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 surfing waves in the country, Jaco attracts visitors from all over the world looking to soak up sun and surf for their vacation while enjoying a lively nightlife.
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Jaco Quick Look
- 1.5 hrs from San Jose International Airport. 3.5 hours from Guanacaste Airport.
- Most developed and biggest beach town in Costa Rica
- Known for surfing, parties, good food
- Hot and humid all year long
The 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.
Be careful of rip tides at Jaco beach, which are common. Do not go all the way out in the ocean, stay within knee level water.
Do not go in the water unsupervised or unaccompanied.
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.
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 Jaco surf lesson costs around $50 USD per person for about 2 hours.
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.
You can see our experience in our Vista Los Sueños blog post.
They offer a mega combo tour with ziplining, ATV tour and horseback riding but they have a ton of tours.
Ocean view zipline + 3 hour ATV + Waterfalls
Ocean view zipline + 2hr ATV
Chocolate tour
Ocean view zipline + Horseback Riding
2 hour ATV + Waterfalls
Horseback riding
ATV + Horseback Riding
2 hr ATV + Waterfalls + Chocolate
Canyoning
Jaco Waterfall Tour
Because of the lush mountains outside Jaco, there are many waterfalls, perfect for a fun outdoor adventure.
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!
Nauyaca Waterfalls
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.
If you don’t have a car, the best way to visit the waterfalls is to book a tour. You can get there by public bus, but it is a bit complicated and takes more time.
There are some Jaco waterfall adventure tours that go to Nauyaca Waterfalls plus a couple of others, for a super fun day.
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.
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. Book a crocodile tour down the Tarcoles River to see the crocodiles up close.
Manuel Antonio and Carara National Park Day Trip
Carara National Park and Manuel Antonio National Park are two excellent national parks for hiking, nature and wildlife.
Manuel Antonio is easy to get to from Jaco by public bus if you do not have a car. Read how to take the bus to Manuel Antonio from Jaco.
You can also book a guided tour with transportation included.
Contact us to book your tour to Manuel Antonio National Park from Jaco and we will be happy to assist you!
Unfortunately there is no direct bus to Carara so if you don’t rent a car, we recommend booking a Carara National Park guided tour. It will be great to have a guide to enhance your experience at Carara National Park anyways.
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 follow the 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 usually February and March. The rainiest month is October.
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 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
From San Jose International Airport, you must go to the Terminal Atlantico Norte bus station in downtown San Jose. It is a 2 hour bus ride, every day at 7 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM and 7 PM.
Full guide here – bus from San Jose to Jaco.
Shuttle
Private or shared shuttles available. The private shuttle costs around $180 USD for 1-6 passengers one way.
Get our Interbus shared shuttle discount here!
Contact us to book your private 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 or Uber, instead of walking.
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: Beachfront condo tower with spacious apartments. Private parking, nice outdoor pool and right in town.
- Best Western Jaco Beach: This is a beachfront 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. They have a nice pool and large 2 and 3 bedroom villas with fully equipped kitchens.
- Apartol 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.
- Birds of Paradise: Nice boutique hotel with a pool right in downtown.
You can also find many Airbnbs and self service vacation rentals. Vista Las Palmas is a luxury condo complex on the beach with huge rooms and ocean views.
Costa Linda is on the north end with a large pool and several different towers. Paloma Blanca, Jaco Gardens and Lapa Living 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.
- 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
- 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!
Orange Pub is a popular club and 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 to shop for Costa Rica souvenirs. You can find everything from carved wooden statues, sarongs, tshirts, bikinis, paintings and jewelry.
My favorite store is Tico Pod. 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. However, Jaco is not the prettiest beach in Costa Rica, by car.
Jaco is 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 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 the town was.
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 an excellent home base, due to its convenient location and excellent infrastructure.
Read other beach guides below!
Or read this article, if you’re trying to decide between Tamarindo & Jaco for surfing.
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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!