Bar-B-Que Night at Luna Llena

Lots of young locals from the town of Montezuma joined the festivities during our Bar-B-Que Night on Wednesday night. We grilled fresh fish and shared German potato salad as well as lots of other delicious food. There were three generations of Montezumanians in attendance.

This precious little one is Carola, the granddaughter of Angelito, Luna Llena's night watchman. Carola and her mom, Karina, are both healthy and doing great. The Luna Llena family is blessed to welcome its newest member!

Come to Montezuma for HALLOWEEN!

Yes it's October and it's raining a lot, but here at Luna Llena we love the rain! There's still plenty to do: take a Yoga Class at Montezuma Yoga Center, cook a delicious meal here in Luna Llena's kitchen, watch a movie at Sano Banano, read a book on our upstairs balcony while listening to the birds and jungle sounds surrounding us, shoot a game of pool down at Chico's bar, take a long hike along the beach with no sunscreen necessary, and enjoy Montezuma without tons of tourists around.

Everyone in Montezuma is waiting for the Halloween party to begin. Here in Montezuma we celebrate at Chico's bar on Saturday, October 29 with a raffle and prizes for the top three costumes of the night. Last year the top winner was dressed as Shrek. So get creative and dress to impress and come out and party with us here in Montezuma!

Question of the Week: How do I get to Mal Pais/Santa Teresa from Montezuma?

This is probably the most-asked question from Luna Llena Hotel guests. People are always shocked at how few buses run between Montezuma and Santa Teresa, being that the two towns are both popular tourist destinations and we're only about 20 kilometers apart.

If you're staying in Montezuma it is not convenient to go to Santa Teresa and come back on the same day by public bus. It's possible, but you only get to spend about four hours in Santa Teresa. Plus, the real issue is that the Number #1 Thing To Do in Santa Teresa is to see the sunset, and the last public bus leaves Santa Teresa at 3:30pm which doesn't allow you to see the sunset at all. If you want to see the sunset or stay past 3:30pm, you have to take a cab, rent a car or ATV, or spend the night in Santa Teresa.

There are, in fact, no direct buses from Montezuma to Santa Teresa. You have to make a stop in Cobano and change buses. Leaving from Cobano there are only two buses per day headed to Santa Teresa: 10:30am and 2:30pm. This bus is very slow on a very bumpy road and takes anywhere from 1 hour to 1.5 hours to go 14 kilometers, depending on how crowded the bus is and how many stops it has to make.

In order to get from Montezuma to Santa Teresa by public bus, you must take the 10am bus leaving Montezuma to Cobano. In Cobano you change buses and get on the 10:30 bus leaving Cobano for Santa Teresa. This bus will drop you off at "El Cruce," or the crossroads at Playa Carmen. Playa Carmen is the dividing line between Santa Teresa and Mal Pais. South of Playa Carmen is Mal Pais; north is Santa Teresa.

The only other public bus option from Montezuma to Santa Teresa is to take the 12pm bus leaving Montezuma, get off in Cobano around 12:30 and sit around Cobano waiting for two hours until the 2:30 bus leaves Cobano on its way to Santa Teresa. Not very convenient. Most Luna Llena guests who want to take the 2:30 bus to Santa Teresa take a cab from our hotel ($10) to Cobano around 2pm and then hop on the 2:30 bus to Santa Teresa.

Returning from Santa Teresa to Montezuma the buses leave from Playa Carmen at 7:30am, 11:30am and 3:30 pm. All of these buses will drop you off in Cobano and you have to make a change in Cobano and get on the Montezuma bus. Not all of the buses meet up; you may have to sit and wait in Cobano.

When guests are traveling in groups (or are more concerned with saving time than money), we recommend taking a taxi to Santa Teresa. A taxi costs $40 and can fit up to four people. As always, when traveling in the Nicoya Peninsula, private transport is always a big time-saver and well worth the cost if you don't want to spend your vacation waiting at bus terminals.

