Jaco Beach Travel Guide

Costa Rica Arrival and Transportation

Upon arrival at the airport, pass through Immigration and then collect your luggage. Then go through Customs and proceed outside the terminal to the street where the taxi and shuttles pick-up.

EMERGENCY TIP! Ask to borrow a Porters cell phone. Tip them a dollar or two for use of the phone

It’s about 60 miles from San Jose to Jaco; expect the trip to take an hour and 20 minutes.

Car rental – A rental car will give you the flexibility to explore outside of Jaco and may also be convenient during the rainy season to get around. Be warned that you may get a low quote on the internet but insurance charges when you arrive may be high. Below are some reputable rental agencies.

• Adobe (recommended): click here to book
• Budget Car Rental: http://www.budget.co.cr/
• Economy Rent a Car: www.economyrentacar.com
• Europcar: http://www.europcar.co.cr/
• Alamo: http://www.alamocostarica.com/

Private Shuttle (recommended) – An air-conditioned van will be waiting for you at the airport for a cost of $120. I recommend Nabor Moya who speaks perfect English and will wait for you at the airport exit with a sign with your name on it. Email: nabormoya24@gmail.com
| Cell: +506 8393-3657

Shared Shuttle – These shuttles typically depart from the airport twice a day in the morning and late afternoon and are shared. If you don’t rent a car, this is an affordable way to get around the country. Interbus Online: http://www.interbusonline.com/

Taxi – A taxi from the airport should cost about $90 to Jaco. Negotiate the price before you get in. Typically, the red taxis will be cheaper as opposed to the orange ones that work at the airport. Once in Jaco, taxis are readily available and will only cost about $5 to get anywhere in town.

Public Transportation – The bus is an option but it’s difficult to take public transportation from the airport to Jaco. No buses depart directly from the airport. You must take a taxi to the bus terminal “Terminal 7 – 10” in downtown San Jose (about 25 minutes away, $20–$30). Then wait for the bus to Jaco, which departs every 2 hours. The terminal is not the safest place in Costa Rica, so if arriving after dark I highly recommend a taxi straight to Jaco or a private shuttle. On the way back, buses from Jaco drop off at the airport terminal and cost about $6. Bus tickets: http://www.transportesjacoruta655.com/venta/venta.php

Golf Cart Rentals – An excellent way to get around town.

What to Pack

Though the country is small, weather varies dramatically by region. Jaco beach daytime temperatures in High Season (Mid-December–April) are generally in the upper 80s; nighttime lows in the 70s. In Green Season (May–Mid-December) daytime highs are in the low 80s and nighttime lows in the low 70s. Expect rain in Green Season, usually brief.

Jaco is casual – shorts, swimwear, sandals are fine everywhere. Long pants only needed for San Jose or special events.

Bring sturdy shoes for Manuel Antonio Park, canopy tours, or ATVs. Sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses are essential. Flip-flops or beach shoes are also useful.

Other Notes

• You will need your original passport only if you are driving or if you need to do any transaction at the bank. Otherwise it’s advisable that you only carry a copy of your passport.
• Jaco is a fairly small town that is flat which makes it very easy to get around on foot and on a bicycle. You can rent bikes, scooters, or motorcycles at AXR tours and rentals www.axrjaco.com.
• Costa Rica’s electrical system and plug configuration is the same as in the U.S. Any devices you wish to bring should work fine.
• Your U.S. mobile phone will probably not work in Costa Rica. Check with your service provider to determine service availability. If you have an unlocked phone that can accept a SIM card then you can purchase a pre-paid phone chip here in Jaco for approximately $5 and add minutes at any market as needed.
• All restaurants and businesses in Jaco accept payment in U.S. dollars and most will take credit cards. You can exchange dollars for Colones by paying in dollars and receiving change in Colones and they should give you a fair exchange rate which is currently around 500 Colones = $1. Restaurants may not accept bills larger than $20 so bring a lot of small bills. ATMs are available in Jaco. DO NOT BRING TRAVELERS CHECKS and definitely don’t change your money at the airport because the exchange rates are terrible.
• Safety and personal security are essentially the same in Costa Rica as in any tourist destination. Use common sense and reasonable caution.
• The waves can get large on occasion here in Jaco especially between May and October so use extreme caution when swimming in the ocean.

