Jaco is one of the most popular beach towns in Costa Rica for surfers because of its proximity to the famous surf breaks at Playa Hermosa. The town is also fantastic for beginner surfers, who can find smaller waves and introductory lessons at the main beach, Playa Jaco.
Jaco, Costa Rica, is a must-see travel destination for any beach lover, surfer, or outdoor adventurer. The sheer variety of beaches, jungle exploration activities, and nightlife options make it a wonderful destination for your visit to Costa Rica.
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The drive between the two cities is not very far, and a car service grants you convenient door-to-door transportation without needing to navigate the bus system. Daytrip enables you to leave for Jacoâs beaches straight from the Juan SantamarĂa International Airport - minimizing your travel time and letting a local English-speaking driver give you your first taste of âpura vidaâ.
The main beach, Playa Jaco, is a welcoming highlight of the city, offering plenty of smaller waves for newbie surfers. Meanwhile, toward the south, the revered Playa Hermosa draws more advanced crowds with its bigger, more consistent waves and entices surf-minded travelers from across the globe. \
If youâd prefer to stay on dry land, Jaco also acts as an ideal gateway to some of Costa Ricaâs national parks, including Carara National Park. This jungle paradise is a mesmerizing example of biodiversity, home to over 400 bird species and allowing visitors to explore trails deep into the pristine mountainous wilderness. Churning waterfalls, eager monkeys, and brilliant Scarlet Macaws are just some of the sights awaiting a visitor to Carara. \
Jaco also offers travelers a chance to explore Isla Tortuga (Tortuga Island), a remote isle thatâs actually composed of two smaller islands, Alcatraz and Tolinga. Isla Tortuga can only be accessed by boat, with tours leaving frequently from Jaca. Once there, white sand beaches and turquoise coves greet you, providing ample opportunity to snorkel, kayak, or hike through the surrounding jungle. The area is complete with a few small bars and lunch options, and if youâre lucky, you may be able to spot some of the Islandâs wild pig population.
The best way to cross the distance between these two cities is with a private car service. This will start your time in Jaco off with a convenient drop off at your accommodation, and save you time and money spent on navigating an airport shuttle or the bus system. Plus, youâll be getting a more scenic route through Costa Rica, and have the chance to do some sightseeing along the way!
Book adventures ahead of time
If you are visiting during the countryâs dry season, be mindful that the near-perfect weather can draw significant crowds to Jaco. If you are planning to partake in any guided activities such as zip-lining, jungle exploration, or surf lessons, consider researching and booking your activities in advance to avoid disappointment.
Opting for Daytrip's private car service gives you access to local insights from your English-speaking driver, convenient pick-up and drop-off right at your doorstep in each city, and straightforward booking with a friendly team. This option saves you from organizing transport to and from the bus station and also allows you to stop and do some sightseeing along the way. This transfer takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes from door to door, omitting any sightseeing stops.
First and foremost, Jaco is a beach town. Whether youâre here to relax on the shore or are an experienced surfer seeking a much stronger swell, thereâs a beach for you in driving distance from Jaco.
Playa Jaco:
Perhaps not one of Costa Ricaâs most photogenic beaches, but its bubbly atmosphere, surfable waves, and ultra-convenient location make it the perfect first stop on arrival to Jaco. It is also rimmed with surf shops for any forgotten coastal necessities and a range of dining and drinking options that can carry you from day to night without ever straying too far from the sand.
Playa Mantas:
This turquoise cove is encircled by palm trees and showcases the very best of Costa Ricaâs tropical beauty. This popular spot is a great option for families seeking calmer water away from big-wave surfers and presents an opportunity for swimming, paddle boarding, or simply relaxing.
Playa Hermosa:
This dark sand oasis is a surferâs dream, with the powerful waves often hosting professional surfers for practice or competition. This beach is not for swimming, but the shore can be a calm reprieve from the busier beaches.
A tip for non-quite-beginner but less advanced surfers: consider Playa Esterillos Oeste instead, where the northwestern end of the beach touts a reef break that creates calmer swells mimicking other famous A-frame breaks.
