We're going to Montezuma in a couple weeks and were looking at doing the Cabo Blanco hike. Shillmac noted in another post that the hike was pretty strenuous and so I have a feeling my boyfriend will want to beg off (too much work for a vacation!). Is the hike really worth it for the beach (and the short time you spend there before needing to hike back)? I'm thinking we'll have just as much as fun going to the waterfalls. I 'think' they're closer/easier to get to than Cabo Blanco? What else can anyone tell me about the waterfalls?

Hi there,

I don't have a direct answer for your question but will say this... my boyfriend and I took a day trip to Montezuma with the intent of doing the waterfalls and/or Cabo Blanco. When we arrived, it was so hot and we were totally dusty from our drive, so we decided to head down to the beach for a quick swim.

Once there, we realized it must be near El Sano Banano, which we had heard so much about and where our friend had recently been married, so we walked a little ways down to check it out.

What a gorgeous little cove and beautiful grounds! We stopped in to chat with the owners who told us about a nearby river and Playa Grande...

so we thought, why not check it out? We took a quick swim and then started walking along the beach, scrambling over the rocks jutting out... it was an amazing hike and we hardly saw another person the whole time.

Playa Grande was a real find. Only one other surfer there and it is bordered by an absolute nature preserve so it is super private. The swimming is perfect there. As I was frolicking out in the waves, I heard the very distinctive (rather terrifying the first time) sound of the howler monkeys! I looked into the distant palms (tide was low so I was out there)... and sure enough, a family of them swinging around.

When we went in for a closer look, we met a super friendly local who we "chatted" with (mostly sign language since we don't speak much Spanish and he was almost totally deaf)- hung out with him for awhile peering at monkeys and having a good time. We took a photo of him with my boyfriend which is titled "Cafe con leche" since he was so dark and my bf was still sporting his pasty-white glow. It was pretty hilarious. Then in for another hour or so of swimming!

Finally we started the hike back toward town, where we grabbed a bite to eat and then headed back toward Malpais (where we were staying). We had a totally enjoyable afternoon (one of our favorites) and did not regret at all that we never made it to the waterfalls OR Cabo Blanco!

When we planned out trip we thought we weren't going to want to exercise too much and then we ended up doing tons of hiking! We were eating totally healthy (it's hard not to) and waking up early... not at all what we expected!

So my point is, you don't have to have everything planned out... just wake up, see how you feel, play it by ear, and have fun.

That's what pura vida is all about. I'm sure you'll have an amazing time.
A

AmyNYC has her priorities straight: Playa Grande first, waterfall and Cabo Blanco next.

At Cabo Blanco, the hike is 4km in and the same back out. It took us about 2 hrs each way. Is the beach worth it? Yes and no. Which is to say, I thought it was definitely worth the trouble, but at the same time I know I will never do it again.

Also, don't expect to see much wildlife. On the trail. We saw a couple of monkeys but that was about it.

I agree with buzzer that we probably won't hike Cabo Blanco again--been there, done that. It was quite a hike and just about got the best of "out of shape" me! But we were both quite proud of ourselves for accomplishing the entire trail to the beach and not opting for the short loop!

We did happen to see quite a bit of wildlife. Some things we've never seen anywhere else in CR. Lots of white faced and howeler monkeys. Coatamundis, an anteater, and a small deer (a fawn with spots) very close up.

Thanks for the suggestions! We'll definitely look into Playa Grande-I hadn't heard about before now, so I appreciate the tip!!