Jaco Beach

Jaco Beach Costa Rica

Welcome to the Fun !!

Jaco Beach Costa Rica is famous for many reasons, but one thing you can count on is that it is a bustling little beach town. With a population of around 10,000, including the surrounding barrios (neighborhoods), it is the closest beach to San Jose (Central Valley) which is home to 3.5 million people a large percentage of the 4.8 million Costa Rican’s and foreigners that live in this small country. As such it is the country’s primary tropical paradise and fun-in-the-sun hub.

Jaco Beach is always a fun and exciting beach town. Playa Jacó (pronounced ha-co, with an accent on the o) is known for its festive party-like atmosphere along with a ‘Pura Vida’ Pacific coast laid-back vibe.

Foreign arrivals can be on the Jaco Beach in one hour and 15 minutes from Juan Santamaria (San Jose airport), best way to get here is by hiring a private shuttle or transfer, making their way from the nation’s capital on the recently built Highway 27, also called the Caldera, and the Pista del Sol.  Once in Playa Jacó travelers are greeted with a plethora of bars, restaurants, as well as an array of ocean and terrestrial adventure activities.

Jaco Costa Rica has earned the reputation of being the country’s party beach town, famous for its sizzling nightlife, throw in some incredible international dining opportunities as well as a mix of cultural flavor, a hot surf scene and large communities, luxury lifestyle seekers and you start to get an idea of the why so many people return to this stretch of central Pacific coastline year after year.

As the Costa Rica’s most visited regions, residents and visitors have access to the country’s most developed service industries which provides a wide range of accommodations from budget lodging to affordable mid-range hotels to luxurious beach resorts, Condominiums for sale at affordable price and stunning beach front vacation rentals.

“If you are looking for a cross-culture of Central America and international adventure travelers, then Jaco Beach is the place to start.”

It is this unique cr0ss-culture blend that gives Jaco its own Pura Vida life style flavor. From the high energy nightlife to exciting adventure tours, to chilling on the beach, everyone feels at home in Jaco Costa Rica.

Explore the jungle covered mountains behind Jaco Beach with ATV tours, dune buggies, hiking or on horseback. Relax and explore the Pacific Ocean on fishing boats, catamarans, or kayaking. How about white-water rafting, safaris, and don’t forget surfing on Jaco Beach.

“The Los Suenos Resort & Marina is 10 minutes north of Jaco and the new Quepos Marina Pez Vela just one hour south, making Jaco Costa Rica the country’s sport fishing capital.”

Apart from sun worshippers and beach combers, the surf scene in the Jaco area is great making this region one of the most popular destination on the central Pacific to catch a wave. There are a number surf schools right on the beach that will have you flying on top of the surf in no time. Just 5 minutes south if Jaco beach is Playa Hermosa famous for drawing international surfing competitors from around the world as well as the is the site of the International Quicksilver Championships. Playa Hermosa (Beautiful Beach) is small beach pueblo that is famous for its spectacular waves and stunning sunsets. Locals and visitors alike head out every night on the beach nearing sunset to soak up Playa Hermosa’s unique tropical vibe.

Jaco Beach

Jaco Beach is approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) long in a typical horseshoe bay shape. It is home about 10,000 residents, with a high expat population. Jaco Costa Rica has long been famous for its advanced infrastructure and many amenities and features everything a traveler looking for fun-in-the-sun could want.

If you like to discover new beaches there are a number of beaches within 20 minutes of Jaco.

Playa Herradura, 5 minutes north of Jaco Beach

Playa Herradura is just about seven kilometers north of Jaco Beach and is smaller beach and more tranquil environment. Playa Hermosa sits just five minutes south of Jaco, a famous surfing location, which every year. Playa Herradura is also the home of the Los Suenos Resort & Marina.

A few kilometers north of Herradura are little beaches like Aguillas, Bajamar, hidden little beaches usually only visited by locals.

Going south of Jaco just a few minutes past Playa Hermosa is Esterillos other popular beach destination famous for is sunsets as well and a great place for comfortable swimming.

Continuing south along this stretch of the Central Pacific coast in about an hour you come Quepos & Manuel Antonio where you find some top beaches in the country, some of which have won standing on numerous top 10 lists from world recognized travel site such like International Living.