Zipline through the jungle
For those seeking high-adventure, look no further than a zipline adventure in one of the forested parks of Jaco. Youâll soon be soaring above the tree line, sometimes with a glistening ocean view breaking through the rich green canopy. Some tours offer a gondola tram for a slower scenic route up before your exhilarating zipline journey down through Jacoâs mountainous jungles.
Join in the nightlife
When the sun goes down and the surfers retreat onto the sand, Jaco is transformed into a radiant center of parties, tiki bars, and nightclubs to suit every budget and taste. If the more energetic evenings arenât for you, consider finding a local restaurant to indulge in Costa Ricaâs signature dishes. Try the Arroz Con Pollo, a fried-rice adjacent colored a vibrant yellow with Achiote (a native plant lending the dish a sweet and nutty flavor.)
The most popular time to visit Jaco is during the dry season, a long stretch of warmer weather and mainly blue skies beginning in December and ending in April. This can be a great time to visit for newer surfers or the average vacationer, but be mindful that prices may be much higher during this time. Booking all flights and accommodation well in advance is recommended.
Visit these sights on the way
Britt Coffee Tour
How is coffee made and why is Costa Rica's so delicious? Find out on a fun and informative tour at this eco-friendly plantation. The Magical FruitÂ
Museo Historico Cultural Juan Santamaria
Costa Ricaâs history, and especially the life of its national hero, is detailed in this fascinating free museum. A Heroâs HistoryÂ
Los Chorros Waterfalls
Feel the rush of these two powerful cascades roaring in the lush jungle. The JetsÂ
Else Kientzler Garden
This lush botanical garden is home to tropical plants from around the world. Transnational Tropical TreatsÂ
Crocodile Bridge
Dozens of crocs congregate on sunny river banks right below one of Costa Ricaâs main highways. The Croc StopÂ
Mirador de Jaco
An unmissable sign with unmissable views. Colors of the CoastÂ
âI used this service for a transfer from Split in Croatia to Perast Montenegro. My experience was exceptional. My driver Bojan was helpful, informative and ensured my journey was comfortable and enjoyable. I highly recommend the service.â
âWe were extremely satisfied with the quality of service we received from Day Trip. We had two Day Trip rides on August 31 from Athens to Lefkada and September 7 from Lefkada back to Athens. Both trips included stops at scenic sites in Greece. Both drivers were excellent and accommodating. However, weâd especially like to recognize Panos Peppas, who was our driver from Lefkada to Athens. Panos was incredibly nice & pleasant and delivered outstanding customer service, which included handling all of luggage, providing us with cold waters throughout the trip, providing us protein bars, providing us with printed materials on the Corinth Canal (one of scenic stops), looking up and providing us with terminal & gate info for our flight back home and providing us with a recipe for tzatziki.â
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traveler Daydream20046758137
âWe absolutely love this company and have used it many times over the years to get from A to B without the hassle of hiring a car ourselves. Excellent drivers every time. Efficient and professional. Itâs worth every penny and we can honestly recommend Day Trip to everyone. Itâs 5 star rating is well deserved.â
âWe traveled from Nuremberg to Munich in a beautiful Audi. Driver picked us at our hotel at the exact time requested. Got us to Munich in plenty of time for our next tour. Driver made sure we were comfortableâ
âGonzalo from daytrip was our driver and he was absolutely amazing. He went over and beyond trying to locate us as our service wasn't so good on our phones. He patiently awaited our arrival to the lobby so he could take us from Tulum Dreams Resort to our other hotel in cancun an hour and a half away near the airport prior to our departure flight home. He was polite, respectful and kind. Made sure we were comfortable during our long ride. Fast and to the point. I recommend this company as finding a one way ride from Tulum to Cancun isn't easy or cheap and this company provides a great service for a great price. I will definitely be using them again whenever I'm in the Cancun/Tulum area. Thank you DayTrip and Gonzola.â
âWe were picked up by Marianna to drive us from Heraklion to Chania. The weather was terrible & due to this Marianna arrived a few minutes late. She contacted me to advise of this. Marianna lives in Chana and she made our trip very interesting by informing us of local things to do and see in Chania. Marianna is a safe driver and we all felt comfortable with the speed she drove at and how good her driving was in heavy rain. She is a lovely person with fluent English. We highly recommend Daytrips and if you are in Heraklion or Chania please make sure you ask for Marianna.â
