Information

Directions to Montezuma

By Car: Arrange with a car rental agency. Make sure you have a good map of the country’s road network before you travel.

In high season, try to arrive at least one hour before the ferry departure time to ensure that you can get on before boarding. Consult a guidebook to find the schedule of the ferries, which depart approximately every 2 hours.

As you can see on the map, head northwest to the port of Puntarenas and continue until the end of the peninsula, turn right two hundred meters towards the shore where the ferry docks. Turn right and park in the line of cars waiting for the arrival of the ferry.

Be aware that there are 2 ferries — one to Playa Naranjo and one to Paquera. You need to take the ferry to Paquera.

Wait in the line of cars until a ferry employee gives you a form to deal with your vehicle. With the form in hand, you can go to the ticket window to buy your tickets. Be sure to order tickets to Paquera. Your passengers should board the ferry on foot. Only the driver can be in the vehicle.

If someone not wearing the uniform of the ferry company offers to assist you with the purchase of the tickets, tell them you know how to do it and do not leave your vehicle. As a precaution, do not leave wallets or passports in the car and have them on hand at the ferry.

Ferry Peninsular After about an hour and a half, the ferry will arrive in Paquera. From there drive southwest to reach Cóbano. On the road you will pass through Playa Tambor, where you will see three hotels on the left: the Hotel Los Delfines, Playa Tambor Hotel and the Hotel Tango Mar and the Tambor Beach airport as well. Upon reaching Cóbano, turn left at the main intersection on the corner, on your left, you see the National Bank building where you can use the ATM if you need money before you get to Montezuma. Then head to Montezuma staying always on the main road. Drive with caution as most of this road is gravel and includes some blind corners, narrow parts and a very steep hill with sharp bends on the approach to Montezuma.

At the bottom of the hill you will see signs, houses and hotels, take the first street on the left and you will be in the center of Montezuma. Do not drive on the beach in any kind of vehicle!

Try to arrive during the day on your first visit to Montezuma. Remember to contact your hotel while on the way, perhaps in Cóbano or Tambor to advise them that you are coming and they will be ready to help you unload your luggage.

By Air: Sansa Airlines and Nature Air offer flights from Alajuela and San Jose bound for Playa Tambor. There are usually two or three flights daily. To purchase tickets online, visit www.flysansa.com or www.natureair.com. To get a taxi from the airport in Tambor to Montezuma please call a taxi in Cóbano at 2-642-0000 and arrange for someone to pick you up at the airport.

By Shuttle Bus: Several companies offer shuttle bus service from Alajuela and San Jose to Montezuma. For information on schedules and fares, call 2-640-1900 / 2-640-0671 / 2-642-0919 / 2-642-0467. Rates and schedules vary among different companies.

By Bus: For those with a limited budget make your way to the bus terminal at the Coca Cola market in San José. From the terminal you can take the direct bus to Montezuma for about 5,000 colones, a little less than $ 10 per person. You can also take other buses to the ferry landing in Puntarenas. If you do the latter, you will need to take a second bus to get to Montezuma after the ferry arrives in Paquera. Buses will be waiting at the ferry landing.

For information on the current schedule of the direct bus line, call 2-642-0219 / 2-642-0740 / 8-393-4349. For other lines, please call 2-642-0992. For information on the Puntarenas to Paquera ferry schedules call 2-661-2084.

If you call these numbers from abroad, do not forget to add the country code (+ 506) before the number. For example, if you dial any of these numbers from the U.S., the full number would be + 506-x-xxx-xxxx.

Important telephone numbers

Information provided courtesy of Zoom Magazine http://nicoyazoom.com/

Healthcare / Medical Emergencies

Clínica de la Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (Cóbano)	2642-0208
Dr. Carlos Madison Sánchez	8392-4791
Emergencias 2000 (Ambulance)	2642-0630

Police / Security and Justice Agencies

District Attorney	2642-0512
Cóbano Courthouse	2642-0233
Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ)	2642-0580
Police	2642-0770

Important: Form for reporting criminal incidents

Please download and print this form and fill out the boxes to report any criminal activity you have observed or of which you were a victim. We beg you to report any criminal or suspicious activity to the authorities using this form, as they are used to allocate resources for the community safety of Montezuma in proportion to the incidence of crime. Please return the form to hotel reception where you are staying, or public security officers.

Download Crime Report Form

Public Offices and Public Services

Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA)	2642-0190
Banco Nacional de Costa Rica	2642-0210
Library	2642-0041
Correos de Costa Rica (Post Office)	2642-0047
Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) – Electric Utility	2642-0123
Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) – Payments	2642-0455
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganado (MAG) – Ministry of Agriculture	2642-0294
Ministerio de Educacion Pública (MEP) – Ministry of Public Education	2642-0041
Municipalidad de Cóbano – Municipality of Cóbano	2642-0238