Jaco beach is the closest beach town to the capital city of San Jose, making it a popular destination for locals and tourists. Known for having some of the best waves in the country, Jaco attracts visitors from all over the world looking to soak up sun and surf for their vacation.
Jaco Beach
Jaco beach is 2 miles (3.2 km) of pure surfing waves with dark sand and deep blue waters. The surrounding landscape stays green all year long due to the nearby Tarcoles river and high humidity of the tropical rainforest.
The shore is fairly rocky, therefore it’s not the best for sunbathing or laying out but you can find a few sandy and shady spots. Jaco beach is best for surfing and long walks, especially during sunset time.
Our favorite spot on this long beach is at the south end. This spot is popular for surf lessons and there is a nice walking path made from recycled plastic bottles.
You can swim in Jaco Beach but be careful of rip tides which are common. Do not go all the way out in the ocean, it’s best to stay within knee level water. Do not let young children, kids and babies in the water unsupervised at all.
The Town
As Jaco is so close to the capital, this beach town is the most developed one in Costa Rica. There is everything available such as pharmacies, restaurants, supermarkets, banks, ATM’s, souvenir stores, car rentals, all inclusive resorts and condos. It is very much like a city beach.
See what the town looks like in the video below! Taken July 2022.
Things to Do in Jaco, Costa Rica
Below are our recommended things to see and things to do in Jaco. You can read the full things to do in Jaco blog post here.
Surfing
Take a lesson at any of the surf shops in town to experience the feeling of catching waves.
A group lesson costs around $50 USD per person for about 2 hours. Private lessons are also available.
Stand Up Paddle Board
For SUP classes, the best place is at Playa Herradura or Agujas. We did a stand up paddle boarding tour and snorkeling tour with Kayak Jaco from Playa Agujas. We went all the way to Playa Mantas and then to Playa Blanca which was a wonderful experience as we got to see wildlife and snorkel.
Vista Los Sueños Adventure Park
Go ziplining, ATV’ing canyoning and horseback riding at Vista Los Sueños. They have a beautiful property with ocean views and a delicious restaurant. They’ve added a chocolate tour for a full day of Costa Rican fun, adventure and culture. Get our Vista Los Suenos discount here!
Jaco Waterfall Tour
Because of the lush mountains outside Jaco, there are many waterfalls. As many of them are up in the mountains that require a 4×4, the best way to see them is to go on a waterfall tour.
The Jaco waterfall tour is one of my favorite things to do in Jaco. Hike, jump off and walk up over 10 waterfalls in the deep rainforest!
A very popular waterfall just 2 hours away is the Nauyaca Waterfalls. You can hike, horseback ride or take a 4×4 truck to these absolutely impressive waterfalls.
Miro Mountain Viewpoint and Hike
For the best view of Jaco, hike up to Miro Mountain right outside town. It’s an abandoned building that has been tastefully decorated by local graffiti artists and it’s a fun hangout spot (and you’ll work up a good sweat to get there).
It’s outside Jaco on the south end and takes about 30 minutes to get to the top. We do not recommend to drive there as there is no parking, it’s best to walk all the way. It’s a fantastic spot to watch the sunset, have a beer and chill.
Tarcoles River Boat Safari Cruise
The nearby Tarcoles River is home to many river birds and crocodiles, making it a fun half day tour to see wildlife and nature.
Manuel Antonio and Carara National Park Day Trip
Carara National Park and Manuel Antonio National Park are two excellent national parks for hiking and wildlife. Manuel Antonio is a very popular national park so it is easy to get to from Jaco with a direct bus.
You can read this article to see how to take the bus to Manuel Antonio from Jaco. Unfortunately there is no direct bus to Carara so if you don’t rent a car, we recommend booking a tour. The drive from Jaco to Manuel Antonio National Park is about 1 hour and the drive to Carara is about 20 minutes.
Which national park to visit, Manuel Antonio or Carara? Carara is best for birders as this park is home to a myriad of tropical birds as it’s right on the border of tropical dry and rain forest. Manuel Antonio is best for those who want white sand beaches, light hiking and easy wildlife watching. They offer vastly different experiences.