Tours and Things To Do

Below is a list of recommend activities.
• Villa Caletas: highly recommended. This is a hotel about 15 minutes north of Jaco where you can go to watch the sunset and get a drink. An amphitheater was built into the side of a 1,000 cliff that overlooks the jungles to the ocean and you are likely to see the most breathtaking sunset of your life and it’s free to visit. www.villacaletas.com
• Manuel Antonio National Park: About an hour south of Jaco, this national park is situated on beautiful white sand beaches where you are sure to see monkeys, sloths, and a variety of reptiles and birds such as toucans and scarlet macaws. A guide will help you make the most of your trip. $18 entry and closed on Tuesdays. Pack a lunch and swimsuit to enjoy the beautiful beach. Just don’t leave your bags unattended because the monkeys and raccoons will rummage through them. Make sure to go early in the morning and you will see more wildlife.
• Canopy Tour: Zip line through the jungles to platforms on the treetops. https://vistalossuenosadventurepark.com/
• Crocodile Tour: Get up and close with huge crocodiles as your guide steps out of the boat and plays with them right in front of you. (pictured right). https://crocodilerivertour.com/
• Surf Lessons: Jaco is the perfect place to learn how to surf. I highly recommend surf instructor Jairo Perez who is a professional surfer. His phone # is +506 8720-9157 and his email is Jairosurfing@gmail.com.
• Kayak and SUP (Stand Up Paddle) tours. www.kayakjaco.com offers a night tour that paddles out at sunset and returns by moonlight.
• Yoga – https://aurorayogajaco.com/
• Sport Fishing: Expensive but world class fishing.
• ATV tours and bike rentals – AXR is a tour company that rents bikes, scooters, motorcycles and quads www.axrjaco.com.
• Waterfall repel and canyoning. www.oceanranchpark.com
• Waterfall Tours: I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the extreme adventure tour for waterfall jumping. You need to be in good shape for this one but they offer mellow tours as well. www.costaricawaterfalltours.com
• White water rafting: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Book a half day trip down the Naranjo River. The river offers class 3, 4 & 5 rapids and can be very intense.
• La paz Waterfall Gardens: This hidden jewel is 2.5 hours north of Jaco and a must do!! It is pricy getting there but well worth the drive. They have an Aviary where you can see all types of tropical birds, a butterfly sanctuary, all types of monkeys that you can get close to, a hummingbird garden where you can feed the hummingbirds, snakes, a rainarium (frogs are climbing freely in a natural setting), a waterfall trail and much more. www.waterfallgardens.com. You can combine this with a coffee tour or volcano tour.

Restaurants in and around Jaco

• Ohana Sushi – ridiculously good sushi with unique rolls. Try the “No Regrets” or “Big Kahuna” rolls. Closed on Wednesday.
• Amancio’s – Italian restaurant with outstanding pizza that is made in their brick oven and they also make their pastas from scratch. I like the “Mama Mia” pizza. Located below Lemon Zest. Closed Wednesdays.
• Graffiti Restaurant and Wine Bar – Great wine list and ever-changing specials board. Try the coffee/cacao crusted filet mignon and tuna tartar tower. Only open for dinner and closed on Monday. Located in Jaco Walk.
• Jerah – Authentic Thai and Balinese cuisine located on the 2nd.
• Koko Gastro Bar – hidden beachfront gem and in my opinion, the best lunch venue in Jaco Beach. Try the Tuna bowl or Mahi Mahi that is jalapeno and tortilla crusted.
• Vivace – Phenomenal authentic Italian cuisine. Closed Sunday.
• Hola India – amazing Indian food located in Jaco Walk
• Besos Beach House – Located in the Oceanfront Hotel Lia, Besos offers amazing breakfast, lunch and dinner with great oceanfront ambiance. They offer craft cocktails and for me, the breakfast brunch is unbeatable and it’s also a great place for sunset cocktails.
• Tsunami Sushi – Air conditioned and a great lunch venue. Try the crunch roll. ½ price rolls on Wednesday and every day for lunch. Located in Jaco Walk.
• Green Room Café – Fantastic breakfast, lunch and dinner open 9am – 11pm. Tomatoe soup & grilled cheese sandwich is a winner. Live music every night.
• Sabress – Israeli food at it best with great hummus, shawarma, falafel pitas, etc. Just up the road from Pops on the right side. Closed Friday evening through Saturday afternoon.
• Zona K – Great breakfast, lunch and dinner but their breakfast is particularly good. Try the huevos rancheros! Closed on Tuesday.
• El Chicano – Excellent Mexican food. Try the mahi taco.