Welcome To Montezuma and Luna Llena Hotel!!

\

This is our new Welcome Sign which will soon be hung at our entrance along the main road leading into Montezuma. We hope that all who see it on their way down the hill feel welcome here in Montezuma, and welcome here at Luna Llena Hotel, but most of all that everyone Enjoy Nature Peace and Love during their stay here in Montezuma.

Thank you Julieta for painting us a beautiful sign!

October is Beautiful in Montezuma -- REDUCED ROOM RATES

Hello to All Luna Llena Lovers,

Montezuma is beautiful 12 months out of the year, and even though it rains in October (sometimes), it's still an amazing time of year in Montezuma. When the rivers are blue and clear they're at their most beautiful because they're so full due to the rain. Lately it's been raining just a few hours each day, just enough to keep things cool. We still get lots of sun in the mornings and there's plenty to see and do here in Montezuma this time of the year. Plus, you can take advantage of our REDUCED ROOM RATES.

These rates are based on double occupancy and apply only if you're paying cash:

Room #1 = $25
Room #2 = $15
Room #3 = $20
Room #4 = $15
Room #5 = $25
Room #6 = $35
Dorm Room = $10 per bed
Room #8 = $35
Room #9 = $30
Room #10 = $30
Room #11 = $30
Room #12 = $25

SPECIAL OCTOBER GROUP RATE: If you are traveling with a group of 3-5 persons, you can stay in a private room for just $12 per person!

These prices do not apply to online reservations and only apply when paying cash. We always accept credit cards, but must charge full price for the room if you wish to pay with a credit card.

The weather has been beautiful, so come on down to Montezuma this October!

Question of the Week: What's that long-tailed raccoon-like animal that hangs around Luna Llena Hotel?

It's a Pizote, or white-nosed coati, which actually is a part of the raccoon family. There is a mama Pizote and a baby male Pizote who live somewhere around the hotel's jungle premises and often make appearances to sniff around for food. This photo is of Luna Llena's resident mama Pizote. Luna Llena hotel guests enjoy taking photos and learning about local jungle wildlife.

The Pizote is found as far north as Arizona and as far south as Ecuador and lives in wooded forest areas. They have extremely long tails and the males tend to be much larger than the females. They are omnivores and love to forage for food in human trash. They can climb trees easily, using that long tail for balance. They are quite cute and have even been domesticated, but the males will fight if they feel attacked and have long nails for scratching. They like to sleep curled up in a tree.

In Costa Rica the animal is known exclusively as a Pizote, but in other parts of Latin America it is known as Coatimundi, Tejon or Antoon.

Montezuma Beach Clean-Up Sunday, Sept. 25: Do Your Part!!

We at Luna Llena hate to see all the plastic trash that washes up on our beaches here in Montezuma, most of which comes from San Jose and other parts of the Central Valley. Unfortunately, many people in Costa Rica continue to believe that rivers are trash cans. They refuse to think about the fact that their garbage doesn't disappear: it just gets carried downstream. During the rainy season all this trash gets washed out to sea and often ends up washed up on our beaches here in Montezuma.

Many trash collection efforts have taken place in Montezuma, and a once-a-year festival called "Chunches del Mar" has for several years drawn attention to the trash problem through art, with artists creating art installations in Montezuma using trash that has washed up on our beaches.

This year Montezuma will participate in World Beach Clean-Up Day on Sunday, Sept. 25. Montezuma will be celebrating with volunteers on foot patrol collecting and removing garbage from Montezuma's beaches. Do your part and join the effort!

This year's event is sponsored by ASVO Montezuma, the turtle protection and conservation program located 50 meters to the East of the elementary school in Montezuma. Their phone number is 2642-1433 for more information.

To do your part, show up at the Elementary School in Montezuma at 8:00am on Sunday, Sept. 25 where volunteers will be dispatched with trash bags.