2 Best Sights in Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

Paquera is the closest city to Tambor, but if you're headed to Montezuma or Malpaís, you'll pass through Cóbano, 12 km (7½ miles) southwest of Tambor. The town has a supermarket, two gas stations, and a large Banco Nacional with the area's only consistently reliable ATM. (Montezuma and Malpaís/Santa Teresa have cash machines, but they tend to run out of money on the weekend.)

If you take the ferry from Puntarenas to the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, you'll arrive at a ferry dock 5 km (3 miles) north of the small community of Paquera. You can pick up supplies at the supermarkets, fill up your tank on the way to the beach, and grab a quick bite to eat at a pizza joint en route. The 5 pm ferry from Puntarenas is the last ferry that connects to the public bus services to Montezuma, Malpaís, and Santa Teresa.