Jacó is the biggest beach destination of Costa Rica and due to its proximity to San José, the capital, it’s quite popular with tourists. As a result it is pretty big and busy and has some characteristics of a small city. We stopped in Jacó for a few nights on our way to Panama because it is one of the few places to catch the Tica Bus from. In general we enjoyed our time there but it is not a place that I would recommend as a relaxing holiday destination. Unlike Tamarindo I feel that Jacó has lost it’s charm. Depending on what you are looking for it can be a great place though. There are lots of party hostels and a vibrant nightlife. Further it has a lot to offer in terms of surfing for all different levels. The southern part of the beach is great for beginners while the northern part offers more for advanced surfers. Further it is only a few minutes from Playa Hermosa, a powerful beach break. Jacó is also a good place to stay if you need to sort some things out. Is has the necessary infrastructure like copy-shops, banks and Internet cafes and there are tons of surf shops if you are looking to buy or sell a board.
Here are our personal pros and cons of Jacó:
Pros:
– good waves for beginners
– modern hostel (Room2Board Hostel) and the owner liked us and served us free wine
– yoga also took place with only one participant for 7$
– it gave us the opportunity to get some administrative stuff done for Panama and Columbia
Cons:
– not so charming
– not a very nice beach
– car noise
– city-like vibe
– gringoland
– fu**ing hot
