Top Things to do in Jaco
Countries
Top 8 Nature & Parks in Jaco, Province of Puntarenas
The tiny hamlet of Jaco is located in the Pacific Coast province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica. It’s the ultimate hideaway for sun seekers and active travelers, with cinnamon-hued volcanic-sand beaches, lush green rain forest and verdant mountains. Surfers flock here from around the world, but families, and honeymooners also find much to love, thanks to the multitude of beaches, outdoor activities, dining, shopping and nightlife. Explore the Costa Rican rain forest by horseback, learning about the flora and fauna in this impressive eco-system. Take an ATV tour to beaches, remote villages and waterfalls. Try your hand at sport fishing, paragliding, sea kayaking or even bungee jumping. Spend an afternoon at the Pura Vida Gardens and Waterfalls, where you’ll find millions of plants, flowers and orchids from around the world. Zip line through the jungle, play a round of golf or take an aerial tram tour of the rain forest. Expert surfers will want to check out La Roca Loca and Playa Hermosa for a challenge.
Restaurants in Jaco
1. Royal Butterflies
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 110 reviews
Enjoy a relaxing experience whilst being surrounded by exotic butterflies with a lush backdrop of tropical plants. Learn about the amazing life cycle of the butterflies and walk along the river path whilst exploring the over 70 types of fruit trees being grown on the property. Cold drinks and souvenirs are available for purchase in the gift shop. Tour is $10 p/person. Free for kids under 6 years old.'
Reviewed By U3962DNjoell - Quebrada Amarilla, Costa Rica
I recently moved to Quebrada Amarilla. I am delighted to live close to the Royal Butterflies attraction. I just visited today for the first of what I expect to be many times and a place where I bring all visitors.. Dan and Donna showed me around. The setting is beyond beautiful. The attraction is on the same property as the most spectacular tree house I have ever seen. I have been recommending the tree house to all my friends. The tree house has beautiful views and is amazing from an architecture prospective even including a hidden room as well as all the amenities you would expect from a hotel room. The Royal Butterflies attraction is also surrounded by many other tall trees and close to a gentle river but well off the road and quietly away from the modest traffic. But back to the butterflies. The exhibit features extremely colorful and beautiful assortments of butterflies in a quiet and beautiful location. The setting was tranquil and I simply wanted to rest and absorb the fluttering creatures. I came out of the exhibit as if I had been in a deep relaxing meditation.
2. Pura Vida Gardens and Waterfalls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 400 reviews
Pura Vida Gardens and Waterfalls is unique in Costa Rica. It is truly a "Visual Masterpiece". The gardens begin with the natural beauty of Costa Rica and four waterfalls in the property with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. To this millions of plants, flowers and orchids from all over the world have been added. Manicured walkways meander long a river and at the crest of the mountain which make the entire 50 acre gardens accessible to all. Have lunch in our restaurant and browse the gift shop that offers authentic Costa Rica gifts.
Reviewed By Lnc12345
Took a bus tour to this out-of-the-way garden on a hilltop. Beautiful gardens with a view of the ocean & a waterfall. Owner is open & friendly. Driving in a bus is difficult due to winding Mt road. Worth it, however!
3. Neo Fauna CR
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 214 reviews
Neofauna is a conservationist project focused on the reproduction, rescue and release of wild animals; this a private project financed by the sale of tours.
Reviewed By 928ilanah - Toronto, Canada
The place is a pretty little refuge in Jaco down a cute little street past a local school. The surroundings are lush and in March the shade was a blessing and there was a breeze! When we arrived there was someone there to greet us and to tell us what animals they had, how much it cost (25 USD per person) and where the money went to. As it was a conservation effort to save species we were fine with the amount! We set off with our guide who was kind and very knowledgeable. Our 3 year old daughter is normally quite shy but his demeanor quickly won her over. When we visited the different animals he told us why they were there and the treatments they were receiving. The butterfly area was gorgeous and beautiful- so many butterflies! Our guide went above and beyond to show us the animals and make us all so happy. I can't wait to go again! It was my daughter's favourite excursion in Costa Rica- including Manual Antonio!
