We had a wonderful time in Costa Rica and I can’t wait to go back. Next time we definitely want to check out Aernal Volcano, Montverde, and the Osa peninsula..
Montezuma was our favorite place. We really liked the small town and laid back atmosphere that Montezuma offered. it was very easy to walk around there and meet other travelers.
We liked not having a definite itinerary for our trip and every day we met other travelers who we were able to give suggestions on where to go and stay
One of the best parts about our trip was meeting other travelers and being able to compare notes and get suggestions on where to go. We met so many wonderful people: Casey and Cassy from Arlington, TX; Lissa, Steven, Lucan, Tad, and Jana from Los Angeles, CA; Jay and James Mc Cracken from Lewisville, TX; Joe, Kelly, and family from Wisconsin; and everybody else we met on our travels.
Where we stayed:
Hotel Pasatiempo in Tamarindo – Everything was excellent and would definitely stay there again.
El Sano Banano in Montezuma – We liked it because it was a good value and centrally located. We only ate the free breakfast that was included with our room at their restaurant and found that some of the items offered on their breakfast menu was pretty average. Next time I’d probably want to stay at one of the other nicer hotels near the center of town.
La Colonia in Manuel Antonio – Would definitely stay there again as long as they had hot water in the room but would definitely eat dinner elsewhere.
Things I learned:
Tips are usually included on the bill for meals and if you are not sure just ask. 10% seems to be the standard for tipping and I always left my spare change after paying the bill if the service was good.
Most of the food there is EXCELLENT!
I should have brought back more bottles of Salsa Lizano!
All the gas stations are full service and they will wash your windows and check your tire pressure. I always tipped the gas station guys around 200 colonies each.
The roads are pretty well marked on the highways but it’s easy to get lost in the cities as the streets are not well signed.
Everybody is very friendly and in the tourist areas just about everybody speaks enough English to get by.
COSTA RICA IS PURA VIDA!
Showing posts with label montezuma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label montezuma. Show all posts
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Day 8 - Driving from Montezuma to Manuel Antonio
This was the first day in a week that we were able to see blue skies and no rain!
After breakfast we checked out from El Sano Banano and made the drive to Paquera to catch the ferry to Puntarenas so we could drive to Manuel Antonio. The ferry dock was a bit confusing. There was a building that housed a café and a ticket booth however there was nobody selling tickets and none of the employees seemed to speak English. After wandering about with some other tourists trying to figure out where to buy tickets someone finally showed up at the ticket booth. There was a girl collecting money for the local school so I put a few hundred colonies in her collection box and then headed to the cafe to grab a few cervezas for the ferry ride. It took about 30 minutes to load the ferry with the cars and passengers and the boat ride to Puntarenas took about an hour and 15 minutes. The inside of the ferry was air-conditioned but was still hot. It was cooler outside and there was a nice breeze.
After we unloaded in Puntarenas we weren’t sure which way to go so we just followed all the other tourists in their cars. Puntarenas is on a long, skinny peninsula and had a combination of nice and run down neighborhoods. We then made our way onto the main highway going south towards out destination of Manuel Antonio.
We were traveling south in a caravan with about 5 other tourists vehicles from the ferry when were we all flagged over at a police checkpoint. They came to each car and asked for passport, license and paperwork and told us to drive slower and to be careful on the roads. The road to Manuel Antonio is for the most part in good shape although there were a few bad spots. There are several one lane bridges that required you or the cars going in the opposite direction to yield but it all seemed to be pretty orderly. South of Jaco the highway took us through long rows of what might have been banana or pineapple trees.
We finally get to Quepos and then drive to Manuel Antonio. The road out of Quepos to MA is steep and pretty windy and you really need to watch out for the buses and trucks that come barreling down in the other direction. There is no shoulder on the road and I wouldn’t recommend walking. We had a few ideas on where we wanted to stay so we continued on the road to see what the town had to offer before deciding on a hotel. When we get into Manuel Antonio I was disappointed to find that the place was completely packed with tourists. We made our way through the traffic to the end of the road and turned around and ended up driving back to the Hotel La Colina which was recommended by someone we met in Montezuma.
At the reception they told us that they had one standard room left for $40/night but they were having trouble with the hot water heater so there might not be hot water at times.. After a long drive, we were tired and hungry so we decided to take the room figuring that it was a bargain and that we could live with the hot water problem but it turned out that there was no hot water in our room during our entire stay We dropped our bags off in the room and got back in the car to find a place to eat.