Jaco Weather
The weather in Jaco is hot and very humid and experiences typical tropical dry and rainy seasons. Average daytime temperatures are mid 80s F (29 C) in the dry season without much change throughout the year.
Dry season is from December – end of April and rainy season from beginning of May – December. The hottest months are March and April, similar to the rest of the country.
Due to the fact this area is more humid, Jaco can rain especially hard in September – November, mostly in late afternoon and night. A typical rainy season day starts with a very sunny and hot morning and then clouds and rain in the late afternoon and night.
Read more about Costa Rica weather in this post.
Jaco Location
Jaco, Costa Rica map
Jaco is 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of San Jose on the Central Pacific coast in the Puntarenas province.
The closest international airport to fly into for Jaco is the San Jose International Airport (SJO airport code).
How to get to Jaco from San Jose
Jaco is about a 1.5 hour drive from San Jose International Airport, making it it one of the best beach towns in Costa Rica to get to without a car.
Bus: To take the bus to Jaco from San Jose International Airport, you must go to the 7-10 bus station in downtown San Jose. It is about a $5 USD ride and 2 hour bus ride. You can read our guide on taking the bus from San Jose to Jaco.
Shuttle: You can book a private or shared shuttle. The private shuttle costs around $120-150 USD for 1-6 passengers one way. A shared shuttle costs ~$52 USD per passenger with Interbus/Tropical Shuttle.
Driving: The drive from San Jose to Jaco is all on a well paved highway. You need to get onto Route 27 and exit at Jaco to Route 34. It’s about a 1.5 hour drive with no traffic and there are a few toll booths that range from $.20-$1.80 USD.
If you plan to drive, make sure to get our Costa Rica car rental discount here!
How to get to Jaco from Liberia
Driving: From Liberia, it’s about a 3.5 hour drive on the highway.
How to get around Jaco
You can walk, bike, taxi or rent a scooter/ATV. It takes around 30 minutes to walk from end to end of town so it’s a big town. If you go out at night, we recommend to take a taxi. There are also a handful of Ubers in Jaco.
The main bus station is across from the Best Western at the north end of the beach.
Jaco Beach Hotels
- Hotel Doce Lunas: Beautiful hotel just 5 minutes outside Jaco. Excellent for couples with big rooms/suites and a very quiet atmosphere.
- Oceans Diamante del Sol: Small but cozy apartments/studios. They are very close to the center of town and are pet friendly. They have a nice pool.
- Best Western Jaco Beach: This is a beaachfront all-inclusive. Popular with locals as they offer day passes.
- Croc’s Casino Resort: Has a Las Vegas style casino, a huge pool, is on the beach and has modern rooms.
- Villa Nasua: Villas in a little bit back of town so quiet surroundings and a ten minute walk to the beach. They have a nice pool and large 2 and 3 bedroom villas with fully equipped kitchens.
- Hotel Girasol: Beachfront, pet friendly with a pool and comfortable apartment rooms
- Beach Break Resort: Beachfront and on the south end of Jaco. Has a large property, they offer standard rooms and a pool.
- Jaco Laguna Resort & Beach Club: Beachfront resort on the south side. They have standard rooms and suites on their large property with beautiful gardens. Delicious cocktails.
- Hotel Tuanis Jaco beach: Super close to the beach with one and two bedroom apartment with fully equipped kitchens. Affordable apartments with a pool and free Wi-Fi.
- Birds of Paradise: Budget hotel with a pool right in downtown.
You can also find many Airbnbs and vacation rentals. Vista Las Palmas is a luxury condo complex on the beach with huge rooms and ocean views. Costa Linda is a smaller condo complex on the north end. Paloma Blanca, Jaco Gardens, Lapa Living and Sueños del Paraiso are other nice condo complexes for long and short term rentals.
Jaco Restaurants
Jaco has some of the best restaurants in Costa Rica. Here are some of our favorites.
