The next stop on our Costa Rican road trip was Jacó, a small coastal town located in the Puntarenas province, which borders the Pacific Ocean. From beaches over lush rainforest to surrounding mountaintops… this spot is perfect for families, honeymooners as well as the young and crazy swarms of backpackers. Jacó offers a lot of outdoor activities for young and old.
That being said, this place is especially attracting one big international crowd: surfers from all over the world! Faded shorts and bleached hair, you see them everywhere on the cinnamon coloured beaches made of volcanic sand.
Jacó (on the map)
Jacó truly is a small town with a few scattered bars here and there, nightclubs and restaurants.
If you want to make a stop in this town and you are looking for a more idyllic and laid back place to dump your suitcase for a while, I’d recommend the Apart Hotel Vista Pacifico. From the moment we walked through their gates, the owners, Jan and Greg, welcomed us with open arms. This family held hotel is a haven of peace, an intimate spot of luxuriant tropical gardens located a bit outside of the busy town center in the surrounding mountains. Their terrace is a viewpoint with an overwhelming outlook on the nature encompassing the beach town.
Tip 2: Another thing to keep in mind if you have a room on the first floor, is to make sure you that the security lock of your terrace door is pulled off. The likelihood of locking yourself outside on the terrace at night, while hastily closing the door and trying to avoid a mosquito infestation inside is very big!
You’ll be stranded on a cozy terrace with a zillion mosquitos! Been there, done that! (Fortunately, Greg came to our rescue!)
Where to eat and drink in Jacó
If you are a cocktail fanatic or just a foodie on a quest to treat your taste buds to some delectable dishes, then pay a visit to the Graffiti Restro & Wine bar.
This is quite a funky place that boasts Costa Rican street art, with a cozy though eclectic atmosphere.
The restaurant places a particular emphasis on the freshness of their products and the daily change of their menu. I cannot stress out enough the explosion of tastes you’ll experience while trying their dishes!
Unfortunately, we only stayed one night in Jacó, so there’s not much more I can say about the town. But although, we only had a short stopover in Jacó, we had a fabulous time there! As for our road trip, we still had a lot of places to check off our map and didn’t know where exactly our adventure would take us.
More about our road trip in Costa Rica:
That seems lovely! I’m so curious about Central America as I’ve never been there. Seems like paradise. Great photos!
I haven’t been anywhere else in Central America than Costa Rica, but I guarantee you, you will like it 🙂
The place you stayed in seems to have a lovely terrace view of the lush greens outside. Very Costa Rica-ish! The cover picture is superb.
Thank you so much Punita 🙂
Costa rica is on our list probably for next year! So many countries around there we need to go, this has inspired us a lot!
Happy to hear that! I guess you’ll definitely love Costa Rica… I don’t know anyone who doesn’t. 🙂
I’ve seen Costa Rica in Travel Channel only. Hopefully when we get the chance to explore Central America, I’ll make sure Costa Rica is included. I love the mountain views and the lush greens as seen on your photos. 🙂
Costa Rica is absolutely fabulous and people are so great. If you can, you should definitely travel there 🙂
Costa Rica seems to be an amazing destination for trips. I would love to go there on a long vacation some day. I really love the fact that the hotel is surrounded by such beautiful views. With views like this, I would never want to come back 🙂
I can assure you, that it was difficult to leave this country… It really was beautiful everywhere!
Jacó sounds like a lovely reprise off the beaten path in Costa Rica! And you said two of the most magical things? infamous coffee and beef tenderloin. Yes please! Suddenly, the coffee I am drinking right now, notably NOT infamous, feels a little less satisfactory.. haha
Haha, you’re funny! But honestly,… I’m still dreaming about that piece of tenderloin 🙂
Costa Rica seems to be too romantic to me for backpacking. I would love to go there on a long vacation some day, with my wife. haha!
Yes, you should definitely go on a romantic vacation with your wife… As I said, Costa Rica has something for everyone!
I’ve never heard of Jaco but I’m dying to explore Costa Rica, so I’m sure I’ll visit one day. I am glad to know about a beautiful and welcoming hotel there. And the food sounds great! I would especially like the Infamous Coffee and Cacao Crusted Beef Tenderloin.
That Tenderloin was amazing 🙂 That dinner was aperfect ending to a great day… I hope ou can travel to CR one day. It really is worth it 🙂
Whole Costa Rica sounds interesting to me. Jaco, looks cozy as well as beautiful with those lush green views.I am a big coffee fan and surely wanna try the infamous coffee.
Yep, Costa Rica is a real gem! 🙂
Jaco sounds like a perfect place to relax and enjoy a weekend. And the coffee that you describe is sounds quite interesting. Sigh! Too many places to visit
Yeah… too many places to visit, and so few time to do it!