Safety Concerns

Personal Theft: Petty theft is the biggest crime problem in Montezuma. Don’t leave personal belongings (money, camera, passport, etc.) unattended while swimming at the beach or waterfalls. It’s sad but true. Your things may not be there when you return to your towel. We recommend that you lock your valuables in your room. This is our home and we don’t have a safe. Only one key is issued so guard it well. There is a $20 fee for lost keys.

cowsTraffic: Road conditions are a real safety concern. The roads are bad. There’s no lighting at night, lots of pot holes, sometimes deep ravines, and in most places it’s a steep, winding, mountainous road that’s slippery when wet. You never know what’s around the next bend. Anything from an ATV or motorcycle to a herd of cattle is possible. Best advice? Pay attention to the road and drive defensively. Final note: Always carry a flashlight while walking at night to see and be seen.

Swimming: Sometimes swimming in the ocean can be dangerous due to rip-tides. Learn about rip-tides, how to recognize them, how to avoid them, and most importantly how to swim out of one. Beaches here are unguarded. Bottom line: If you find that you can’t swim back to shore, don’t panic. Remain calm and swim parallel to the shore line or tread water until you are clear of the rip-tide. Then angle in towards the beach allowing the breaking waves to help carry you back to shore. Check out the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s web site www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov for a really good understanding of this phenomenon. The site also has some pictures that are most helpful in learning to read the ocean. Needless to say swimming alone is not advised.