- Soda Garabito: A good Costa Rican restaurant, has excellent gallo pinto (Costa Rican breakfast)
- Soda Jaco Rustico: One of the best Costa Rican restaurants in town
- El Manglar: Fantastic restaurant on the north end of town, has burgers, salads, pasta, bowls. Huge portions and nice chill vibe
- Koko Gastro Pub: One of our favorite places in Jaco. Excellent breakfast, lunch and dinner. They specialize in tuna and their bowl and tacos are excellent.
- The Pizza Shop: Yummy pizza and sandwiches.
- Pesca Seafood House: A little expensive but delicious seafood and great drinks. In Jaco Walk.
- Tacobar: Fish tacos with a really good salad bar
- Cevichera Jaco: Our favorite place for ceviche and its cheap.
- Pachi’s Pan: Local bakery with pastries, cakes, sweets, empanadas and coffee. Get the enchilada with chicken or beef, it’s a meal in itself!
- El Barco: Great place for gelato
- Bagel Boys: For those who like bagels and bagel sandwiches
- Oasis: Yummy nachos and pizza
- Amancios: One of the best for Italian food (lasagna is excellent)
- Amara: Cute place for Mediterranean food like hummus, seafood and gyros.
- Tsunami Sushi: Pretty good place for Americanized style sushi. They have 2×1 on Wednesdays.
- Arigato’s: An excellent sushi place, more authentic
- Graffiti Cafe: Nice place in Jaco walk for tacos, steak, etc.
- Ridiculous Burgers: A bit pricey but you get huge burgers and they have lots of options.
Nightlife in Jaco, Costa Rica
Nighttime in Jaco is always busy with plenty of lively bars and clubs and you will definitely have a memorable time. Our favorite bar is Isaga. Excellent mix of local and tourist!
Another great place for nightlife in Jaco is Le Loft for an upscale atmosphere, VIP section and bottle service. Orange Pub is a popular club and Surf Dogs usually has live music with great drink promos. The Beer House is also another fun place for craft beer and nightlife.
Shopping and Gas
There are a ton of souvenir stores in Jaco in downtown so you can do some great shopping. You can find everything from carved wooden statues, sarongs, tshirts, bikinis, paintings and jewelry. You can read what our favorite Costa Rica souvenirs are.
My favorite store is Tico Pod because they have a fun mix of jewelry, paintings and other trinkets. Dantica Gallery also has some beautiful pieces. Dkoko, Del Toro, Marveca and Bikini Love Designs are super cute bikini stores.
For groceries, there is a Mas X Menos and Super Trust Mart on the main street and Maxi Pali supermarket in the back of town. In Herradura plaza, there is an Automercado supermarket. Then there are many smaller markets like Rapid 24 hours supermarket and Pali.
There are a couple gas stations outside of Jaco near Herradura.
Oh Thursdays and Fridays, there is a farmer’s markets with stands selling fresh produce, pastries, bread, clothing, jewelry, souvenirs and other odds and ends.
Traveling and Living in Jaco, Costa Rica
For tourists, it’s a great beach town with excellent restaurants, great infrastructure, awesome waves and fun parties. Ideal for first time visitors to Costa Rica, solo travelers and couples. Families can also enjoy Jaco but it is not as family friendly as other destinations such as Manuel Antonio or La Fortuna.
As for living, we lived in Jaco for 6 months in 2015 and had a great experience. We really enjoyed all the excellent restaurants, the location to the South Pacific (like Manuel Antonio, Dominical, Uvita) and how convenient it was in town.
I can definitely see why most foreigners who live in Jaco are transients and digital nomads and not as many permanent residents. After all, it’s a beach town with all the conveniences and services of the city at the beach and it’s only 1.5 hours from the main international airport. For any digital nomad, Jaco is certainly an excellent location for a home base.
Read other beach guides below!
Or read this article, if you’re trying to decide between Tamarindo & Jaco for surfing.
This post has affiliate links.
