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PrintCabuya, Montezuma
From Montezuma heading south, you'll find a scenic road along the beach to Cabuya and on to the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve.
The big strangler fig of Cabuya
The road first passes by a steep-sided jungle with huge boulders, covered in the roots of strangler figs and vines. Small rivers tumble down the slopes and empty
into the ocean where they form natural pools, large enough for swimming.
After two kilometers you arrive at Playa Las Manchas, a luxurious
white-sand beach with clear turquoise water, perfect for snorkeling and swimming.
Playa Los Cedros between Montezuma and Cabuya
A little bit further comes Playa Los Cedros, the best surf spot around Montezuma. A picturesque coastal landscape, framed by palms and old
trees, extends until Cabuya.
There are usually very few people on this stretch of coastline. Instead you see crowds of pelicans diving for fish and frigate
birds soaring overhead.
River bathing near Montezuma
A bridge leads over the Rio Lajas where » egrets, herons and kingfishers are frequently seen. You can watch the wildlife while taking a bath in the lagoon at the estuary or in one of the rocky pools of the shallow riverbed. An upriver hike of 3 kilometers would bring you to a small cascade.
Entrance to the cemetery of the Cabuya Island
Back on the road, shortly after the Rio Lajas, you spot an impressive natural monument: the Higuerón de Cabuya, a huge strangler fig. With a diameter of around 22 m and an altitude of almost 40 m it is the largest of its kind in Costa Rica.
7 km after Montezuma you arrive in the quaint little village of Cabuya. From here it is only 2 km to the Cabo Blanco Reserve.
Another rare attraction of Cabuya is the small cemetery island (Isla de Cabuya), located a hundred meters off the coast. In pre-Columbian times the Indians used the island as a burial ground and until today funerals are held here.
View across Cabuya with Cemetery Island
At low tide it is possible to walk over the to the island where you enjoy the peaceful atmosphere with views of the » Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve.
The reef on the extreme tip of the Cabuya Island is one of the best spots in the area for snorkeling. Even without snorkeling
equipment, you can see colorful fish swimming in the rocky tide pools.
In dry season there is a shortcut to Mal Pais on a
7 km dirt road over the hills.
See: » From Malpais to Cabo Blanco
A small public bus connects 4 times per day to Montezuma and to the entrance of the Cabo Blanco Reserve.
