Jaco is a thriving beach town located along Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast. With volcanic beaches, striking mountains, perfect surf, and a booming nightlife, Jaco may just be the heart and soul of Costa Rica. The closest beach to San Jose, it is Costa Rica’s most popular beach destination. It attracts visitors from all over the world who.
ATV tours, kayaking, white-water rafting, safaris, deep-sea fishing, epic surfing and just spending a lazy day on the volcanic sand beach beaches are among the many outdoor activities available here. Jaco is one of Costa Rica’s best places to catch waves with nearby epic surfing at Playa Hermosa. There’s plenty to explore with the Pura Vida Gardens and many magical waterfalls to nearby. On the bustling streets filled with Tico operated trinket shops and vendors, surfers rub shoulders with backpackers and snowbirds while city dwellers use Jaco as their refuge from San Jose. It’s a long time hotspot for digital nomads and thrill-seeking adventurers.
Exploring the area:
Nearby, Playa Herradura is 4.4 miles north of Jaco offers a quieter environment. The black sand beaches against the aquamarine waters are mesmerizing. With world class fishing as well as canopy tours, visitors can take in a different adventure each year. The beach is not really set up for surfing but you can access an excellent left point break by boat by the Isle of Herradura. Surfers say the break is well worth the trip. Visitors can purchase art by renowned South American and indigenous artists nearby at the well-respected Dantica Gallery.
Just 4.4 miles south of Jaco is Playa Hermosa. Here the famous Olive Ridley sea turtle lay their eggs each year along the beaches of the Playa Hermosa Wildlife Refuge. It is one of the most popular and best locations in Costa Rica for turtle watching. It’s also where the International Quicksilver Championship takes place each year.
9.3 miles north of Jaco, at the Carara Biological Reserve visitors can explore Costa Rica’s wildlife hiking along its miles of trails. Sunrise and Sunset are the best times to spot scarlet macaws perched in the mangroves, as well as caiman, white-faced monkeys, peccaries, and many other birds. Located in a transition zone between Costa Rica’s dry and humid areas, it has four different types of forests. It is one of the most biologically diverse parts of Costa Rica.
The Tarcoles River borders the park and flows into the Pacific Ocean. Here visitors can take in American crocodiles at a distance that for some may be too close for comfort. Crocodile spotting boat tours are also available. The mouth of the Tarcoles, the Guacalillo mangrove plays a critical role in the survival of the wildlife living here.
