Pops' Costa Rica Travel Guide, Jaco

Jaco is located on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica and is a popular destination for tourists and surfers from all over the world. Jaco isn't that big, the beach itself is about 2.5 miles long. The city spans the length of the beach and only goes about 3 blocks off the beach. This is a beautiful place to relax and/or have an adventure. I have spent many a day at the beach or pool relaxing and I have also many a day zip lining, ATV riding, and jumping off waterfalls. If you want a vacation outside the country but also close then I would highly recommend Jaco.

Getting there: Fly into San Jose and take a taxi to Jaco. The ride will be about 1.5 hours. Don't pay more than $100 for the taxi.

Places to stay: There are many hotels in Jaco, most with beach access. You will also find many condos in town. I found that prices for the hotels range from about $100 to $200 a night. On this trip I also looked into what the condos had to offer. What I found was that if you are traveling alone or as a couple a hotel is the way to go. However, if you are traveling with other couples and can share the cost a condo is a better option. I found 2 bedroom condos for as little a $225 a night and 3 bedrooms for $300 a night. These condos are modern with granite counter tops and modern appliances. There is usually one more bathroom than there are bedrooms. For a little over $100 a night you can have something really nice. Just outside of Jaco you will find some really nice resorts. My favorites are the Marriott Los Suenos Resort and the Villa Caletas. Both are pricey but I've stayed at both and they are worth it. Los Suenos is more for families and Villa Caletas is more for couples. Check out the pictures of both on their websites.

Los Suenos

Villa Caletas

Los Suenos Condos

Places to eat: My favorite place to eat is at the yacht marina in Los Suenos. Try the Italian restaurant in the village. The food is incredible and you have the option of sitting outside by the yachts, sitting inside or sitting upstairs in the bar area. If the weather is nice I would see if you can sit upstairs on one of the balconies.My next choice is at the Villa Caletas. People come from all over to the Villa Caletas to watch the sun set. It is one of the best you will ever see. You can sit outside and have a drink while watching the sunset. I would recommend having dinner at the same time. You can have a great meal while watching an incredible sunset. In Jaco you will find many places to eat. As I have mentioned before one of my favorites is the Taco Bar. Otherwise walk the main drag and pick one of the many other restaurants.

Things to do: I have been to Jaco many times now and have tried most of the attractions.

• You went to the beach and you need to enjoy it. The beach is about 2.5 miles long. Take a walk in the morning or in the evening as the sun sets.
• There are a number of surf schools and places to rent boards. If you ever wanted to try surfing now is the time. 
• There are plenty of zip lines in the area. My recommendation would be the Tranopy. It is a nice tram ride with 12 zip lines to get you back down. Price is about $100.
• ATV excursions. I would try the office across from the Taco Bar and on the corner by the Cocal Hotel. Ask for Kine. Prices vary but don't pay more than $90 for 3 or 4 hours.
• The Calypso Cruise is an all day trip to Tortunga Island. I have done this twice and had a blast each time. Once you are at the island you can snorkle or rent a jet ski. The price is about $120 with meals included.  
• Jose's crocodile tour is really fun. The price is $35.
• Sports fishing for Marlin and Sailfish. This is one of the bigger attractions for people coming to Jaco. 

One word of advice is to shop around, prices vary widely. I would stay away from booking at your hotel the markup is too high. I priced Jose's river tour at the hotel at $60 and paid $35 by going directly to the source.