Buying in Montezuma? Check the maritime zone before you trust the beachfront.

If you are buying property in Montezuma, the first question is not the view. It is whether the land sits inside the zona marítimo terrestre (ZMT, the maritime terrestrial zone), and if it does, whether you are buying titled land or a state concession. On this coast, that question applies to many coastal lots here.

This note uses Folio's own measurements of Montezuma's coastline and the text of the maritime zone law. It explains what the numbers mean, which records to pull, and what to ask. Your attorney or notary is the one who decides how the rules apply to a specific lot.

What is the maritime zone, in plain terms?

The Ley sobre la Zona Marítimo Terrestre, Ley 6043 defines the zone as "la franja de doscientos metros de ancho" along both coasts. In English, that is a strip 200 metres wide, measured from the ordinary high-tide line (Article 9). The law then splits that strip in two.

• Zona Pública (public zone): the first 50 metres from the ordinary high-tide line (Article 10). This band is inalienable, which means it cannot be privately owned.
• Zona Restringida (restricted zone): the remaining 150 metres (Article 10). Here, use is normally held through a concession, a permit from the state, rather than outright ownership.
• Mangroves: all mangroves count as public zone, whatever their extent (Article 11).

The law also prohibits fencing, building, cutting trees and similar development in the zone without legal authorization (Article 12). For a fuller walkthrough, read our guide to the Costa Rica maritime zone explained for buyers.

What do Folio's measurements say about Montezuma's coast?

Folio measured Montezuma as part of a 27-town dataset on Costa Rica's maritime zone. The method draws a 200 metre landward buffer from the official coastline, samples the Registro Nacional cadastre on a regular grid, and intersects each parcel's geometry with the strip. Montezuma falls in Puntarenas province, under the Cóbano district council (concejo municipal de distrito). The full figures are on our Montezuma maritime zone data page.

Read the parcel counts as minimums. The sampling can miss small or oddly shaped lots, so the real number touching the strip may be higher. What the table shows clearly is that Montezuma's maritime strip is almost entirely spoken for, and that a large part of it is protected.

Titled land or concession: can the map tell you?

No. A registered parcel on the cadastre map looks the same whether it is a titled finca or a state concession. In the 50 to 200 metre band, most registered parcels are concessions. So the 91.6% coverage figure tells you the strip is occupied on paper. It does not tell you that 91.6% of it is privately owned.

That difference changes what you are buying. A concession is a right to use state land under conditions, not ownership. The law also limits who can hold one: concessions are not granted to foreigners who have not resided in the country for at least five years (Article 47(a)). If you are a foreign buyer, ask your attorney early how that rule affects any structure the seller proposes.

Only the registry record settles the question. Our guide to buying a beachfront lot in Costa Rica covers how the two can get confused in listings.

Why does the protected land overlap matter in Montezuma?

About 0.78 km² of Montezuma's strip overlaps protected land, roughly 41% of the total, according to SINAC data on national parks, refuges and Patrimonio Natural del Estado (state natural heritage). Restrictions on that land are far stricter than the normal concession rules.

For you, that means a lot near the coast here needs two checks, not one. First, is it in the maritime zone? Second, does any part of it overlap protected land? A seller's description of "beachfront with forest" can cover either situation. Ask your attorney to confirm the protected status against official SINAC records before you rely on any plan to clear, fence or build.

What does registered land inside the first 50 metres mean?

Folio measured 0.5322 km² of registered parcel geometry overlapping the inalienable public zone along this coast. That sounds alarming, but Folio's data notes it can reflect any of the following:

• a lawful concession;
• a pre-1973 exception recognized in the records;
• a mapping offset, where the drawn boundary does not match the ground.

The map cannot tell these apart. Only a registry pull and a review of the plano (the registered survey plan) can. If a lot you are considering appears to reach into the first 50 metres, treat it as a question for your attorney, not a conclusion either way.

Which records should you pull before you sign?

For a coastal lot in Montezuma, a sound records file usually includes the following:

1. Registry certification. Order it through the Registro Nacional's digital services. It shows whether the property is a titled finca or a concession, and who holds it.
2. The plano. Compare the registered survey with the lot on the ground and with the high-tide line.
3. Gravámenes (encumbrances) and anotaciones (pending annotations). Mortgages, liens, easements and pending court or administrative notes all appear here.
4. The concession file, if any. Check its term, conditions, permitted use and whether the holder is current with the authority.
5. Coastal zoning. Ask whether a coastal regulatory plan applies to the section. The ICT maritime zone programme publishes information on coastal plans and regulations.
6. Municipal records. Property taxes and any permits with the Cóbano district council.
7. Water rights and protected status. Confirm water availability and whether SINAC protected land touches the lot.

Folio's free map lets you tap a lot to see its finca number, area, perimeter and boundary from the official cadastre, plus a maritime-zone flag. Our Montezuma property check page starts there. For the registered holder, encumbrances and the plano, you need the registry itself or Folio's $29 verified report, a human-checked search covering owner, liens, taxes, water rights and the exact maritime line, delivered within 24 hours.

What should you ask the seller and your attorney in Montezuma?

• Is this a titled finca or a concession, and where does the registry say so?
• Where exactly is the 50 metre line and the 200 metre line relative to the boundary?
• Does any part of the lot overlap protected land?
• If the parcel geometry reaches the public zone, which of these explanations applies, and what document proves it?
• Were existing structures, fences or clearing authorized, given the Article 12 rules?
• If it is a concession, can I hold it as a foreign buyer, and what structure does my attorney recommend?
• Are there mangroves or wetland areas on or next to the lot?

What the numbers cannot tell you

Folio's figures describe the coastline as a whole, measured in August 2026. They are lower bounds, and they cannot speak to any single lot. A parcel that looks clear on the map can still carry a lien, a pending annotation or a boundary that does not match the ground.

Use the town numbers to set your expectations: in Montezuma, assume a coastal lot needs maritime zone and protected land checks until the records show otherwise. Then let the registry documents, and your attorney, answer the specific questions.