Costa Rica “Jaco”
The streets of Jaco Costa Rica seem to be a never ending line of bars, clubs and cheap souvenir outlets. And if you spend any amount of time here - especially during spring break - you may need as many souvenirs as possible just to remember exactly what happened the night before. Once a sleepy resort town whose main draw was the immaculate surfing, tourists have transformed the city into a mecca of beach parties, surfing, and club hopping - this is the wildest Costa Rica gets. Jaco Beach Costa Rica is just south of Puntarenas, on the city’s yawning Pacific coastline, but the beach and city are interchangeable. If you’re staying in Jaco Costa Rica, you are there for the beach or the nightlife, two other things that seem pretty much interchangeable here.
Despite the overwhelming popularity of the surf here, though, the beach is fairly pedestrian and uninspiring. The sand - if not the sky - is grayish and a bit unnerving in such a tropical location. But that’s neither here nor there for the many surfers who descend onto Jaco Beach Costa Rica throughout the year, especially during the city’s winter months. Along with the nearby Hermona Beach to the south, surf lessons and rentals are plentiful on Jaco Beach, and anyone can try their hand in the rumbling ocean for only a few dollars an hour. For those interested in Costa Rica sport fishing Jaco Beach is the place to be. With ships sailing in and out of Jaco and up to the Golfo de Nicoya, there are a number of different locations to chase that prize catch. For other adventures, Jaco Beach Costa Rica offers hiking, kayaking, horseback riding and scooter rentals.
One of the most convenient things about staying here is the overwhelming amount of Jaco Costa Rica hotels. Since the city is designed for the wealthy tourist as well as budget travelers looking for a party, there is a wide range of hotels and restaurants here. The city’s main thoroughfare offers a patchwork collection of hotels to choose from, and any side street can leave you just steps from the ocean for about the same price. The further south you travel, the quieter it gets and only the most exclusive require reservations in advance (as long as it’s not spring break). Many of these establishments will also offer a variety of tours of the area, the most popular being a short jaunt over to the Carara Biological Reserve, well known as the nesting ground for the country’s scarlet macaws. The reserve also features a number of other wildlife there, from armadillos and otters to kinkajous and hundreds of species of tropical birds.
Jaco, Costa Rica – the surf capital of the world
There are many draws for Costa Rica – the tropical rain forest, volcanoes with bright red lava flowing down their sides, white water rafting through unexplored tropical wilderness, and plenty of sport fishing. But one of the biggest draws is the surfing – some of the best in the world.
Jaco (pronounced Ha KO) – known as the surf capital of Costa Rica – provides world-class wave action year-round. The entire town revolves around the waves, and you’ll find tons of shops ready to rent you a board, sign you up for a lesson (or two!), or sell you all the gear you will need to have fun in the waves.
Jaco offers accommodation in every price range – from low-budget to upscale – and there are plenty of apartments for rent for whatever timeline you might be looking for.
The many surf shops in town have standardized prices, so there is very little difference between them. They all offer surfboard rental for $10/day or a 2-hour lesson for $40/person.
For more information about surfing in Jaco, contact one of the following shops:
Jass Surf Shop: 2643-3850/ jasssurf@racsa.co.cr
Walter’s Surf Shop: 2643-1056
El Pana Surf Shop: 2643-2125