Local and affordable

• Panaderia Artesanal – This bakery has great coffee, eggs made any way you choose, fresh bread, quiches, and much more. I like to order eggs with sourdough slices or a bagel with lox. Closed Wednesdays.
• Soda Garabito – The most popular local restaurant in Jaco. I like to go here for breakfast where they will prepare eggs any way you want with sides of gallo pinto, homemade tortillas and salad for $6.
• Soda Isaga –This local restaurant and bar has great rice with chicken, ceviche and seafood soup.
• Pachi’s Pan – The most popular bakery in town. Try the empanadas with chicken.

Coffee – I am a coffee snob and below are my recommendation for the best places to get your caffeine fix.

• Café Bohio – Probably the best coffee in town. Located right on the main strip.
• Roasted Edge – non profit with excellent coffee and great breakfast including bagels with lox, breakfast burrito and avocado toast.
• Los Cafeteros – best iced cappuccino in Jaco along with top notch hot coffee as well.
• Café Britt – A little pricy but good coffee and air conditioned. Located in Jaco Walk.

Beer – check out the local craft beer at the Beer House, Eremita Tap Room, Jaco Bar and the Green Room.
Jaco Walk –This is an outdoor plaza with great atmosphere and a number of REALLY good dining options like Tsunami Sushi, Graffiti, Hola India, Hartley Ranch Steak House, and a number of desert options.

Grocery Stores – First a word about the stores. If you start purchasing everything you are accustomed to purchase in North America, then you will be surprised upon check-out how expensive everything is because it is probably imported. However, if you shop for local products especially fruits and vegetables then it can be quite cheap.

• Mas X Menos – Downtown by the bank (walking distance). This is the BEST market in Jaco to buy your groceries.
• Fruit and Veggie Market – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Turn left at Pops and go halfway down the street on your right side. This is where the locals shop for their fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Farmers Market – This is only on Thursday evening and Friday morning and located by the soccer field on the south end of town. They have fresh vegetables and fruit directly from the farmers. Look for the Mennonite Family that has baked goods and amazing granola.

Church -There is a fantastic non-denominational church called Horizon that has services in English at 9am and 10:30 am on Sunday mornings. They are located at Calle Gemelas, 200 Meters north of Costa Linda, Jaco. You can find a map on their homepage, www.horizonjaco.org

Entertainment & Night Life

Bars and Casinos

• The Beer House – 10 local craft beers on tap as well many bottle options. Great casual atmosphere and friendly service. Open after 3pm and closed Wednesdays.
• Jaco Bar – pub with great atmosphere located on the 2nd floor across the street from Mas x Menos.
• The Orange Pub – Bar with loud music and casual atmosphere gets going around 11pm.
• XTC – another late-night party spot.
• Croc’s Casino Resort – Vegas Style Casino

NOT recommended -The reality of Costa Rica is that prostitution is legal. There is one place in Jaco where it is prevalent called the Cocal Casino. You probably wouldn’t notice that it happens here without me pointing it out, but it is better that I warn you so that you don’t accidentally visit.

Safety – Jaco Beach is VERY safe, and you are fine walking up and down the main strip even late at night. Still, petty theft is common. Use common sense as you would in any resort town. For example, don’t leave your camera or backpack on your towel while you go swimming in the ocean for a long time.

Citi Cinemas –This theatre has four screens and is located on the 2nd floor of Plaza Coral (same as KFC & Pizza Hut). For movie selections and times, you can visit https://sunsetcinemajaco.com/. Note that the movies that say “Dob” will be dubbed in Spanish and the ones that say “Sub” will be in English with Spanish subtitles.

Spa –You will see many massage parlors throughout town where you can get a cheap massage. But for the best experience, head to the Aqua Spa located in front of the eight story Aqua building next to the Best Western. Or, contact Kenia who is amazing and will come to your condo. Her cell/WhatsApp is +506 7257 8640.

Pharmacy -You can go into any pharmacy to get antibiotics, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, etc. You can buy anything over the counter except for narcotics. If you need anything including a shot, they can give them to you and they also have a doctor on call.

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