Montezuma, Costa Rica

So we really liked Montezuma, I've never been in that peninsula in Costa Rica and I've always wanted to go there (I think it's called the Nicoloyia Nicoya Peninsula). We just kept extending our stay a day here and there and ended up staying four nights. We're really glad we stayed an extra day or we would have missed the island of Tortuga (more on this later). It's a very small town, just a few streets but it's very laid back and I'll definitely go back!

Seems like a bit of a surfer town, but we saw very little surfing, even though there were lots of places to rent/buy surfing supplies. The water seemed very clear but part of that may have just been because the sand is so dark in Jaco. Speaking of Jaco, it seems like it's a bit mini-Jaco before it grew, maybe if you could roll it back 30-40 years.

Here is a street map of Montezuma. You can see all the busineeses on this map. If there is nothing listed it's probably just trees or sand. Size-wise most of the hotels only have 10-15 rooms so they don't take up much room. Most of it is concentrated in the top have of the map with Chico's Bar (#14) at the center o the town, we stayed at El Sano Banano (#9) which is really close to the center.

Things did seem less expensive in this town, but don't assume and be sure to check the menu's prices before you sit down. Generally (but not always) if a place lists the cost in US Dollars they are more expensive. FYI, no ATMs in this town so make sure you have cash, especially since many places will give you a better deal for cash than charge (mostly noticed this with tours, transportation and hotels).

It's way more laid back and it's a bit of a hippie/rastafarian/bohemian crowd that seems to have settled in there. Some just seem to be traveling for a while and stop for a few months or years and others just seem to have moved there. There seems to be a few Ticos (Costa Rican people) who have relocated up that way as well, they just think it's more relaxed than some of the other places they've been.

Taking Things For Granted...

So there are somethings we really take for granted but it just isn't the same everywhere else. For instance:

Sunsets

One of my favorie parts of the movie Running Scared (1986), is when Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal (who play Chicago Cops) are in Florida (Key West, I think) and see a bunch of people standing by the pier. They think 'someone must have found a body' or 'a car must have drove off the pier'. As they try to get closer they ask someone 'what happened?' and the response is, 'they're just watching the sunset' and the both look at her and say, 'no, really, what happened?' and she replies, 'everyone comes down every night for the sunset' and they just don't believe it. But sure enough, it's just the sunset and they're hooked they watch it every night get hooked.

That's what it's like here in Jaco, Costa Rica, everyone starts showing up on the beach in the evening. Even if they aren't going to get in the water they just show up to watch. Some show up just a few minutes before, some show up an hour or so. They bring the kids, the babies, the grandparents and just watch it set and the colors fade away...

(I'm just paraphrasing the movie, I can't find the actual quotes, anywhere on-line, but you get the gist of it.)

As usual, click the photos for larger views.