Montezuma
Montezuma ended up on my “to-visit” list because it’s noted for its “bohemian vibe.” Since that’s pretty much my vibe as well, lol, I had a feeling I would love it here. And I did. So much. Of all the places I visited in Costa Rica, this one felt the most like paradise…
Like Rio Celeste, I was drawn to Montezuma because it’s remote and a little hard to get to. Located on the the southern coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, it is not easily accessible from the north by car, since the roads are poorly maintained (i.e. not necessarily paved in places). The best way to get there is to take a water taxi from Jaco (one hour trip, $40 per person), or a car ferry. Since we wanted to have our car with us, we opted for the ferry, which departed out of Puntarenas. Since I did my research beforehand, getting to and on the ferry was a breeze. A little over an hour later, we were delivered to Paquera, which is just a short drive from Montezuma.
I like to be away from crowds whenever possible, and Montezuma was just what I was looking for — a tiny little beach town, not overrun with tourists, super laid back, with a no shoes-no shirt-no problem atmosphere. Once we arrived at our hotel, we had no need for our car since everywhere you would want or need to go is within walking distance. I spent hours swimming at the main beach during the day, and a decent amount of time lounging in a hammock in the evenings. After all the go-go-go, driving and excursions of the previous two weeks, it was great to just chill and do nothing.
We stayed at the Hotel Amor de Mar, and I give this place the highest recommendation. It’s considered “budget” accommodations (only $160 for two nights), but it was clean, comfortable and the grounds were gorgeous. Massages also available on-site (we got one — it was amazing). I could easily spend a week here writing and recharging my batteries.
One interesting/funny thing about Montezuma is that it is very white, lol. So random, but there appears to be a lot of hippie ex-pats who have settled here, which is why you’ll find things like organic restaurants and juice bars. That little tidbit may make it more or less enticing as a destination ;), but it was something I thought I’d mention.
Check out this article for more on things to do in Montezuma. We hiked to the Montezuma waterfall (the trailhead was right across the street from our hotel) and it was a nice, relaxing hike. As far as restaurants go, I definitely recommend Puggo’s. The meal we had here was so fabulous we went back again for dinner the next night, lol.
Overall, my experience here was very positive, and I will most definitely visit again the next time I’m in Costa Rica.
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