Montezuma

Immediately, and I do mean immediately as in about 26 hours after I returned to Costa Rica from the Christmas break, my neighbors and I took off to Montezuma - a small beach town at the bottom of the Nicoya Peninsula. I had been hearing about Montezuma for months - the waterfall, the endless beaches, the way it is kind of "out of the way," etc. So, off we went on a Friday night around 6:00 pm to catch the ferry at Puntarenas, across the Gulf of Nicoya, and to parts unknown to me and Sally May (the Hyundai.)


As I mentioned, we first had to catch the ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera. For a car and 4 people it costs about $30 USD. This is us on the ferry.

Once off the ferry, it took about 2 hours to get to the beach town of Montezuma. It's not a bad drive - mostly rural areas. But the last hour is on dirt roads, which are tricky to drive at night when you can't fully see the pot holes. So, it was slow going, but we eventually made it, checked into our hotel and went straight to bed. 

As I mentioned above, Montezuma is known for it's beautiful waterfall and beaches. So, after a nice breakfast with monkeys on Saturday morning, we took off to the waterfall first. 

A lazy monkey watching us eat breakfast. He was only about 5 feet from the table here. 

                       

There is a "trail" to the waterfall. But most of it looks like this. You basically walk along the rocks in the river to get to your destination. It's not easy going, but it is fun!

                                   

And, at the end of the 30 minute trek, is a waterfall oasis in the middle of the jungle that is absolutely stunning. We joined the other locals and tourists there in swimming under the waterfall, jumping off a rock next to it, and just relaxing and enjoying the surroundings. 

                        

After a quick lunch in town it was time to explore the beaches. The most interesting thing about the beaches in Montezuma is that there are many small beaches along a trail and they are all different. Some are covered in finely ground shells, while others are covered in beautiful multi-colored rocks.   

  

Whilst laying on my towel enjoying the sun, I ran across this little guy. I named him Herbert. 

And, you wouldn't be a respectable Gringo in Costa Rica if you weren't wildly amused by monkeys just hanging out around town. In some areas here, they really are just like squirrels back in NC. The locals are not phased by them anymore, but people who aren't from "around here" are always fascinated and taking pictures. So, because I'm not from "around here," here's a few more pictures. 

On Sunday we hung out on the beach for a little bit and then drove back to the ferry at Paquera and onward to San Jose. It was a really nice, relaxing, and just easy weekend. And, a place I would visit again and 100% recommend!

-Amber