We drove back up the road and wanted have some lunch at El Avion (I’ll tell you more about it later) but they were not open until 4pm so we kept on going into the village at Manuel Antonio. It was still pretty crowded when we got there so we had to pay 1000 colonies (about $2) to park the car and we decided to eat at the Marlin Restaurant. The Marlin had a good crowd and large deck area that was right across from the beach and a good spot to do some people watching but the food turned out to be somewhat expensive and disappointing.
We then went back to the hotel to take a dip in the pool. The pool is divided into two small parts with a waterfall and a swim up bar. We had a few margaritas before going back to our room to clean up and head out for dinner.
We decided on going back to El Avion for dinner. El Avion is a cliff side restaurant that features a bar located inside an entire Fairchild C-123 cargo plane that was left over from the United States’ secret war against the communist Sandinista government in Nicaragua during the mid 1980’s. The food at EL Avion was good and more reasonably priced compared to the lunch we had earlier. After dinner we were pretty tired so we went back to the hotel and hit the sack.
After breakfast we checked out from El Sano Banano and made the drive to Paquera to catch the ferry to Puntarenas so we could drive to Manuel Antonio. The ferry dock was a bit confusing. There was a building that housed a café and a ticket booth however there was nobody selling tickets and none of the employees seemed to speak English. After wandering about with some other tourists trying to figure out where to buy tickets someone finally showed up at the ticket booth. There was a girl collecting money for the local school so I put a few hundred colonies in her collection box and then headed to the cafe to grab a few cervezas for the ferry ride. It took about 30 minutes to load the ferry with the cars and passengers and the boat ride to Puntarenas took about an hour and 15 minutes. The inside of the ferry was air-conditioned but was still hot. It was cooler outside and there was a nice breeze.
After we unloaded in Puntarenas we weren’t sure which way to go so we just followed all the other tourists in their cars. Puntarenas is on a long, skinny peninsula and had a combination of nice and run down neighborhoods. We then made our way onto the main highway going south towards out destination of Manuel Antonio.
We were traveling south in a caravan with about 5 other tourists vehicles from the ferry when were we all flagged over at a police checkpoint. They came to each car and asked for passport, license and paperwork and told us to drive slower and to be careful on the roads. The road to Manuel Antonio is for the most part in good shape although there were a few bad spots. There are several one lane bridges that required you or the cars going in the opposite direction to yield but it all seemed to be pretty orderly. South of Jaco the highway took us through long rows of what might have been banana or pineapple trees.
We finally get to Quepos and then drive to Manuel Antonio. The road out of Quepos to MA is steep and pretty windy and you really need to watch out for the buses and trucks that come barreling down in the other direction. There is no shoulder on the road and I wouldn’t recommend walking. We had a few ideas on where we wanted to stay so we continued on the road to see what the town had to offer before deciding on a hotel. When we get into Manuel Antonio I was disappointed to find that the place was completely packed with tourists. We made our way through the traffic to the end of the road and turned around and ended up driving back to the Hotel La Colina which was recommended by someone we met in Montezuma.
At the reception they told us that they had one standard room left for $40/night but they were having trouble with the hot water heater so there might not be hot water at times.. After a long drive, we were tired and hungry so we decided to take the room figuring that it was a bargain and that we could live with the hot water problem but it turned out that there was no hot water in our room during our entire stay We dropped our bags off in the room and got back in the car to find a place to eat.
We drove back up the road and wanted have some lunch at El Avion (I’ll tell you more about it later) but they were not open until 4pm so we kept on going into the village at Manuel Antonio. It was still pretty crowded when we got there so we had to pay 1000 colonies (about $2) to park the car and we decided to eat at the Marlin Restaurant. The Marlin had a good crowd and large deck area that was right across from the beach and a good spot to do some people watching but the food turned out to be somewhat expensive and disappointing.
We then went back to the hotel to take a dip in the pool. The pool is divided into two small parts with a waterfall and a swim up bar. We had a few margaritas before going back to our room to clean up and head out for dinner.
We decided on going back to El Avion for dinner. El Avion is a cliff side restaurant that features a bar located inside an entire Fairchild C-123 cargo plane that was left over from the United States’ secret war against the communist Sandinista government in Nicaragua during the mid 1980’s. The food at EL Avion was good and more reasonably priced compared to the lunch we had earlier. After dinner we were pretty tired so we went back to the hotel and hit the sack.
