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Jaco Beach

Jaco Beach

About
Less than two hours away from the hustle and bustle of San Jose, Jaco is a vibrant beach town well-loved by locals. Its dark pebbled beach is fringed with palm trees, with warm rolling waves that attract surfers from all over Costa Rica. As the undertow can get strong, swimming isn’t recommended, but you can always take a surf lesson or even ride a horse along the coast. Nearby, you’ll find plenty of shops and restaurants, and after sundown, Jaco’s beach bars come alive with music and dancing. For ideal beach weather, it’s best to visit between December and April.
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AU$159.16
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  • William W
    Henderson, Nevada11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Vacation in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica
    I’ve never experienced anything like this! There were all kinds of Women there and it was during the slow rainy season. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like during the summer. I recommend any single guy go to Jaco Beach once in their life to experience the unbeatable.
    Visited October 2019
    Travelled with friends
    Written 28 November 2023
  • heidilcombs
    4 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Costa Rica is a no go
    The day trips are cool but a lot of people begging for money. Was approached by a guy, obviously on drugs, begging for money. That scared me. I called restaurant staff to get him away from me. Do not go out at night. Get dinner delivered or something. You can be eating in a restaurant and people are allowed to come in, interrupt your dinner, to try and sell you junk. Would I visit again?...probably not
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 15 December 2023
  • TravelingLu23
    Carmel, Indiana4 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful wide beach, great for a day!
    Beautiful beach with large cascading cliffs on each end. It is definitely a surf beach so waves crashing, strong undertow so need to be a good swimmer to be in it. No shells just beautiful rocks so would be good to have swim shoes. Very wide beach at low tide so great to walk and amazing sunsets. Restaurants around to walk to, sand is dark and hard to get out of a swimsuit but worth a fun day here. Definitely want to rent chairs and umbrellas which we did with Ticos.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 21 January 2024
  • Mimi C
    Seattle, Washington103 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful and Lively
    The sunsets here are an amazing sight to see. In March, the water was so perfectly warm I just couldn't get enough. Also, in March, it is not too crowded. There are tons of palm trees in case you need shade and if you're lucky enough, you can knock a coconut down! The locals here are so friendly and there's plenty of places to eat. Lots of options for hostiles and nightlife too. The waves are great for surfing. I would come back!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 18 March 2024
  • Nadina P
    New York City, New York585 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Pacific Beach
    The beach is beautiful, and probably exactly what people picture when they think of a Costa Rican Pacific beach. It's a short walk to the main strip, which is very chic yet authentic. There are plenty of restaurants, watering holes, and lodging along the beach. The big down side (to me) is that this is very obviously more of a tourist spot; you hear lots of English, and you will be pestered A LOT to rent surfboards, ride horses, and buy knick knacks. Still worth the visit.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 3 April 2024
  • Don Pablo
    Cape Coral, Florida3 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Perfect temp. water, ceviche, good people. Costa Rica is more up to speed than other Latin countries.
    We stayed at the House Impala, which is about 100 yards from the beach. (2min walk). Jaco beach is composed of dark sand, water temp was 82degrees f. lots of american and canadian tourists but still had plenty, and I mean plenty! of room to enjoy the beach, surfing, ceviche, and cold beer. We did the alligator tour (3 out of 10), ATV tour (10 out of 10, about 5 hours long) and casino (8 out of 10). average daily expenses with all attractions was about $300.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 6 May 2024
  • Chris B
    Columbia, South Carolina561 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Surprisingly few people at this really nice beach!
    After booking our getaway in Jaco (with very little research other than looking for beaches on the Pacific side of Costa Rica) I began to grow worried that I'd picked a horrible touristy (dirty, loud, sketchy) town (like Myrtle Beach but in Costa Rica). I couldn't have been more wrong. The beach is relatively quiet and not overcrowded (at least in early June), which never made sense to me. Yes, it's hot, and the ocean water is a bit rough (but great for surfers), but it was just what we needed - a beach vacation, and plenty of restaurants and nightlife just one block off the beach. Would go again in a heartbeat, and hoping some day we will.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 23 May 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles1,666 reviews
Excellent
560
Very good
514
Average
376
Poor
135
Terrible
81

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

Martin R
Jaco, Costa Rica45 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Family
I enjoy walking this beach every morning I spend in Jaco. Watching the sun come up over the beautiful green end of this pristine beach is priceless. The south end is considerably better for walking and sunbathing as there are no rocks less people all year and plenty of room and parking. From 2019 also wheelchair accessible as the first beach in Costa Rica.
No hassle from vendors is also a good thing and multiple surf schools that also rent out beach chairs
Written 15 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

