Jaco

Many refer to Playa Jaco as the Miami of Costa Rica as it is a mini city with skyline, infrastructure, casinos, fast food restaurants, large condominium projects, and of course plenty of nightlife. Most visitors come to ride the waves during the day and bounce down the strip at night. Of course this leads to a busy and loud atmosphere, but then again, that may be exactly what you are seeking.

What To Expect

There are generally two types of visitors to Jaco; those that love it and those that hate it. Having said that, there are very few that could be classified in between.

Those that love Jaco are generally surfers, developers, or party animals. Surfers congregate here to take advantage of consistent breaks or can move down a few kilometers to Playa Hermosa for world class waves. Developers say that Jaco is the greatest beach destination on the Pacific and have made it the fastest growing city in the country. Party animals can stay up all night bouncing from bar to bar or casino without worry of making a spectacle. Those that love it are quick to point out that there is a good infrastructure, options for quality condos, variety of restaurants and nightlife.

On the flip side, there are those that hate Jaco. These are generally environmentalists, native Costa Ricans and tourists that had no idea what they were signing up for when they found a so called good deal on a weeklong condo rental. The tourists say that the city is more like America than Costa Rica. Environmentalists will say that somehow the developers here have managed to sidetrack all of the environmental building codes that are enforced across the rest of the country. Local Costa Ricans are being pushed out of their homes as developers try to squeeze in high rises in every square meter of the city. Those that hate it are quick to point out that there is a rapidly increasing drug and prostitution problem.

Love it or hate it, Jaco is what it is and you can make your own decision. The area is beautiful with green hillsides surrounding and some of the best surfing in Costa Rica. There is also excellent sport fishing for billfish as there is a large drop-off not too far offshore.

The popularity of Playa Jaco can be attributed not only to the great surfing, but also as it is located just one and a half hours from San Jose on the Central Pacific coast. This makes Jaco the closest developed beach area to the nation's capital and main airport. Many Ticos take advantage of the close proximity and visit the beach often.

Weather and Packing List

Central Pacific temperatures remain the same nearly year round with average day time highs in the upper 80s to low 90s and night time lows in the upper 70s. Precipitation varies by month with the months of December through April being the driest.

Visitors should pack a bathing suit, towel, shorts, tee shirts, appropriate shoes, rain gear, sun block, and insect repellent.

Fun Fact: Jaco is one of the largest ex-patriot communities in Costa Rica.

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