4. Catarata Bijagual
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 70 reviews
Reviewed By EPHARDEE
20$ per person but worth it! Pretty decent hike! Definitely need good shoes and take the walking sticks they offer. I wouldn’t take my young kids but my teens could do it! It’s totally worth the view and up close view of the waterfall. Bring water and a snack to take a break before you head back up. It was pretty shaded and not to hot but we we started around 8 am and finished up around 11.
5. Jaco Beach
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,608 reviews
Reviewed By 442kristiana - Naples, United States
Pretty beach, black sand so it looks a bit like dirt but still very nice. Plenty of different Surf Schools, most charge around $10 per day to rent a surfboard, or $35 for a surf lesson. Two loungers and an umbrella are about $10 but you can negotiate depending on what else you are renting from them. If you get a surf lesson, most of the time they will give you the beach chairs and umbrella for free. Tico's Surf School was great, it's owned by their 4 times national surf champion and all the guys working there are very friendly. We negotiated the use of 2 surf boards every day for $20, and most of the time they let us use 2 boogie boards for free as long as we rent the surf boards. Boogie Boards were nice and a lot of fun too, but seemed like a ripoff if you had to pay $10 for each. (You can buy MOREY at Costco in the USA for $25-$30 almost the same quality). If you can, bring couple boogie boards with your from the USA, it can save you quite a bit of money for a week or two. You can always leave them behind when you go back, or sell them to another tourist there for $20 on the beach... :) Keep in mind High Tide is when you want to surf on this beach, which varies throughout the week and it comes different time of the day. In the beginning of our trip it seemed to be around 3pm or 5-6pm, but then it changed to 9-10am towards the end of our trip. During low tide you can still boogie board but surfing is tough if not impossible. Kids can still learn to surf on the whitewash so it's still fun. Parking is free around there, but try to park closer to the beach and don't leave valuables in your car - we saw someone lurking around our vehicle signaling another person, so ended up having to move it directly on the beach from where it was, a little walk on an adjacent street. When you get to the beach with your car, some of the surf school attendants may try to signal you to park and tell you that you can park for only $10 for the day, but don't fall for it, parking is free. Just say no I'll just park for free instead... ;) Be careful on the beach during low tide, even though it's very shallow and safe, it starts pulling in pretty hard and we saw someone almost drown, had it not been for the lifeguards that swam way past the surf to get him. Low Tide - the water recedes from the beach towards the ocean, so it pulls towards the deep ocean. High Tide - water invades the beach, so generally speaking it pushes you towards the shore. Waves were consistent everyday, with Magic SeaWeed app showing around 3-4 feet surf, but when you got in it was closer to 6'-7' every day, with some monster sets coming out of nowhere that were probably even higher. Again, between the smaller waves and the larger sets, there are plenty of waves for everyone to catch. Very easy conditions for surfing if you are a beginner. More experienced surfers go to Hermosa Beach, which is the next beach to the south. It's more desolate, and untouched, and it hosts all the surfing competitions. If you have a chance, drive down that way for lunch and try Las Olas Ahi Poke Hawaiian Style - best spent 700 colones in Costa Rica! Sit on the beach in the shade, drink and eat, and watch the surfers. If you aren't an experienced surfer, don't try surfing there, go back to Jaco :)
6. Hacienda las Agujas
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 2 reviews
At just 10 minutes from Jaco is Located Hacienda Las Agujas, the only tour operation with is own private 300 acres of primary forest in which the tourist can delight in a exuberant vegetation and animal life, The diferente trails are perfect designed, the tours takes 2 or 3 hours arriving to the beach.Because we believe "Safety first" our client are covered by National Insurance Institute INS. Our horses are totally trained, we take care daily and the rotated the work are the trails using in rides. We are specialized in groups with or not experience small or bigger and all ages. Don´t think too much and ride as a cowboy with ours cowboys.
7. Parque Recreativo Johannes Dankers
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By 797AnnM
Nice park with beautiful flowers and garden. the park has a nice place for children to play. Well maintained.