Ron Navratil says
I would like a shared shuttle from San Jose airport to Jaco and return. The Interbus website only shows a one-way bus from Jaco to San Jose, but nothing from San Jose to Jaco. Furthermore, its website is not presently allowing emails for me to ask for clarification. And Tropical Shuttle only offers a private “transfer” for $158 one way. I shall only be in Jaco for 2 nights. Am an older guy and do not really want the unfamiliarity of going to the 7-10 bus station with the chance of not being able to get the ticket/reservation in time for the bus departure. Could rent a car, but won’t be using it except to and from Jaco. Is there anything you can do to help in arranging a shared shuttle of any sort? Am willing to pay for your effort. Thank you.
Sammi says
Hi Ron, I recommend to contact Interbus directly, they usually answer in a timely manner, you can email them or call. Their email is reservations@interbusonline.com
Kim says
Hi! We are currently in Costa Rica- planning much of it from the great advice on your blog!
At the end of our trip we (family of 4) will be driving from Uvita to San Jose (Santa Ana neighborhood), and we need a place to stop for lunch and break up the drive. The tricky part is we will have all of our luggage in our rental car and do not want to leave it unattended. (Unfortunately a bag was taken from our locked car while we were at a roadside restaurant- where we were eating outside and could see our car!) Any advice on where we could stop for lunch in/near Jaco?
Sammi says
I would recommend to go into Jaco, Jaco Walk has a more secure parking lot and there is a line of parking spaces that are along a fence so you can back in park so your trunk is really close and tight against the fence…I would still take your backpacks/purses with you and also get a luggage cover/hide your luggage as much as possible. I’m sorry to hear your car was broken into 🙁
Maria Martin says
Hola Mytanfeet. Estoy feliz de haber encontrado esta pagina tan buen. Es muy completa la informacion y muy facil de entender. Muchicimas gracias por ese video. Thumbs up for it. Que bien tomado. Soy profesora de español y estamos leyendo “Pura vida” en la clase para mejorar nuestro nivel de comprencion, pero veo que tambien estamos aprendiendo algo mas interno como los paisajes de Jaco Beach y conociendo mucho de su cultura.
Again, thank you very much for all the information in such a well done website.
Sammi says
Muchas gracias Maria!
Brian says
Discovery Horse Tours 25 min from Jaco is the best tour. Voted “Most Unique Experience” in Luxury Travel Guide. And trust me it did not let us down. Amazing and Shawna and Rod treat their horses with so much care. Highly recommended.
Carolyn says
Hello Tanfeet,
We will be visiting Jaco and San Manuel Antonio and Dominical, next month. This is our second trip, last time was Guanacaste and Arenal, and I bought some gorgeous hand carved wooden bowls on a beach just south of Tamarindo last time and am hoping to find more for gifts to bring home. Do you happen to know of any places to look for them in this part of the country? We will fly into San Jose and may have a few hours there before we leave as well. Thank you for all your recommendations!
Sammi says
You can usually find them in most souvenir shops, wooden bowls and cutlery. You can check the Central Market or Artisan market in San Jose.
Gini says
Hi! We are taking a day trip with several families (28 of us) and are looking forward a great and affordable place to dine. Any recommendations for a group that size?
Sammi says
I can’t think off the top of my head for a place big enough to fit 28 since most of the restaurants don’t have a lot of seating areas… maybe check the Best Western to see if they can allow outside guests in their restaurant and if they can accommodate your group…all the ones we know have small seating spaces. Maybe ask Jaco Blu Beach Club or El Hiaco
Sammi says
Hi Minhee, when you check the prices, make sure it says “Hello Mytanfeet” in the right hand corner, if it says “hello guest” then that is the normal Adobe direct price and “Hello Mytanfeet” is with our discount. If you check both with the same browser, sometimes it will stay on the Adobe direct (hello guest). You may need to use another browser.
Minhee Koo says
Hi! Thank you for all this information. I will be traveling and Costa Rica in December. I did have a question about the rental car discount. For some reason, going through the actual Adobe car rental website gives me a cheaper rate than going through your widget. Is there a way to get a discount off the Adobe website rate? Do you have a promo code?
