Montezuma's beach is rocky at the centre of town but broadens to sandier stretches north and south. The village itself sits on a point where the coastline turns, giving different exposure at different states of tide and swell. Sunsets are spectacular when the sky is clear. The beach is good for walking and birdwatching — brown pelicans, magnificent frigatebirds, and yellow-crowned night herons are commonly seen from the shore.
Swimming requires some caution: rip currents occur, and the rocks can be hazardous in heavy swell. Local knowledge on where it is safe to swim on a given day is worth having. The calmer water around the rocky points is good for snorkelling when the conditions are right, with reef fish, sea urchins, and occasionally octopus visible in the shallows.