About Jaco Beach

A lively and relaxed beach town, Playa Jaco has one of the most popular Costa Rican beaches. Located in the northern portion of the Puntarenas Province along the country’s Central Pacific Coast, Jaco is less than an hour and a half from the capital city of San Jose and about 60 minutes from the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO).

Playa Jaco is about three miles long. The areas to the north (Punta Leona is a favorite for its pristine white sand beach) and to the south (the movie-perfect Manuel Antonio National Park, known for its blue-green waters kissing white sand beaches, monkeys, sloths and palm trees) of Jaco are some of the most picturesque, with stunningly beautiful scenery.

Jaco’s nightlife has contributed to its reputation of being a party town; gambling in one of several casinos is an option, too. The fun here is casual and relaxed, and the people are friendly. Favorite night spots include Plankton, Le Loft, Ganesha, Monkey Bar, Jungle Bar and Vibe.

The Farmers' Market on Fridays is a favorite of locals, expats and those looking to experience (and taste!) local flavor. Ripe pineapple and avodacos can be purchased for about forty cents each and the local Menonites sell fabulous fruit preserves, granola, yogurt, pies and cookies.

Speaking of food, the restaurants and sodas of Jaco cater to every pocketbook and to most palettes. Our favorites include Bubba’s Fish Tacos at Bohio Grill right on the beach, Pili Pili, Lemon Zest, Caliche’s Wishbone, I Love Sushi, Tsunami Sushi, Taco Bar, Jaco Taco, and Esperanza. The old standbys KFC, Quiznos, TCBY, Subway and other global chains are found here as well. Do not overlook the sodas–the very casual restaurants that serve up good, cheap food. Two grocery stores are walking distance and two more are a quick, inexpensive taxi ride away.

Jaco Beach is an excellent base from which to experience the adventure for which Costa Rica is known. Mead Brown can arrange your horseback rides on the beach, world-class sport fishing, sailing, ATV tour, sea kayaking, surfing lessons and so much more.

Surfing is one of this town’s major attractions as the waves are consistently big and the breaks are really good. A yearly international surf contest is also held on Playa Hermosa, only 10 minutes away. The annual, international surfing competition here attracts a huge number of surfers from all over the globe to this beach. The 2009 ISA Billabong World Surfing Games were held on Hermosa Beach with competitors and sepctators from around the world!