The popular beach resort of MONTEZUMA lies some 25km southwest of Paquera, near the southwestern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. Some twenty-five years ago a handful of foreigners fell in love with the place and settled here. Then it was just a fishing village, largely cut off from the rest of the country; nowadays it's definitely been discovered: lights twinkle, and music pours out of restaurants and bars peopled by tatooed boys and batik-clad girls.

What brings everyone here is the astounding beauty of the setting. Montezuma and the coast south to Cabo Blanco feature some of the loveliest coastline in the country: white sand, dotted with jutting rocks and leaning palms, and backed by lush greenery, including rare Pacific lowland tropical forest