Jacó essentials

Arrival: SJO (most guests) or LIR

Most Jacó guests fly into Juan Santamaría International (SJO) in Alajuela. The road runs along Route 27 toward Caldera, then Route 34 (the Costanera) south, and typically takes about an hour and a half, though traffic varies. San José itself is roughly 100 km away.

Daniel Oduber International (LIR) in Liberia is Guanacaste's gateway and a much longer road trip. Transfer listings put it at around four hours. If you have the choice, fly into SJO.

Private transfers let you set the pickup time and place. Public buses run from San José's Terminal Atlántico Norte to the Plaza Jacó terminal several times a day; check the operator's current timetable.

Getting around

Jacó's main strip runs parallel to the beach and is easy to walk. Herradura is a few kilometers north and Playa Hermosa a few kilometers south. Taxis cover short hops, and a rental car gives you freedom for Carara or Manuel Antonio on your own schedule.

Many tours solve transport for you. Each card on JacoTour says whether the listing includes pickup, offers it on request, or meets you at the start point, in the listing's own words.

Weather and seasons

Costa Rica's tourism board describes a well-defined Pacific dry season from December to March, with April as a transition. The rainy season runs from May to October, November is a transition month, and September and October are usually the wettest. July and August often bring a drier spell called the veranillo.

On the Pacific side, rain tends to fall in the afternoon and early evening, so green-season mornings are often your best window for surf, ATV, zipline and park visits. Daytime temperatures in Jacó typically sit around 24–32 °C (75–90 °F) with high humidity. Weather varies year to year, so treat this as a pattern, not a promise.

Rainy-day ideas

Book outdoor tours for the morning and keep something low-key for the afternoon. Our rainy-day picks are the cacao and chocolate walk near Herradura and the traditional-food walk in town. These are editorial suggestions; confirm weather policies on each listing.

Choosing a base: Jacó, Herradura or Playa Hermosa

All three sit within a short drive of each other, and most tours pick up across the area. Choose by the trip you want.

Jacó is the walkable middle, with the most tour meeting points and surf schools. Herradura is the quieter bay to the north, with the marina and charters. Playa Hermosa, to the south, is the surfers' beach.

Playa Herradura

Playa Herradura takes its name from its horseshoe-shaped bay, a few kilometers north of Jacó. Los Sueños Marina is here, making it the natural base for sportfishing charters and Tortuga Island boat days; the private Tortuga listing meets at the Herradura beach bus stop. The Vista Los Sueños Adventure Park sits just inland from the Herradura intersection, and the zipline and chocolate walk listings both start there.

Stay here if boats and a calmer bay matter more than walking to restaurants. Los Sueños Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort sits on the bay beside the marina, and Pumilio Mountain & Ocean Hotel is up the hillside between Herradura and Jacó.

Playa Hermosa

Playa Hermosa starts a few kilometers south of Jacó. It is a long, open grey-sand beach known for powerful beach-break waves, and Save The Waves dedicated it as Central America's first World Surfing Reserve in 2022. Strong currents make it a poor choice for casual swimming or beginner surfing, so learn in Jacó and come here to watch or to surf once you're ready. Part of the coast is protected as the Playa Hermosa–Punta Mala National Wildlife Refuge for nesting olive ridley turtles.

Stay here if surf is the point of the trip and you're happy to drive into Jacó for tours and dinners. Transfer listings include Playa Hermosa in their pickup areas. For a Hermosa stay, compare vacation rentals on Vrbo; we don't list a Playa Hermosa hotel yet.

Staying in Jacó itself

Base in Jacó if you want to walk to surf schools, tour meeting points and dinner. Crocs Resort & Casino sits at the north end of the beach, a little removed from the busiest stretch. For the town's food and neighborhoods, TropicalJaco is the guide.