âUsed the service to go from Luxor to Hurghada, Egypt. Ahmed H was our driver and he was perfect. The car was new, clean, he had water and snacks for us, and accommodated our stops. Great service from him and would recommend it.â
âUsed Daytrip for two rides in Mexico, which were both great. So comfortable, and we arrived at each of our destinations at a great time. Both were incredible drivers, and we felt so safe. One of our drivers, Miguel, also played the best music! Will definitely use Daytrip on our next trip to Mexico.â
âWe did not know what to expect with this trip and booked from Australia. We were initially looking for an easy way to travel from Granada to Malaga. We decided not to waste the opportunity to see something additional on our way. Miguel certainly exceeded our expectations. His English was excellent (unfortunately we speak very little Spanish), and he was very friendly and helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed hearing about the regions as we passed through and also discussing some of the local ways. Miguel took us to Antequera as planned and ensured we were able to easily get our tickets to the attractions without any sense of rushing us. We were picked up and dropped off punctually and really enjoyed our trip. Hopefully we will return to Spain and we can use this service again sometime.â
âWe used the service twice while in Thailand. Extremely prompt and efficient customer service. Best rate being offered in Chiang Mai for the travels. Polite, punctual, professional and English speaking drivers. Clean, comfortable vehicles. Being a regular visitor to Thailand, this was hands down the best service. Most pleased with the company. I hope it sustains the excellence of service that was rendered to us.â
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traveler Omar
Good to know
Children
If youâre traveling with children, make sure to let us know in the booking so we can get the appropriate child seats ready!
Pets
Pets are allowed (and loved)! We just need to know beforehand. You can tell us about them in the next phase of the booking.
Tips
Gratuity isnât included or required, but if you really enjoyed your trip, you can show your driver your appreciation with an optional tip (10% is sufficient).
Luggage
Big luggage
29x21x11 inches
74x53x28 cm
Small luggage
22x14x9 inches
56x36x23 cm
Each passenger is allowed to have one checked bag and one carry on. If youâre traveling with more bags or oversized luggage, you can adjust this while booking.
Payment methods
Pay by credit card online, or in cash directly to your driver!
Daytrip is a platform that connects you with local drivers who will transport you door-to-door, from one city to the next. We also give you the opportunity to explore sights/attractions along the way. We drive, you discover.
Yes! A return trip will take you back to your city of origin in the same size car in which you arrived. Return trips can be booked for the any day. You can also add customized sightseeing stops separately for each trip! Donât worry if you donât know your exact address at the time of booking - youâll have the opportunity to update us closer to your travel date. Make sure to select âReturnâ when you start the booking process, then choose the dates and times of your departures.
For private trips, you can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before departure. For the Daytrip Pool shared shuttle, we offer 3 ticket options when booking: Non-refundable, Flexible with cancellations 24 hours before departure, and Super-flexible with cancellations up to 15 minutes before departure.
Simply choose your origin and destination via our homepage and enter your departure date and time. Browse and add sightseeing stops along the way by following the booking instructions provided on-screen. Select âOne Wayâ or âReturnâ to change the type of trip you need. Itâs a simple, easy, and fun way to book your next adventure! And if you donât see your desired route on our website, you can request a custom trip. You can even book without knowing your exact pick-up or drop-off address - we let you add these later!
Each passenger is allowed one large bag (29" x 21" x 11" / 74 x 53 x 28 cm) and one small bag (22" x 14" x 9" / 56 x 36 x 23 cm). Luxury sedans can only accommodate 2 large bags. We always send the vehicle that is the best fit for you and your luggage, so make sure to select the actual amount of luggage you are traveling with when booking. If you have oversized luggage, or are unsure if your luggage will fit, contact us.
Everywhere except the USA, drivers will supply appropriate child seats (just let us know during booking). In the USA, certain states require you to supply your own child seats.
