Jaco, Costa Rica

Originally, we had driven through Jaco while driving down the the west coast of Costa Rica. We made a quick stop to the beach (literally just looked at it ans left, basically), and then drove through the town to get to the hughway again (but without stopping at all).

In the middle of a cloudy day, Jaco was slow and the beach was grey, so my first impression of the town was “eh ok…” However, we stopped in Jaco again on the way back north, and my opinion of Jaco changed.

It was night time now, so it was very lively: clubs, restaurants, clothing stores and tourist shops still open, liquor store bumping music, people cheering in bars, etc.

Pros & Cons

Pros: Beach, surfing, bars, fun night life, small town feel, cute hippy shops, familiar foods (like pizza, subway, and sushi – if you’re into that sort of familiarity while traveling).

Cons: Drug problems (so I’m told, but I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary), police everywhere (with guns).

Jaco Attractions

Jaco Beach
Carara Biological Reserve
Surfing
Scuba & Snorkeling
Gulf of Nicoya
Nightlife
Tarcoles River
Fishing

.

Things to Do Around Jaco

Manuel Antonio National Park Day Tour
Carrara National Park Hike
Sea Kayak & Snorkeling
Tortuga Island Cruise
Bijagual Waterfall Horseback Ride
Canopy Tour
Mangrove & Crocodile Adventure
Pura Vida Botanical Gardens

.

Jaco Climate

Climate:

Dry- December to April
Wet- May to November, Wettest- September & October

Temperature:

Avg. high 92°
Tropical weather with afternoon showers typical May to November.

Night-Life

Every night of the week, the party moves to a different bar. I mean, there are always multiple bars open and a fun place to hang out, but apparently there’s basically a locally known schedule of exactly where to go, when…

I was there on a Wednesday night, so to club Jaco Blù I went; it was a big outdoor club, with swimming pools, right on the beach. But no one was in the pools or ocean – the girls were dressed to a T… The guys, not so much.

Accommodation

There are a bunch of hostels in Jaco – all are pretty good. I stayed in “Hostel de Haan” and it was not bad at all. Private shower and bathroom, lockers that fit my entire backpack (with the lock included), fans for circulation, really clean sheets and blankets, on a well lit street with a guard at the gate. It was US$10 per night.