The Search for Montezuma!

In early 2009, Passport Health's good friend, Chas, took a fabulous trip to Costa Rica to escape the winter months in the northeast U.S. and explore the incredible adventures the world has to offer. He so KINDLY agreed to share the story of his adventure to Montezuma...

Costa Rica has become one of the top tourist destinations for the western world for good reason. Few countries boast as excellent a combination of pleasant weather, friendly indigenous (“Ticos”), and tourist attractions. I recently escaped the winter months in the northeast United States to explore Costa Rica. I wholeheartedly recommend viewing the active Arenal Volcano, hiking the rainforests of Corcovado National Park, and white-water rafting down the Pacuare River; however, some of the most fulfilling experiences in C.R. will be found in lesser known areas, such as Montezuma.

Montezuma is a tiny town sitting on the Pacific Ocean on the Nicoya Peninsula. It typically is overlooked as a must-see due to its remote nature. In fact, I actually had to motorboat over to Montezuma from Jaco, C.R. Montezuma is and will remain an intriguing stopover for the more adventurous traveler for the same reasons why it is not for everyone- there are no banks, post-offices, major hotels, and chain-restaurants (or chains of any kind). If you are traveling to embrace hostels (or tents, which line the forests adjacent to the pristine Montezuma beaches), hippies, and happy residents, Montezuma offers more than any other place in Central America.

After boating or bussing into Montezuma, the first thing to do is grab a room. Accommodations range from single rooms complete with an overhead fan for about $20 per night to renting out an abandoned school bus whose seats have been removed in favor of mattresses. Seriously. You can grab a mattress for about $5 a night and try and figure out how the owner of this “hostel” managed to convert the driver’s seat into a toilet. The bus had no vacancy during my visit, so I opted for Hostel Lucy, known for opening its doors to younger travelers for $10-12 a night.

Throw your backpack down in your room, bus, or tent and head down the only street in town to find the only information kiosk in town. Ask how to hike to Montezuma Falls and head out. A half-hour hike through the forest (watch out for monkeys!) will lead you to a series of three waterfalls. You might see some tourists jumping off the top two falls. My buddy, Django, and I braved the shorter of the two, which was about 25 feet high. Recommendation: hold onto your eye glasses- Django’s are currently residing at the bottom of the basin of the Montezuma Falls.

After your leap of faith, go relax. There is a string of beaches right past “downtown” Montezuma which host the bright blue Nicoya Golf. A steady rip-tide will prevent all but the most determined surfers from hitting the blue, so swimming is ideal. Want some privacy? The beaches stretch miles and miles down the coast. About an hour of sandy hiking will put you on your very own, personal beach.


Although this is far from a traditional party town, it’s definitely worth going out at night. This little town is one of the top places in the world to learn and exhibit your mastery of “poi.” Fire poi is basically dancing and doing tricks with elongated nunchucks lit on fire on both ends. It’s beautiful, exciting, and dangerous if you have no idea what you are doing (trust me)! Experienced performers will be having a fire-show every night in the town square. It’s easy to watch the show and make friends with your hostel-mates- I guarantee you they are hanging out and having an Imperial beer at the one bar in town.

Thanks for your awesome post on Costa Rica, Chas!