Ren says
Hi ,
I’m here on a volunteering project and speak almost no Spanish , I really wanted to meet people who I could explore the town with. Where can I meet people just to hang out ?
Sammi says
In Jaco, the best place is the bars or to take a surf lesson.
Stacey says
Who would you recommend doing the waterfall tour with?
Sammi says
Hi Stacey, we did one with Costa Rica waterfall Tours and I know Paddle 9 does one to Nauyaca.
Laura says
Hi just wondering if beer is allowed on the beaches there? What about at Manuel Antonio?
Sammi says
You can drink beer on the beach in Manuel Antonio, there are a lot of tourists so it’s normal (just pick up your garbage because there aren’t a lot of trash cans)
Sammi says
Hi Sandra! Aw we are so glad to hear!! That you guys are coming back and the blog is helpful! 🙂
For souvenirs, I don’t recommend La Fortuna (oddly enough many of their souvenir shops are owned by Guatemalans and are Guatemalan items, not Costa Rican and they are very expensive). San Jose market is one of the cheapest places with more unique items so if you get a chance, I highly recommend going to the central market downtown which is also a very interesting local experience. Then I also really like the souvenir stores in Jaco as they weren’t super expensive – I bought a few sarongs for $10-12, the painted cups for $13 and remember to always bargain when buying souvenirs and try to pay in cash as they are usually happy to give extra discounts if you pay all in cash. For coffee, Salsa Lizano or tshirts, the supermarket is actually a great and cheap place to buy all those. I bought some cool Costa Rican tshirts at Max por Menos for $12 each. The central market in Heredia is also great and a lot cheaper with more authentic items. The cities and small local towns like Zarcero or Sarchi usually are cheaper and have more authentic souvenirs than the touristic towns.
I don’t like the souvenir stores in Playas del Coco too much, they were expensive and aren’t very clean/nice. The only one I would go to in Coco is SOuvenirs Sussy but it’s not super cheap. Tamarindo has a bunch of souvenir stores but many of them are actually owned by Argentinians so you won’t find as authentic souvenirs in Tamarindo and it is expensive there.
Sandra Cevallos says
So, I have to say that my boyfriend and I absolutely love coming to your site and reading about Costa Rica. We are planning our second trip back as the first time was way too short. Your website has been incredibly handy when looking at places to visit.
I have a question, where was the cheapest city you found souvenirs in- we( mostly me) love shopping for recuerdos to bring back to our families. Any suggestions? We are traveling coast to coast.
Anupam Khanna says
Hi, Thank you for creating this wonderful article. I will be renting a car upon my arrival in SJO and would be visiting Playa Jaco on a Friday/Saturday. I’m unable to find any resources which can tell me where i can find a place to park? Are there public parking spots easily available close to the beach somewhere? Look forward to your response on parking. Thank you and great job once again.
Sammi says
There is a lot of street parking and there is one main parking lot by the north end of the beach.
Paul says
Hi there!
We have been living in Jaco for three months and love it. I like your site, and the drive through Jaco, which although now out of date, was a great prep.
There are a couple of errors on your Jaco info page: Tips for visiting Jaco dated March 5, 2017. First, a small typo on the name of Graffiti, not Graffito. Also, Graffiti, and its’ sister businesses Side Street restaurant and Puddle Fish brewery are all in the process of moving to the new Jaco Walk complex (an empty lot opposite Banco Popular in the south end in your video). Jaco Walk is a sort of destination shopping centre that seems so far to have mostly eating places; gelato on a stick, frozen yogurt, a coffee shop, Tsunami Sushi has moved there, and of course, another Subway.
Also in your article you say the Best Western is in the south end of town; it is in the north end, pretty close to Croc’s etc. You might give a shout to Martec, the fabulous frozen fish place behind the very good Panaderia Artesanal, also on the north end of town. Chefs told us to get our fish here; very good advice!
Sammi says
Thanks! They’re getting another Subway?! Wow. I miss the pasta place that used to be there, they should bring that back!
