Planning a trip to Jacó, Costa Rica? Take it from someone who lived there there is so much to do! Here are a few of my favorites from where to stay, where to eat, and what to do in the area.
If you're looking for more recommendations or want to ask a question book a session with me and I'll help you plan the perfect Jacó adventure!
"Beach life in surf town with nightlife and great food - that's Jacó, what more could you ask for?"
Jacó has so much to offer! It's a lively party town, with lots of nightlife, activities, and great people. You'll never be bored in Jacó.
Being the closest beach town to San Jose there are lots of locals that visit this beach town. Depending on the time of the year it can get really crowded. If you're looking to let loose and get a taste of Costa Rica this is the perfect place to get it all!
🥘 Where to eat food & drink
The food in Jacó is amazing! You can get everything from fancy meals to rustic home cooking.
I couldn't make a list of where to eat in Jacó without adding my favorite place to eat lunch! The sushi is amazing but pretty much anything on this menu is perfect, vibrant, flavorful, and so good! The owner Diego and his wife made me feel like family while I lived there and all his staff were always so kind to us! I specifically stopped here to say bye when I moved away. This place really is Ohana!
I love this place! They often have live music. The server's English is great. You can sit outside and have great drinks! They have an awesome drink menu! The food is locally sourced. You'll see the local surf crowd come through here and we even saw a couple of local surf legends! Check their social media or walk by to see when they have live music. It may have American prices but it's a great spot to get great food, drinks, and vibes!
Ok this is true Tico vibes. This is how backpackers survive in Jacó because a meal here is under $10 and you get so much food! We are here constantly, it's a true taste of local food, and you CANNOT go wrong! The food is SO GOOD but it's rustic, and it's a buffet, so be prepared to walk up and order (in Spanish) and sit outside.
I love this tucked-away beer house! After a hot day of shopping step into the AC and have a cold beer while chatting with the local bar tender. This is a great place to stop or get a drink before heading out to the clubs for the night.
For a nicer meal with a bit higher price tag check out Grafitti! This place is always booked and requires a reservation so be sure to book a table if you're looking for some fancier food fare!
This is my favorite ice cream place in Jacó! When it's 100+ degrees F outside you need ice cream! We would come here OFTEN. Definitely try their home made gelato!
When it's hot there's nothing better than a cold fruit smoothie! Stop here and grab a drink to go.
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These are my favorite places I visit when I go back to Jacó but there are so many great places to eat that it's really hard to choose just a few. If I had to recommend a few more I'd include Mono Verde (sit down), Sépalo (grab lunch), Tsunami (look for daily sushi deals), and Restaurante El Pelicano (get a beer and watch the sunset).
Things to do in Jacó
🛍️ Shopping
Jacó is a great place to buy souvenirs or gifts for family and friends back home. It's also a great place to get cute clothes at boutiques! The town has invested a lot into a new shopping area. Be sure to check it out!
Walk the main street in the area around this souvenir shop. All of Jacó is extremely walkable. Spend some time during the day to walk through the local shops and boutiques. Most of them sell the same stuff but it's fun to walk around and see what's on display. This is just one of the many shops on the main strip but you can explore the area from Café Bohio to the Pizza Shop.
This is a newly built trendy shopping area. It's great to walk around, pop in and out of shops, and grab a pastry!
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🏄♀️ Take a Surfing Lesson
The great thing about staying at hostels is they have activities onsite. We did our surf lessons at Room2Board. Even if you're not staying there you can take lessons.
There are tons of surf schools in Jacó so you will have plenty of options! Jacó surf school is one of the oldest in town and never a bad option.
🎣 Go Fishing!!
Jacó is known for it's fishing and they have MAJOR fishing tournaments with prizes up to $1 Million. I'm not a huge fan of fishing but I had an absolute BLAST doing it here in Jacó.
We had SO MUCH FUN FISHING! And I never thought I'd say that. The guys were great and we got to keep what we caught. They cleaned the fish for us and we took it to a local restaurant and had them cook it for us for dinner! Absolutely amazing!
Just 15 minutes from Jacó this place has everything! They offer zip lining, ATVs, horseback riding, etc. We went zip-lining here and loved it! I highly recommend it.
Just a short cab ride away from the center of Jacó is the casino! It's located at the resort. If you want to visit you can drop by, stay there, or you can buy a day pass to use the pools and their beach!
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🪩 Nightlife
There is no shortage of places to go out but here are a few of the popular ones. Many of these have ladies' night specials where they drink for free!
Jacó is famous for their hostels and they have a lot of them. These are my two favorites! They're great options because you get to meet so many people, they're clean, and they'll help you book activities!
Hostel at the end of town. They speak great English, most people are tourists here and in their 20s-30s. It's a cheap and clean place that's easy to book online!
About 1.5 hours south of Jacó is one of the most popular national parks in Costa Rica. White sand beaches, beautiful hiking views, and monkeys that can open backpacks (yes that is true, be careful with your stuff!). This is a great place to visit. Book a tour from town with a guide, take the bus, or hire a car for this day trip!
A two-hour drive south of Jacó is one of the most beautiful double-decker waterfalls you have ever seen. You do have to pay an entrance fee to get in here when you arrive and the waterfall is a ways from the office. If you don't want to hike, you can purchase a horseback riding tour that will take you to the falls. If you're opting for the cheaper option and hiking it's 6 km from the office to the falls (and another 6 km back). If you have a car with 4-wheel drive you can drive to the parking lot and hike 4 km (approximately 2 miles) to the falls. But once you get there it will feel GREAT to jump into that water and cool off!
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⚠️ Things to be aware of
Jacó is an amazing place to visit, let loose and have a great time! But there are a few things to be aware of when traveling to a new location, especially a popular one like this.
One thing to be aware of is that prostitution is legal in Costa Rica, and depending on the time of year, you will likely see it in Jacó. Since this is such a popular tourist spot there's a lot of activity in the area. The area has multiple strip clubs and a Casino at the north end of the town. The most popular, and nicest Gentlemans club is above Kokomo's in the center of town. Pops ice cream shop is a chain and popular hangout where you'll often see prostitutes waiting outside in the evenings.
Travel is my life. I travel to experience the culture, the food, and the people of the places I visit. Don't get me wrong, every now and then I like to do the touristy things or take a vacation just to relax but my specialty is finding ways to experience the culture without feeling like a tourist.
My name is Sierra. I grew up in Washington, D.C., and have been traveling since I was a kid. I've lived in Costa Rica, Florence Italy, in a van, and in and out of Airbnbs across the continental U.S. while traveling with my husband and dog. I've been a digital nomad, got the girls' trip out of the group chat, and traveled solo, but most of all I love adventuring with my husband and dog.
When I met my husband he had never really traveled and didn't think it was possible to travel unless you were rich. Over the years, we've learned to travel no matter what our budget is or where we want to go. We've done everything from hostels to five-star resorts to boutique eco hotels and camper vans.
We know that each vacation is different depending on what type of trip you're looking for and that is why my guides are tailored to different types of travel personas. Are you looking for a wild girls' trip in Cabo? I've got you. Interested in exploring Costa Rica's off-the-beaten-path beaches? I'll share my favorites. Looking for that perfect romantic trip (so much so that this is where my husband proposed!)? Don't worry I'll share with you our perfect day. I love sharing all of my favorite things about travel and hope you too will enjoy each of my favorite places around the world!
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