks, surf classes, and trips to Santa Teresa and to the nature park were fun.
Jill says
Hi, Thanks for the great info. Are there any private boat taxis or tours to Tortuga Island? My husband and I would prefer to avoid going on a crowded tour. We are going in May.
Sammi says
Hi Jill, I know ZUma Tours runs private tours from Montezuma/ Santa Teresa!
Tom Griffiths says
You left out 2 important things. Puggo/Natsura… a Moroccan restaurant and a Sushi restaurant sharing one dining area. Both have fantastic food. The brew pub at Clandestina restaurant next to the butterfly conservatory. Wonderful beer and really good food.
Sammi says
Thanks for the recommendations!