JacoTourPlan My Jacó Trip ↗Manuel Antonio: the big day south
Manuel Antonio National Park combines rainforest trails with beaches inside the park. Official tourism materials describe capuchin monkeys, sloths, coatis and the endemic squirrel monkey along its paths. The park sits about 75 km south of Jacó, and operators estimate around an hour's drive each way without traffic, so treat it as a full day.
Tickets are sold online through SINAC's system, the park has no parking area of its own, and single-use plastics aren't allowed. Hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the park closes one day a week. Published sources disagree on which day, so check SINAC before you book. A guided tour with pickup from Jacó takes care of the drive; check the listing for what else it includes.
Manuel Antonio day-trip guide →
Compare Manuel Antonio tours from Jacó →
Carara and the Tárcoles River
Carara National Park's main entrance is on Route 34, about 2 km south of the Tárcoles River bridge. According to Costa Rica's tourism board, it protects the only transitional forest in the Central Pacific, where dry-forest and rainforest species meet, and it is one of the country's key places for scarlet macaws. The park opens daily from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the dry season and from 8 a.m. in the rainy season, and it has a universal-access trail.
Just north, the Tárcoles River is home to American crocodiles and rich birdlife in its mangroves. We don’t list a river-boat tour. If you book one yourself, choose an operator that observes wildlife without feeding it.
Tortuga Island: a full day on the gulf
Tortuga Island lies in the Gulf of Nicoya. The private-boat listing leaves from Herradura, with pickup from your stay or a meeting point at the Herradura beach bus stop. Expect a long day of snorkeling, meals and palm shade, and check the listing's inclusions and pickup time.
Playa Hermosa: watch the pros, or paddle out if you're ready
Playa Hermosa is the long grey-sand beach just south of Jacó, and it is a World Surfing Reserve. Save The Waves approved it in 2020 and dedicated it in 2022, making it the first reserve in Central America. It is known for punchy beach-break peaks and hosted the 2009 ISA World Championship.
The same strong currents that build the waves make it risky for swimming and for beginners. Learn on Jacó's beach, then come to Hermosa to watch a late-afternoon session. Part of the shoreline belongs to the Playa Hermosa–Punta Mala National Wildlife Refuge, created in 1998 to protect nesting olive ridley turtles.
Go deeper on surf at SurfCostaRica →
Reasons to add a night
- Manuel Antonio needs a full day, and it's more relaxed when it isn't squeezed next to a big adventure day.
- Carara is at its best early, so an extra night lets you be at the gate when it opens.
- Tortuga Island and fishing charters depend on the ocean, so a spare day gives you a backup.
- A second surf lesson on day four or five is when most beginners start to catch waves on their own.