Barb says
Hello! I was wondering if you knew of a way to get to Playa Blanca from Monteverde (I won’t have a car), and then from Playa Blanca to San Jose. Thank you!
yeison says
Hello Barb, without a car the easiest way to get to playa blanca is to tell the bus driver to stop you at Punta Leona, you might not be able to get in Punta Leona because you need to have a reservation or know somebody that is in the resort. Anyways in order to get to playa blanca first go to Playa Mantas every one know where this place is this is the way to go to playa blanca, make sure you go in low tide otherwise you wont be able to cross the beach that take you to playa blanca. You will have to walk more than 3 miles from the main entrance. Once you are around Punta Leona and Playa mantas anyone can tell you how to get to Playa blanca.
Maria Dolores López says
Pura vida. Me llamo Lola, soy española. Me encanta Costa Rica, estuve en Jaco Beach, hace años alojada en las cabañas “Sol y Luna”, y en mi vida he sido más feliz, además me enamoré de un tico llamado Eric y vivimos una estupenda historia de amor. Sueño con él todavía ya que no guardamos contacto; si por mí fuera me instalaría definitivamente allí, además hice muchos amigos y me encanta el Surf.
yeison says
Hola María linda historia y palabras, espero que algún día nos puedas visitar de nuevo. Te enviamos las mejores vibras desde Costa Rica Pura vida!
yeison says
Hello Daisy, the roads are very good and it’s an easy drive like 2 hours. If you planing to rent a car take a look of our special rates and benefits Costa Rica car rental discount I hope you have a nice trip and please let us know if you have more questions.
Daisy says
hi there, im heading to Jaco for the 4th of july weekend. But i wanted to rent a car and visit Manuel Antonio…how are the roads from Jaco to Manuel?
Sammi says
Hi Amelia, you can read more about Jaco and see pictures and videos the beach and beach town bere:Playa Jaco
As for Jaco, it’s like any other place in the world – some people love it, some people hate it, it all depends on the person. It’s not the prettiest beach and it can get seedy, but there’s also some very awesome weekend things about Jaco.
We lived there for 6 months and enjoyed it.
Jaco is what you make of it 🙂
Amelia says
Hi! I absolutely love your website and blog! I’m thinking of going to Costa Rica volunteering for a couple of weeks in mid-July and need to decide between volunteering in Jaco and San Jose. I absolutely love the beach, but I’ve not heard great things about Jaco and wanted to get your opinion. Is it true that things still seem to be better? Thank you!
Shannon Kircher says
Thanks for sharing! Heading to Herradura in a couple of days for our first trip to Costa Rica. Had been looking at Kaya Grill for dinner – looks fab! Excited to finally explore a bit of the country!
Sammi says
The Grill is great! I love the tuna burger but the meat is delicious too. Hope you have fun 🙂
Annette says
I love Costa Rica!!!!! I was living there for about 7 months working in a hostel and travel agency. There’s definitely a ton to do in Jaco, but as far as most developed I’d have to say Tamarindo is top dog, or at least up there on the list. Either way, you’re bound to have a fun time!
Pura Vida,
Annette
Sammi says
Hi Annette!
That sounds really fun and a great way to see the country. Tamarindo is quite developed but they don’t have any of the towers (or the new casino) like Jaco. Both are really fun though and great beaches! Glad to hear you loved the country!
Caitlyn says
That beach looks amazing! I can never understand why people squeeze together on some terrible beaches in the world when there are ones that look like that which are so untouched 🙂
Sammi says
Agreed! Even though Jaco is one of the most popular beaches in Costa Rica it still looks so nice and empty. Love that!
Casey @ A Cruising Couple says
Really interesting to learn more about Jaco! As you probably know we didn’t make it there ourselves, so it’s nice to know what we did/didn’t miss. Your pictures look great though, and if you’re a hard-core surfer I could definitely understand the draw!
Sammi says
Thanks guys! It’s one of those places where you hear about a lot in terms of visiting Costa Rica but considering all the places you guys went here, you still saw a ton! Next time you guys will have to visit and Dan can try surfing there, I’m sure he’d love it!