Cabuya is a lovely rural oceanside village that sits at the entrance of Cabo Blanco National Rainforest Park. The unpaved roads are lined with hibiscus, palms and tropical plants. The village consists of vacation homes and simple Costa Rican residences, locally owned markets (2), owner operated restaurants (6), the village soccer field (a common event spot) and grazing pastures bordering on Jungle. Wildlife is abundant. The area offers a variety of adventures and relaxation choices. There are many beach options all along the road from Montezuma to Cabuya as well as Mal Pais and Santa Theresa. The beaches in Cabuya are rocky, but easy to access during high tide, when the water comes right up to the shore. During low tide, you can walk out to Cabuya Island for a stroll or for snorkeling and swimming. The water is warm and very nice and the surroundings are beautiful! Just down the road are several different sand beaches. One of our favorites is a wonderful white sand beach with carribean colored water (Las Manchas). It is very bike-able or if you have a car, it is a five to ten minute drive. A small bus also goes back and forth between Cabuya and Montezuma many times during the day (about every two hours). We often hop on that bus and ride to the one of the Montezuma beaches, then catch it back home later in the day.
The village has two grocery markets with fresh produce, meats, toiletries, house supplies and more. There are several local fishermen who sell fresh fish daily in town as well.
In Cabuya, there are a several good little restaurants. The Coyote Cafe has wonderful food and home made pizza. It also provides free internet and wireless. At the corner (central Cabuya), is a cute little restaurant (Delfines) where you can get a very nice, hardy and simple dinner. The price is similar at the little restaurant (El Rancho), which is located at the larger of the two groceries , but the food is a little more interesting. We often stroll up there for a quick breakfast or dinner. The Cabuya Panaderia and Restaurant (Bakery and restaurant) provides great meals (including very good sushi) and excellent baked goods. Across for Super David (the market) is Soda La Castanita, owned by the chef Marvin. It is a simple looking place, but the food is EXCELLENT and pretty reasonable. Across from the bar and kitty corner to Las Delfines is a ramshackle looking little Soda (Soda Negro), but don't let the shacky look fool you. The food is great, the servings ample and it is VERY reasonable. A little bar (Salon Higueron) is located at the crossroads and is a friendly little place owned by Jergin (from Germany) that sometimes has live music. There is a little shop for fishing supplies and a gift shop. You can visit the Rainsong Wildlife reserve and see their rescued animals. Horseback riding tours are offered by Cabuya Horseback riding. The horses are gentle and well cared for. You can rent ATV’s and ocean kayaks at the Howler Monkey Hotel in Cabuya and there are several fishermen who are happy to take you out fishing for the day for a range of prices. Cabo Blanco National park is one of Cabuya’s claims to fame. You can spend the day hiking there (a hike that ends at a beautiful secluded white sand beach) and enjoying a variety of wildlife.
If you are looking for a more lively nightlife, Montezuma is only a few miles down the road. A small, but busy little Oceanside town, Montezuma has many restaurants and cafes. You can find anything from local fare to sushi, pizza, seafood and Thai food. Street vendors make the street look lively and colorful with their jewelry, pottery, hammocks and more. The long stretch of beautiful sand beaches in Montezuma are lovely. It attracts many visitors from Europe, the USA and more. We love to spend an evening in Montezuma, then return to quiet and tranquil Cabuya for a good nights sleep. We did find Montezuma a bit noisy for sleeping (the bars remain open rather late). From Montezuma, you can access horseback riding, zip lining, snorkeling tours, ATV rentals and more.
If you enjoy surfing, you can do it all around the area, but Mal Paiz, about four miles away, is one of the favorite surfing destinations in Costa Rica. The beaches there are also lovely. It is very different from Montezuma, which has a town center. Mal Pais/Santa Theresa has all of its amenities spread out along a road that runs down the beach (it has a sort of “California surf town vibe”). We recently hiked the road from Cabuya to Mal Paiz. It was an amazing hike and took a little under two hours. There is also good high tide surfing in Cabuya, about one and a half miles down the road (Playa Sedro), but there are no surf shops there, so you need to bring a board or rent one in Montezuma. There are Spanish lessons in Montezuma. The entire area is natural and beautiful and not over developed.
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