Jaco Beach Nightlife

Jaco Beach is a party beach town and has become famous for its sizzling, smoking hot nightlife. At the same time Jaco Beach is family and vacation traveler friendly, with a large international community and so have plenty of great cuisine, business services , internet cafes, banks, etc., so whether  you are a traveling family, a couple or single you won’t have to worry about entertainment, there is something for everyone in Jaco Beach.

Jaco Beach Prostitution

Prostitution is legal in Costa Rica so you will find working girls in all cities and towns, and as the country’s major tourist draw, Jaco has more than its fair share of ‘party’ girls. If that is not your scene, no worries, these girls hang out in specific bars and you can be assured there are plenty of bars and night clubs to choose from.

Jaco Beach Casinos

If you enjoy the excitement and fun of casinos you will be pleased to know that there are a number of Casinos in and around Jaco Beach: Hotel Cocal and Casino, Morgan’s Cove Resort & Casino, Croc’s Casino Resort, Los Sueños Resort Casino, and Hotel Amapola.

 Jaco Costa Rica Tours & Activities

Called one of the most bio-intensive places on earth by National Geographic, Costa Rica has become the ‘poster country’ for eco-tourism: nature hikes, eco tours, mangrove & crocodile tours, zip tours that let you fly through the canopy from platform to platform, sport fishing Charters, to name a few, Jaco is Costa Rica’s adventure tour center.

Surfing in Jaco Beach

Jaco Beach is a great place to start whether you are beginner taking your first lesson or advanced the surf in the bay changes with the tide times as well on the beach you surfing from. There are excellent surf schools located right at the beach, as well equipment rentals for all the surf fun you want. For thos hard core students there are budget accommodations right at the surf schools, Visit Jaco Surf Factory School for more information on surf lessons.

Jaco Beach is centrall locates on the countries west coast so it’s a good home base as you can also take extended surfing excursions hitting beaches, down through Dominical and the OSA into Pavones Costa Rica down by the Panama border. Going north along the Guanacaste Gold Coast you can catch some waves at Sanat Theresa, Samara, Nasara, Tamarindo (Withches Rock) and further all the way to the Playa Coco near the Nicarauguan boprder. As a launch point and or as coll place to spend your entire vacation Jaco Beach is the country’s best surfing destination.

Jaco Sport Fishing

Jaco Beach itself is only good beach fishing (mostly snook), and has no boat launches from the bay itself, other than occasional boat taxies taking people over to Montezuma on the Nicoya, but again Jaco is a great launch point because just five minutes north is Los Suenos Marina, and 1 hour south is Quepos/Manuel Antonio, from either marina it’s a great day out on the central Pacific Ocean. Los Suenos and Quepos have in total over 300 slips, so whether you are a seasoned pro or a family looking for an open seas fishing adventure there is a boat and crew that is perfect for you.

Costa Rica’s Central Pacific is considered the best fishery in Central America and has even become more renowned in recent year with the annual Los Suenos signature Triple Crown Billfish Series. Professionals come from around the globe to fish the continental shelf off the coast of Costa Rica central Pacific where the deep water upwelling brings in vast numbers of plankton and feeder fish which in turn attract incredible numbers of marlin (all three types, blue, black and striped) and sailfish as well as yellowfin tuna and mahi-mahi.

Los Suenos Marina

In 2014 Los Suenos Marina instantly became internationally recognized as the Fishing Capital of Costa Rica with an introduction of the famous Los Suenos Signature Triple Crown Billfishing Tournament. To give you an idea of how good the sportfishing is out of Los Suenos Marin, in 2016 the Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown tournament had spectacular results with 43 teams releasing 6,570 billfish in 9 days of competition.

Whether you choose to fish off-shore for monster billfish such as Blue Marlin, Black Marlin,  and Sailfish or near-shore for big Rooster Fish, Snapper and Grouper, your best chances of hooking up is out of Los Sueños Resort and Marina, just five minutes north of Jaco Costa Rica.

