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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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!