Located about 30 kilometers down the road from Playa Tambor, the village of Montezuma is the entry point to a beautiful string of beaches. Monkeys, parrots, and other wildlife are frequent visitors. Montezuma is a friendly and exceptionally laid-back place with at least as many gringo residents as Ticos. A popular and unique beachside community, it has a widely held reputation among the younger set as a party town. However, the place is not only a mecca for backpackers and surfers but also a retirement place for more mature counterculture people. (Maybe I fall into the latter category, because I have always felt right at home in Montezuma Hotelswith kindred spirits my age blending into the scene.) Residents and businesspeople are very ecology minded and maintain a continual campaign for clean beaches. They also try to discourage some of the scruffy and troublesome visitors, knowing they are bad for business. Residents want to attract all age groups, especially those with money to spend, rather than become focused only on the frat- house and hippie crowd. Gringos who live in Montezuma enjoy a lively and active social life; those who covet peace and quiet might want to look elsewhere. The last 7 kilometers of road to Montezuma Hotels used to be rather bad during the rainy season; hopefully its better now.

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