Photos of Playa Jaco Costa Rica (Central Pacific) From Our Personal Collection
Last updated on August 16th, 2023 at 11:16 am GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)
Written by Nikki Solano
Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️
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Playa Jaco Photos
Playa Jaco fast facts
- English name: Jaco Beach
- Distance from San Jose: 100km (approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes)
- Closest Town: Tarcoles (small town), Quepos (large town)
- Beach Status: Public beach
Playa Jaco beach details
Sand, shade, scenery, and unique features
Playa Jaco is a long beach with trodden brown sand. The beach also has long, unbroken waves you can surf. A few palm trees at the back of the beach provide cooling shade.
Crowds and noise
Playa Jaco regularly entertains several visitors, mainly because it fronts the town of Jaco, which serves a high volume of residents and visitors. Due to the town’s popularity, and particularly its role as a quintessential party town, crowds and noise can be an issue. Fortunately, the multi-kilometer-long beach provides plenty of room for spacing out and rarely feels full.
Cleanliness and Ecological Blue Flag rating
Costa Rica’s Programa Bandera Azul Ecológica (Ecological Blue Flag Program) promotes sustainability and public health. Every year, beaches in Costa Rica strive for top honors, which are bestowed annually according to strict ecological criteria. Beaches that participate in the program and meet 90-100% of the eligibility criteria achieve a 1-star rating. Further efforts invite beaches to earn additional stars (5 stars is the highest rating), including special colored stars. (To learn more about the program and discover what each blue flag rating means, see our related blog post: Award-Winning Blue Flag Beaches In Costa Rica: Photos & Map; Most-Recent Winners.)
Playa Jaco is not currently participating in the Programa Bandera Azul Ecológica. Therefore, it does not have a star rating.
Development at Playa Jaco
Hotels, restaurants, tours, bathrooms, etc.
The town of Jaco provides an endless selection of establishments, including hotels, restaurants, tour offices, surf schools, and shops. Most line both sides of the town’s main drag (Avenida Pastor Diaz) and side streets that connect the main street to Playa Jaco, and the majority are within walking distance of the beach. In addition to finding restaurants and hotels located directly on the beach, you’ll also find a few lounge chairs and umbrellas on the beach, as well as a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk comprised of recycled materials.
Playa Jaco safety
Swimming and water safety
Swimming is allowed at Playa Jaco. However, as a well-known surf destination, the water can be wavy and rough, and there is a known rip current. As always, exercise caution in and around the water, especially if you plan to visit with children or inexperienced swimmers.
General safety
Never bring items of value with you to the beach and always keep an eye on your belongings. Remember to lock your rental car if you have one. Do not visit the beach before sunrise or after sunset.
Playa Jaco location and road conditions
Access to Playa Jaco and 4×4 requirement
Playa Jaco is located on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. It is the principal beach of Jaco, a popular beach town on the west side of Highway 34.
Playa Jaco sits just west of Avenida Pastor Diaz, the main street that runs the length of Jaco center. Two main access roads, The Boulevard and Avenida Amapola, jut off Highway 34 roughly 20 kilometers south of Parque Nacional Carara (the Carara National Park) and connect with Avenida Pastor Diaz at the north and south ends of town. A 4×4 vehicle is not required to reach Playa Jaco.
Map of Playa Jaco Costa Rica
Parking at Playa Jaco
There is no official parking at Playa Jaco. Locals park randomly along the sides of Avenida Pastor Diaz or along side streets that connect Avenida Pastor Diaz to the beach.
Best reason(s) to visit Playa Jaco
Playa Jaco isn’t worth traveling to purely to experience the beach. However, if you plan to station yourself in the Jaco area of Costa Rica for a different reason, such as to surf or enjoy the area’s vibrant nightlife, Playa Jaco provides decent waves and no shortage of bars. Go for the surf or Jaco’s social scene, not the beach itself.
Beach-hopping from Playa Jaco (or alternative beach options in the region)
Recommended day trips from Playa Jaco include visits to Playa Mantas, Playa Blanca, Playa Herradura, or Playa Hermosa.
Not sure which Costa Rica beaches are the best to visit? Let the beaches in this article inspire you:
Want to learn about Costa Rica’s ecological blug flag beaches? Don’t miss our related blog post:
Award-Winning Blue Flag Beaches In Costa Rica (Photos & Map; Most-Recent Winners)
QUESTION TO COMMENT ON: Have you been to Playa Jaco? What did you think?
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