Manuel Antonio Sportfishing

Manuel Antonio sportfish is Costa Rica next most popular fishing marina. Over 40 world records have been registered along the central coast of Costa Rica, including Sailfish, Black Marlin, Blue Marlin, and Striped Marlin, Yellow Fin Tuna, Wahoo, Snapper, Spanish and Sierra Mackerel, Roosterfish and more. The opening of the new ‘Marina Pez Vela‘s 2014 Manuel Antonio makes sportfishing excursion from Jaco a great option as it is only one hour south of Jaco Beach.

Home Massage 

In the Relaxing Massage, the main objective is to relieve tension and achieve a mental state of relaxation, prioritizing manipulations and soft passes over sudden and strong movements, more reserved for therapeutic massage or Decontracting.

The Relaxing Massage is normally performed on a stretcher, with the part of the body to be exposed, with gentle and shallow manipulations, and always trying to offer a subtle but pleasant sensory stimulation to the patient, so that the senses of smell, hearing and sight can add extra value.

Zip Line Canopy Tours

Zip or Canopy tours in Costa Rica are ranked as some of most thrilling and safest in the world and Jaco Beach region zip tours offer a number of great options. As you zip through the canopy from platform to platform you will be eye level with all the canopy wildlife such as toucans, scarlet macaws and monkeys, and you will see incredible coastal views all the way down the mountain.

The zip tour is one of the most popular adventure activates in Costa Rica for the whole family.

Golfing on the Central Pacific

The La Iguana Costa Rica Golf Course at Los Suenos, designed by Ted Robinson is a 6,696-yard, 18-hole, par–72, championship golf course.  Sculpted into the coastal landscape on a bio reserve, this tropical, ocean-view course is a great way to take advantage of incredible weather and spectacular scenery.

ATV Tours from Jaco Beach

Jaco Costa Rica has a great selection of mountain, beach, and waterfall ATV tours to choose from. If you are an adrenaline adventure junkie running the areas surrounding mountain trails on ATV’s is a fantastic way to explore this stretch of coast. ATV’s waterfall tours and jungle trails through the mountains is an incredible experience for groups, individuals, couples, or the whole family. There are trials for every skill level.

Kayak and Paddle Boarding

Kayaking and Stand-Up Paddle Boarding are fun way to spend a day out on the ocean offering you an unique experience to view the amazing beauty and nature of this stretch coast.  Go for some high seas adrenaline on the ocean, or enjoy a more leisure through quiet coves, a great way to spend the day.

Crocodile Tours

The Tárcoles River just about 20 minutes north of Jaco beach has more crocodiles per kilometer than any other river in this hemisphere. These giant crocodiles of Costa Rica inhabit shallow rivers all along the coast – so caution is always advised especially if you are not with a guide. These beasts measure up to 18 feet, the best way to safely observe and photograph these monsters is from tour boats.

National Parks

The Central Pacific has several ecosystems to explore such as marshlands, lagoons, and tropical rain forests, as well a number of corridors, all with their own unique ecology. If it’s a wildlife display you have come to the right area, you can expect to see: awe inspiring Scarlet Macaws, three types of monkeys including the famous Grey Crowned Central American Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri oerstedii citrinellus) known as the Mono Titi in Spanish, the smallest primate in Costa Rica, as well as cocodiles, armadillos, peccaries, toucans, abundant waterfowls, opossums, sloths, boa constrictors, kinkajou, and even the larger cat family, puma, margay cats, jaguars, and the amazing ocelots. Jaco Costa Rica has two major national that are perfect for a day trip, Carara national Park and Manuel Antonio Nation Park.

Carara National Park

Carara National Park is about 20 minutes north of Jaco Beach and is known as one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful national parks. The park rides the border between the southern and central zone ecosystems each of which has distinct biological footprint. This where the dry north air meets the humid south coast climatic zone making Carara National Park an amazing place to explore with its diversity of flora and fauna.

Manuel Antonio

About one hour south of Jaco Beach, is Costa Rica’s most famous national park, Manuel Antonio National Park which pristine beaches framing 4,000 acre bio-reserve. The village of Manuel Antonio is small, and pure beach town with plenty of beach shops, hotels, bars, and restaurants to enjoy.