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Day 7 - Montezuma
We decided to stay in Montezuma an extra day. After breakfast, I dropped off some laundry to be done at the Soda Arrecife where they also have laundry service for 500 colonies ($1) per kilogram. Still overcast but not raining so we decided after breakfast to walk up to the Ylang-Ylang to check out the pool. It’s located about ½ mile up the beach and is not accessible by car. When we got there it was a little paradise! The pool was very nicely located in a jungle setting with a waterfall that flowed into the pool. After swimming a bit and lounging we walked back to town and had some of the best pizza I’ve ever had at Pizza Net next to Chico’s Bar.
I then picked my fresh and nicely folded laundry and headed to the Super Montezuma grocery store for a few 6 packs of cerveza and then drove south towards Cabuya to hang out with our new friends from Los Angeles who had invited us to their cabin. Later that evening we all met at the La Playa de las Artistas restaurant in Montezuma. It is a nice little intimate restaurant located right on the beach. The food there was AMAZING! We had smoked cheese with shrimp, salad, a huge fish that fed four, chateau breon, salad, bread, and cocktails and it only came to $17/person! Probably one of the best meals I’ve ever had!
I then picked my fresh and nicely folded laundry and headed to the Super Montezuma grocery store for a few 6 packs of cerveza and then drove south towards Cabuya to hang out with our new friends from Los Angeles who had invited us to their cabin. Later that evening we all met at the La Playa de las Artistas restaurant in Montezuma. It is a nice little intimate restaurant located right on the beach. The food there was AMAZING! We had smoked cheese with shrimp, salad, a huge fish that fed four, chateau breon, salad, bread, and cocktails and it only came to $17/person! Probably one of the best meals I’ve ever had!
Friday, June 10, 2005
Day 6 - Montezuma and day trip to Mal Pais
I am an early riser so after a shower I headed downstairs to sit on the outside patio of the El Sano Banano cafe and have some coffee and read my book. The El Sano Banano is located on the main street when you drive into town and it was interesting watching all the various venders arrive to deliver fresh produce, eggs, meats, and other stuff to the restuarant. It was also a good place to people watch and meet other travelers to get information on other places to see and where to stay.
After having breakfast on the patio downstairs we decided to take a drive to go check out the Mal Pais/Santa Teresa area and see if it was worth possibly staying a night or two after Montezuma. We drove back to Cobano and then on to Mal Pais. The road to Mal Pais was pretty bad in places but the last few kilometers was newly paved. We arrived to find a large construction project going on where they had a big crane building a condominium complex. Probably in a few years Mal Pais will turn into another Tamarindo. We drove down the Mal Pais side and then back up to Santa Teresa. The road that runs along the beachfront community is pretty bad.
We found that Mal Pais/Santa Teresa is really spread apart and there is no real town center. The beaches there are beautiful! You would definitely need a bicycle or some form of transportation to get around, especially if you wanted to go out for dinner or drinks at night. Because of this, and the poor weather we decided against staying in Mal Pais the next nght. We then went back and parked the car at Frank’s place and since it had stopped raining we took a walk along the beach up to the Topico Latino hotel where we stopped for guacamole, chips and a few cervezas. We then walked back on the road to Frank’s Place where I checked my email at the fast internet café. I noticed that there was also an ATM machine locatyed next to the reception desk.
We then drove back to Montezuma and had dinner again at El Parque. Afterwards we walked to Chico’s Bar where we mat a family from Los Angeles who had bought a cabin south of Montezuma and were staying there for two months until they went back to the US (they rent it out when they are not there). They invited us to come over to their house for coffee or beers the next day. We also met some people from San Francisco who were in town for a wedding. One of the people lived just a few blocks from where we live - Small world!
After having breakfast on the patio downstairs we decided to take a drive to go check out the Mal Pais/Santa Teresa area and see if it was worth possibly staying a night or two after Montezuma. We drove back to Cobano and then on to Mal Pais. The road to Mal Pais was pretty bad in places but the last few kilometers was newly paved. We arrived to find a large construction project going on where they had a big crane building a condominium complex. Probably in a few years Mal Pais will turn into another Tamarindo. We drove down the Mal Pais side and then back up to Santa Teresa. The road that runs along the beachfront community is pretty bad.
We found that Mal Pais/Santa Teresa is really spread apart and there is no real town center. The beaches there are beautiful! You would definitely need a bicycle or some form of transportation to get around, especially if you wanted to go out for dinner or drinks at night. Because of this, and the poor weather we decided against staying in Mal Pais the next nght. We then went back and parked the car at Frank’s place and since it had stopped raining we took a walk along the beach up to the Topico Latino hotel where we stopped for guacamole, chips and a few cervezas. We then walked back on the road to Frank’s Place where I checked my email at the fast internet café. I noticed that there was also an ATM machine locatyed next to the reception desk.
