Montezuma

Kerry´s first full weekend here we went to Montzuma and Santa Teresa. We left Thursday morning got to Puntrenas around midday - it was Kerry's first time seeing the beach here in Costa Rica!

From there we took a ferry to Paquera. It was a big boat and we had an hour-long ride to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

The seagulls flew alongside the boat for about half the ride and we could see 'Las Fiestas de Puntarenas,' a two-week-long nightly carnival they have there every year.

We could also see the mountains and various small islands as we passed by.

After Paquera it was about a two hour bus ride to Montezuma. We arrived in the early evening and wasted no time getting to the hotel and finding something to eat - we were tired and hungry after a long day of travel! Once we got our blood sugar back up to a normal level we were able to really enjoy the beautiful, rocky beaches there - just in time for sunset!

Montezuma is on the east-facing side of the Peninsula Nicoya on the west cost so the sun doesn't set over the ocean there but it was breathtaking nonetheless!

We also had time to walk around and get a feel for the town before it got too dark. It's a tourist town but is not as commercial as most others, and has a really laid-back vibe.

While we were there, staying at a hotel called Luna Llena (full moon) we got to enjoy the real thing! It was great because the beach was lit up even at night and we could walk around no problem, even without a light.

We stargazed on the beach that night and enjoyed the poi fire spinning show on the street downtown - they were really good!

For the rest of the night we hung out at the hotel, which featured a full kitchen, private cabanas, a great overlook, and some really wonderful hangout spots.

It also had freestanding bathrooms, and was settled in between the trees, so even brushing your teeth was an experience!

The same trees it was situated in were home to a family of howler monkeys, so you could enjoy the wildlife while sitting on the cabin's porch! Their call is quite loud, so luckily we couldn't miss them. They only came out to play in the early evening though, so the racket was enjoyable rather than bothersome.

And of course, we spent some days on the beach!

There were rocks to play on, HUGE waves (I sometimes got a little scared, they were really strong!), and areas where instead of sand there were tons of bitty pieces of shells. I had fun collecting all the cool ones. And all along the beach there were vendors selling their hand-made goods.

With so many exciting things on the beach it's no wonder we got a little sun burnt, but luckily Montezuma has attractions other than the surf. We went on a day hike to a triple-decker waterfall!

This is only the lower one, but even standing alone it is remarkable! The pool that surrounds it is calm, cold, and REALLY deep, so we took advantage of the big rocks surrounding it to do a little cliff jumping.

That night we met up with some friends we made at the hotel for a beach side campfire and some drinks. There was no shortage of driftwood on the beach (maybe because of all the waves) so it was quite easy and very fun! Our glow attracted some new friends as well, from Canada and Germany. With a guitar and several people who could play it we really had it made!

And the best part: we still had half of our adventure ahead of us! We left Montezuma the next afternoon but instead of heading back to San José we went west to Santa Teresa. Read on...