Jaco, Costa Rica — Pura Vida Lifestyle (Part One)
Overview
The drive from San Jose to Jaco took approximately 1 1/2 hours. The two-lane narrow roads were surrounded on all sides by jungle flora and were clogged at times with buses, commercial trucks, and big rigs that meandered through the tropical terrain. Because the roads snaked through the steep mountain ranges, there were few opportunities to pass slower drivers.
While en route, we stopped at a small restaurant serving authentic Costa Rican cuisine located along the side of the road near a fruit stand. The cook happened to be the server’s mother who prepared our eggs, beans, and rice in a hollowed-out bus. The food was a great introduction to the simple but complex flavor profiles we would be experiencing throughout our trip.
After breakfast, we continued heading toward Jaco and had the opportunity to stop at the crocodile bridge. The phrase “crocodile bridge” is the simplest explanation for a small tourist area that overlooked a large swollen river containing immense crocodiles. Crocodiles is plural for a reason because the river is teeming with them. The river itself was brown and murky which made the sunbathing crocodiles that much more terrifying to look at.
Once we had our fill of the crocodile bridge, we continued the drive to our Airbnb located at the Jaco Bay Towers on the north end of Jaco.
We rented the 10th floor penthouse which was approximately $400 a night. The modern interior design coupled with approximately 20-foot elevated ceilings also had seven bedrooms, floor to ceiling windows which overlooked the town of Jaco, scenic bay and surrounding jungle, pool table, and five bathrooms. I would highly recommend this place due to its affordable luxurious accommodations, access to the heated community pool, short walk (approximately five minutes) to the beach, and close proximity to the town of Jaco.
It took a little bit for everyone in our group to adjust to our new surroundings because the views from our 10th floor vantage point seemed almost too good to be true. By the time we were ready to start exploring, it was approaching dusk, so we walked the short distance to the black sands beach. The beach area where we were had rough water and multiple visible rip tides so swimming in the deeper part of the ocean was inaccessible. However, it felt relatively safe in the shallower waters.
We eventually moved to the beaches located at the south end of Jaco, which is where the waves were gentler, the water was calmer, and you could walk out for a considerable distance before experiencing deeper waters. In addition, there were several restaurants (Tiki Lounge) on the beach where you could buy really good food, mixed drinks, and beer and there were multiple surfboard and boogie board rental places to choose from. For the tourist who is wondering how much it is to rent boards: surfboard rentals were $15.00 and boogie boards were $10.00 per day.
Jaco has one main “Avenue” that is jam packed with restaurants, supermarkets, stores, bars, nightclubs, massage parlors, and residences. Parking was never an issue, and I was able to park on the streets instead of paying a fee to the locals in order to park on the beach. The overall humidity was not too overbearing due to the fact it was tempered by the cool ocean breeze that usually started around 11am and continued throughout the day. Water temps were outrageous, hovering right around 86 degrees! Rain was always in the forecast Jaco, but we never experienced it during the day. At night, there were a couple heavy rain showers and lightning storms, but we welcomed the rain because it took the edge off of the humidity.
Everyone (tourists and locals) sunbathing or working the surf lesson/rental booths along the beach were really hospitable, and it was common for them to flash the Hang Loose sign while saying, “Pura Vida”. This phrase could be seen on billboards, on shirts, and tattoos and was described as meaning persons should slow down, relax, and enjoy the moment.
Jaco beach was interesting because there were definitely some rocky areas on the beach that made it difficult to lay down or walk barefoot on the beach. I noted that on the south end there was not much beach area during high tide which forced everyone to set up camp along the grassy banks. During low tide, the water receded almost 200 yards leaving large swaths of beach area to explore.
Prior to arriving in Jaco, we had watched YouTube videos, read blogs, and spoke with various people who all said that it was a party town. Even though there were nightclubs and a wide range of bars, the night life was never overwhelming or out of control. The police presence in Jaco can be best described as “heavy” and after the first night, the young adults with us, as well as myself being 47 years old, came to the conclusion that the nightlife was really engaging and accessible for all ages. You have something for everyone and so Jaco had this vibe about it that it just seems like it was always under control because there was an intentional and visible police presence. My 20-something adult daughters also made the observation that they felt safe. This is not to say that they were ignoring being street smart or paying close attention to their surroundings, but they definitely had this sense that they could enjoy themselves and let their guard down a little bit. All the bars closed at 2:30 AM, and this made it plausible for everyone to go and get up in the morning, regardless if it was a heavy party night. A few nightclubs and bars we enjoyed and would recommend trying were: Orange Pub, XTC (not a lot of people), Republik, Ohm Lounge (Hookah bar), and Jaco Bar. We tended to frequent Jaco Bar because it was on the second floor, it was located in the middle of the main drag, and had above average food and drinks. Plus, the view of the street in both directions from the second-floor deck was unobstructed and perfect for people watching.
Walking or riding a bike around Jaco should definitely be a consideration because everything is within walking distance. One morning I walked from the north end to the south end of Jaco and it took approximately 20 minutes to cover the distance. I also felt it was an easy transition to drive throughout the country because they drive on the right side of the road, there was plenty of free parking, generally speaking locals and tourists drove the speed limit, and having a car provided access to the many beaches spanning the extensive coastline.
Parking
A lot of the websites and YouTube videos talked about paying for parking along the beach, which you can do, but parking was free along the side streets, on the main avenue, and in a couple of business complex parking lots. If you just do a little research or exploration, you shouldn’t have to pay for parking unless you really want to park in the dirt areas adjacent to the beach.