We then drove back to Montezuma and had dinner again at El Parque. Afterwards we walked to Chico’s Bar where we mat a family from Los Angeles who had bought a cabin south of Montezuma and were staying there for two months until they went back to the US (they rent it out when they are not there). They invited us to come over to their house for coffee or beers the next day. We also met some people from San Francisco who were in town for a wedding. One of the people lived just a few blocks from where we live - Small world!
Thursday, June 9, 2005
Day 5 - Drive from Tamarindo to Montezuma
Another overcast day.
After eating breakfast and consulting our Lonely Planet book, we decided to drive to Montezuma and stay at least one night before deciding on where to go next. We took a different route out of Tamarindo that wasn’t paved but was in good condition without a lot of potholes. There were a few places where there were cattle blocking the road and we had to do some maneuvering around the stubborn ones who wouldn’t move after giving a few toots on the horn.
We made our way to Santa Cruz where we got back on the main highway and then down to the city of Nicoya where we stopped for gas. The gas station was like pulling into a pit stop at a race track. There were 2 guys who washed the front, side, and rear windows and another two guys who checked the tire pressure in all four wheels as well as filled up the tank. I tipped them 1000 colones (about $2) to split among themselves and then we made our way back out of the town onto the highway.
Heading south, we were stopped at a police check point. I was going a little fast and I thought for sure that I was going to get either a ticket or have to pay a bribe. The officer asked me in English for my driver’s license and passport, asked where I was coming from and where we were going and then told us to have a safe trip and enjoy our stay. After the main highway ended we ended up on more local roads that were a combination of paved and potholed dirt roads. The roads went through small towns and we saw lots of schools along the way. We always waved at the school children and they all would simile and wave back. There were lots of stray dogs on the roads as well.
After we passed Playa Narajno the road became REALLY BAD and in some places I wondered if we would even be able to make it through. There was mud and pot holes everywhere that limited our speed to a bit more than a crawl. There were also some very steep, muddy hills that required some white knuckle driving especially when it was pouring rain and driving down the muddy hills. I never had to use the 4×4 but definitely needed the higher clearance that the 4×4 offered. After getting to Paquera the road was paved fairly well with the occasional pot hole all the way to Tambor. From tambor to Cobano the road was mostly a combination of smooth dirt and pot holed road. From Cabano we turned onto the road to Montezuma and after driving down another very steep road we pulled into the small town of Montezuma. We parked the car and after consulting the Lonley Planet book we decided to see what the El Sano Banano Hotel had to offer.
When we arrived the hotel was pretty empty so they let us pick wichever room we wanted. Most of the rooms faced the back of the hotel and did not have a view. We chose one of the three rooms that looked out over the street and were surprisingly quiet even when music was blasting from Chico’s bar a half block away. The rooms had good air conditioning and satellite TV with some channels in English. They play movies on a projection screen in the downstairs restaurant every night and are free with dinner or if you buy a few drinks. They also have a sister hotel, the Ylang-Ylang resort, located up the beach where guests staying at El Sano Banano are able to use their beautiful pool.
Breakfast from the café downstairs was included with the room but some of the food was pretty average. The banana pancakes are good as well as the fruit with yogurt and granola. The mocha chiller drinks are awesome! There is also an internet cafe next door with a slow networked dial up connection. They can take your pictures from your digital camera and burn them onto a cd-rom so you can free up your memory card.
After settling into our room we took a walk around to explore Montezuma. The town is small and the main area is only about four blocks long with a super market, bar, library/book exchange, restaurants, a school, tour guides, and a few hotels around the main “downtown” area. Most of the other hotels are located on the other roads that branch out of town. We looked for a good place to get a late lunch and ended up at the El Parque café which is located right on the beach with a sand floor. We had some of the best guacamole with chips that I’ve ever had there followed with a meal of rice, beans, chicken, potatoes, and steamed vegetables all washed down with many cold cervezas all for about $14 for the two of us! At the restaurant we were approached by a stray skinny young cat that begged for some food. Naturally we couldn’t resist and gave him some chicken. Then another one came so we gave him some meat as well and before we knew it there were four of them all meowing and jockeying for position to get some hand outs.