gone s
4 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2021
WOW! Just where do you travelers come from and leave these inaccurate reviews of Jaco Beach? No, this area is not super hot and humid, I live here and never seen it over 90 degrees at any time of year and the humidity is average, I relocated from the Gulf of Mexico (Mississippi/Louisiana) where 95-107 degrees is common in July and August with humidity so high you can't breath. As far as black sand goes just where did you spot this 'Black' sand? The sand here is Coco and dark cream colored and and never what some would consider un walk able. And where are you seeing all these extremely rocky beaches at? Not true at all, our beaches here are smooth sand all along the beach area but the north beach does collect some egg sized pebbles at the high tide line (maybe 5 feet of pebbles) then sand to the waves at low tide and there is 100 feet or more of solid sand with no rocks to be seen! There are PLENTY of RIP CURRENT signs every where but unfortunately the few guard stations are usually un manned be cause Costa Rica as yet does NOT spend any of the Billions in taxes collected on offering the tourists good safe life guarded swimming areas (A real negative if there is one) I can understand that some traveler that has never seen an ocean or a beach before my have no other beach to make a comparison to but yet that tourist may feel compelled to spout off a lot of UNTRUE opinions such as I have noted above. The rest is all common sense, keep valuables out of site on beach or left in your auto, don't go off with strangers looking to buy drugs and don't be rude or act like the ugly tourist for you just might get treated as one! Have you been to the United States if America lately, I feel 100 times safer in Jaco than any blue state big city in America and that is a fact!! All Ya'll come on down and see for yourself, leaving the States 6 years ago and moving to the Pacific in Costa Rica was the smartest thing I ever did :)
Written 17 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jay Brooklyn
New York City, NY95 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
Had a good time in Jaco with friends for a relaxing, adventurous and party filled weekend. We rented an Airbnb in Las villas paraiso down the block from Jaco Blu Beach club and very close to all the nightlife and restaurants such as man cave. Cocal casino and hotel was a crazy experience but not recommended for families, just single men. We also did an ATV tour in Puntarenas province to Bijagual waterfall rainforest and river with ATV Adventure Tours Costa Rica. Kevin and Mariana were great guides as I mentioned in another review.
Overall Prices converted to USD were pretty high for a 3rd world country even though their colones was significantly less than USD. I had been to guanacaste and tamarindo a few years before and that was tamer than Jaco. Pretty safe at night but there are some sketchy areas and people out late so always be careful and don't wear flashy clothes and jewelry. Overall, good experience and recommended for bachelor parties or groups of friends. The beach by Jaco wasn't too bad, dark sand just as it is in guanacaste. Lots of surfers there as well for the strong waves and current. The family area and quiet area for surfing is playa Hermosa Beach south east of Jaco and playa herradura North West of Jaco.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stephanie J
Greenacres, WA13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Family
Jaco beach is beautiful! We had great walks on the beach and fun playing in the surf. It was a good place to boogie board and our teenager did a little bit of surfing. The sunsets were incredible and the beach was busier at sunset with everyone on the beach watching the sun go down. We can’t wait to go back!
Written 11 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dee
19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
Great Beach. High tide in evening, low tide during day. Lots of sand and only the rocks that come in with the tide. Able to walk out far smooth sand. Big waves to play in. Recommend staying on either end of the beach and avoiding the middle as it backs onto downtown and is busier.
Written 6 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

susie530
Lakeland, Tennessee5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021 • Family
My family and I have visited Costa Rica on several occasions. Every time we visit Jaco we use Pikotravel to assist us with our activities. Piko held true to the excellent service they provide with this tour! We hiked, zip lined, rappelled, and swam. After all of that, we enjoyed an excellent lunch at a local soda. If you are traveling to Costa Rica anytime soon, I highly recommend using Pikotravel to assist you in planning your tours! They take great care of their clients!
Written 1 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

brubenow
United States264 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021 • Family
This might be my least favorite beach I’ve ever been to in the entire world. There is a river that empties onto the beach and drains mud onto one side of the beach. The beach is extremely rocky and the waves are extremely rough and strong, to the point that you cannot even go into the water past your legs. It is very noisy beach with people playing loud music and smoking and limited parking. If you are into surfing this might be a good beach, but otherwise I would not recommend it at all. It feels dirty.
Written 1 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Liv'n Life
Ilderton, Canada64 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2019
Beautiful black sand, Took long walks every morning at 7 AM had to get off the beach by 11 because the sand is black so I gets very hot. The beach is spotless there’s no stones there’s no garbage it’s clean clean clean. One of the best beaches I’ve ever been too. In the evenings to watch the tide go in and out was stunning the sunsets again were stunning December and January perfect months to visit this wonderful location
Written 7 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Muriel
Sao Paulo, SP18 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
June 2024 • Family
Easily accessible beach for those in San José, but prepare your pocket to pay the various tolls on the way to the beach. We went on a quiet Sunday, but we found the shore very difficult to walk on because there are a lot of rocks, it can hurt your feet, so we recommend taking flip flops. And I missed having a shower outside the beach to remove excess sand. However, the water was delicious and a refreshing temperature to stay in. We also parked our vehicle very easily and loved the local food, we ate a lobster that was divine for 18000 colónes (except that the price may change depending on the day and with the application of the 10% service fee).
Google
Written 11 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

heidilcombs
4 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Friends
The day trips are cool but a lot of people begging for money. Was approached by a guy, obviously on drugs, begging for money. That scared me. I called restaurant staff to get him away from me. Do not go out at night. Get dinner delivered or something. You can be eating in a restaurant and people are allowed to come in, interrupt your dinner, to try and sell you junk. Would I visit again?...probably not
Written 15 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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