Playa Grande

The most remarkable beach in the area is Playa Grande, not because of the beach itself, but because of the journey to get there. Along the way you’ll pass many other points of interest, such as many other small beaches and coves, a small waterfall and freshwater swimming hole at Piedra Colorada, and you’ll see the beachfront primary jungle of Romelia National Wildlife Refuge. The only way to get to Playa Grande is to walk, since there’s no roads and no development out there, except for one old house.

 

Playa Grande of Montezuma, not to be confused with an even more famous beach in Costa Rica, Playa Grande near Tamarindo, is a 30-40 minute walk north of town.

A common destination for tourists and locals who would like to get away from the crowds (not that Montezuma’s closer beaches are ever actually crowded) but Playa Grande is spectacular in many ways. First, it’s huge… at low tide it’s just gigantic… really long, broad, flat, and pure sand. Many people come to Costa Rica and hope to go on a few hikes into nature, and the relatively short journey to Playa Grande is ideal for many people who may not be used to the tropical heat, but would like a little adventure.

On hike out, you’ll be sometimes on the beach, and sometimes on overland trails, and you’ll pass many memorable places, such as Ylang Ylang Resort, Piedra Colorada, and the Nicolás Wessberg Natural Reserve. Both of these reserves have no services and are basically pure jungle, set aside for native animals to enjoy their natural habit with very little human disruption.

Once arriving at the beach, please note that the land behind it is another wildlife reserve, called the Romelia Wildlife Refuge.

 

Playa Las Rocas

Amazing Playa Las Rocas is a shorts 20-30 minutes by foot from Montezuma. It’s between the beaches of Playa los Cedros and Playa las Manchas.

There is a lot to this beach, first it is ideal for kids because there are two sandy beaches, and the waves are small, and the rocks prevent the surf from getting too big.  Second, there’s a river-mouth thats optimal for wading and the rope-swing under shade, is a great spot to watch the daredevils while your family relaxes in the running fresh water.

Out front of the rocks is one of the best snorkeling areas.  Spear-fishermen and lobster-catchers frequent this area and many Tico families come here to enjoy life as the locals here in Costa Rica do.  Usually, the man of the family is resposible for catching dinner so showing uo with "The Cath of the Day" from Lucas' boat The O'Orca, will qualify you as Tico.

Camping here under the palms is common for travellers, although it’s not an official and or legal campsite  Most people camp for a few days before anyone saying anything... And even then..... you're in Costa Rica.

Los Rocas is a must see beach in Costa Rica.

 

Montezuma Beach

This is really a beautiful spot, and a very fun area to explore. I doubt there’s any place in Costa Rica with so much diversity of natural beauty in such a small area. At the end of the beach you’ll find a trail going up into the jungle to cross the rocky point. This will come down at Piedra Colorado, which is a great 15 minute hike and a favorite spot for many people, both tourists and locals, to walk out to with their kids to play in the small waterfall there.

This whole area has been inhabited for hundreds, if not thousands of years, because it has several sources of fresh water and it’s ridiculously gorgeous. Primitive people would have seen and appreciated the area just as we do today. The result is that there are many rumors and legends about grave sites, ancient cemeteries, native artifacts, ghosts, gold treasures, etc to be found hidden in the hills and caves of this area.

The beach itself is steep and can have very large waves crashing down on it. There are a lot of rocks too, and it’s dangerous when the waves are big. Be very cautious here. A much safer beach is Playa Grande, but it’s a 30-40 minute walk to the north.

 

Play Los Suecos

Playa Los Suecos is a place with many names. It’s also called “The Malpais Secret Beach” or Punta Murcielago. It’s one of the most beautiful spots on the Nicoya peninsula, and a favorite of visiting photographers because it’s so photogenic.  

A White Sand Beach in Malpais?

This spot has one of the whitest sand beaches in the area, due to the large amount of shells that break up into small bits and wash up here. And white sand makes for beautiful, turquoise water.

Snorkeling

I have to say that Playa Los Suecos is the best snorkeling spot that I’ve found in the area. Las Manchasin Montezuma can also be amazing, but it’s more consistent here, and I’ve seen more large animals such as a huge stingray and sea turtles. One of the reasons it’s probably so good here is that it’s right next to Cabo Blanco‘s protected marine reserve.

Tide Pools

This is the best spot in the peninsula also for tide pool exploration, but only on very rare super-low tides. Consult a tide chart for the area: tide chart Ideally the tide should be in the negative numbers, at its lowest, when you’re there. At this time you’ll be able to walk far out onto a peninsula of underwater rock, and you’ll find many tidepools filled with sealife that you’d normally never be able to see. Here are some photos of what can be seen: Malpais Tidepool Animals. If you’re really lucky you may even sea a “sea swallow“, which is a rare type of Nudibranch that can be seen here on occasion.

 

 
 
 
 

Welcome to Montezuma

There are so many beaches in Costa Rica.  They all have a special uniqueness and it's impossible to say that one is better than the other.  Each beach has it's own personality and is comparable to the uniqueness of your own thumbprint.  Get here.  Find your space.  Sit in your silence and enjoy being you.  This is where I found and fell in love with myself.