We then had some beers at the lively Chico’s Bar in the center of town. It is the only bar in town and has a section on the street and another bar in the rear by the water with tables right on the sand. There are a few pool tables and a foosball table as well as a dance floor. After hanging out there for a while and drinking many cervazas (we had to drink so many in order to stay hydrated in the heat!) we decided on Café Cocolores for dinner. I had some of the tastiest pineapple chicken all very reasonably priced. We then retired back to El Sano Banano where they were showing the movie Ocean’s 12 in the restaurant but we were too tired to watch so we went up to our room and hit the sack.
After eating breakfast and consulting our Lonely Planet book, we decided to drive to Montezuma and stay at least one night before deciding on where to go next. We took a different route out of Tamarindo that wasn’t paved but was in good condition without a lot of potholes. There were a few places where there were cattle blocking the road and we had to do some maneuvering around the stubborn ones who wouldn’t move after giving a few toots on the horn.
We made our way to Santa Cruz where we got back on the main highway and then down to the city of Nicoya where we stopped for gas. The gas station was like pulling into a pit stop at a race track. There were 2 guys who washed the front, side, and rear windows and another two guys who checked the tire pressure in all four wheels as well as filled up the tank. I tipped them 1000 colones (about $2) to split among themselves and then we made our way back out of the town onto the highway.
Heading south, we were stopped at a police check point. I was going a little fast and I thought for sure that I was going to get either a ticket or have to pay a bribe. The officer asked me in English for my driver’s license and passport, asked where I was coming from and where we were going and then told us to have a safe trip and enjoy our stay. After the main highway ended we ended up on more local roads that were a combination of paved and potholed dirt roads. The roads went through small towns and we saw lots of schools along the way. We always waved at the school children and they all would simile and wave back. There were lots of stray dogs on the roads as well.
After we passed Playa Narajno the road became REALLY BAD and in some places I wondered if we would even be able to make it through. There was mud and pot holes everywhere that limited our speed to a bit more than a crawl. There were also some very steep, muddy hills that required some white knuckle driving especially when it was pouring rain and driving down the muddy hills. I never had to use the 4×4 but definitely needed the higher clearance that the 4×4 offered. After getting to Paquera the road was paved fairly well with the occasional pot hole all the way to Tambor. From tambor to Cobano the road was mostly a combination of smooth dirt and pot holed road. From Cabano we turned onto the road to Montezuma and after driving down another very steep road we pulled into the small town of Montezuma. We parked the car and after consulting the Lonley Planet book we decided to see what the El Sano Banano Hotel had to offer.
When we arrived the hotel was pretty empty so they let us pick wichever room we wanted. Most of the rooms faced the back of the hotel and did not have a view. We chose one of the three rooms that looked out over the street and were surprisingly quiet even when music was blasting from Chico’s bar a half block away. The rooms had good air conditioning and satellite TV with some channels in English. They play movies on a projection screen in the downstairs restaurant every night and are free with dinner or if you buy a few drinks. They also have a sister hotel, the Ylang-Ylang resort, located up the beach where guests staying at El Sano Banano are able to use their beautiful pool.
Breakfast from the café downstairs was included with the room but some of the food was pretty average. The banana pancakes are good as well as the fruit with yogurt and granola. The mocha chiller drinks are awesome! There is also an internet cafe next door with a slow networked dial up connection. They can take your pictures from your digital camera and burn them onto a cd-rom so you can free up your memory card.
After settling into our room we took a walk around to explore Montezuma. The town is small and the main area is only about four blocks long with a super market, bar, library/book exchange, restaurants, a school, tour guides, and a few hotels around the main “downtown” area. Most of the other hotels are located on the other roads that branch out of town. We looked for a good place to get a late lunch and ended up at the El Parque café which is located right on the beach with a sand floor. We had some of the best guacamole with chips that I’ve ever had there followed with a meal of rice, beans, chicken, potatoes, and steamed vegetables all washed down with many cold cervezas all for about $14 for the two of us! At the restaurant we were approached by a stray skinny young cat that begged for some food. Naturally we couldn’t resist and gave him some chicken. Then another one came so we gave him some meat as well and before we knew it there were four of them all meowing and jockeying for position to get some hand outs.
We then had some beers at the lively Chico’s Bar in the center of town. It is the only bar in town and has a section on the street and another bar in the rear by the water with tables right on the sand. There are a few pool tables and a foosball table as well as a dance floor. After hanging out there for a while and drinking many cervazas (we had to drink so many in order to stay hydrated in the heat!) we decided on Café Cocolores for dinner. I had some of the tastiest pineapple chicken all very reasonably priced. We then retired back to El Sano Banano where they were showing the movie Ocean’s 12 in the restaurant but we were too tired to watch so we went up to our room and hit the sack.
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