An Excursion to Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve
As beautiful as the beaches around Montezuma are, the beaches at Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve, 11km (6 3/4 miles) south of the village, are even more stunning. Located at the southernmost tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, Cabo Blanco is a national park that preserves a nesting site for brown pelicans, magnificent frigate birds, and brown boobies. The beaches are backed by a lush tropical forest that is home to howler monkeys. You can hike through the preserve's lush forest right down to the deserted, pristine beach, which is 4km (2 1/2 miles) away. Or you can take a shorter 2km (1 1/4-mile) loop trail through the primary forest here. This is Costa Rica's oldest official bioreserve and was set up thanks to the pioneering efforts of conservationists Karen Mogensen and Nicholas Wessberg. Admission is $10 (£4.85); the reserve is closed on Monday and Tuesday.
On your way out to Cabo Blanco, you'll pass through the tiny village of Cabuya. Some very basic cabinas and hotels have sprung up out here, and there are a couple of hidden patches of beach to discover if you poke around some of the deserted dirt roads.
Shuttle buses head from Montezuma to Cabo Blanco roughly every 2 hours beginning at 8am, and then turn around and bring folks from Cabo Blanco to Montezuma; the last one leaves Cabo Blanco around 5pm. The fare is $2 (£1) each way. These shuttles often don't run during the off season. Alternatively, you can share a taxi: The fare is around $15 to $20 (£7.50-£10) per taxi, which can hold four or five passengers. Taxis tend to hang around Montezuma center. One dependable taxista is Gilberto Rodríguez (tel. 2642-0241).
