The Ultimate Guide to Jaco Surf
The Jaco surf is easy to reach from the Costa Rican captial in San Jose. Okay, so the town isn’t the prettiest in the country but the offering here is very versatile and there are waves for lots of levels.
An introduction to the Jaco surf
Trusty Magic Seaweed introduces this one as the “de facto capital of Costa Rican surfing”. We gotta’ say, that’s not right on the mark for us.
It is. And it isn’t.
The Jaco surf is certainly some of the most reliable and versatile in the country, but it’s not got the the quality and fun of Tamarindo, Santa Teresa, or any of the upcoming surf towns on the Nicoya Peninsula.
Most of the plaudits are down to the huge SW-facing bay that fronts the town. It gets endless swells throughout the season (and plenty out of the season, too) and offers myriad peaks for all levels. However, there’s a tendency for it to get messy when its big and you can be left wanting for the peeling sandbanks and points that Costa Rica is known for.
There’s some serious quality in the waves that hit the southern headland and wrap around. They get extra protection from cross-Pacific westerlies and hold shape way better.
Most guides to Jaco surf also include Playa Hermosa. Just to the south, that’s a advanced rider’s dream. It’s an officially designated World Surf Reserve and has beautifully hollow right wedges that fire up whenever there’s a SW swell on the way.
(Truth be told, that’s the reason this destination is famous and you’re better of basing yourself in Hermosa to surf that every day since it’s got nicer hotels and – at least in our humble opinion – a nicer vibe).
Jaco itself is a bit of a ramshackle town without the tropical charms of somewhere like Tamarindo. Still, there’s fantastic surf infrastructure – loads of schools and surf hostels and board rentals and that counts for something.
We’d compare it somewhere like Weligama in Sri Lanka. Yes, the waves are great if you’re a total beginner, but better surfers will need to travel (only a little) to find real quality and more authentic Pura Vida character.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in Costa Rica
Jaco at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to Jaco surf?
Where is Jaco?
Jaco is on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, in the northern part of the long, thin province of Puntarenas (the same region that contains major surf hubs like Quepos and Santa Teresa).
It’s one of the first resorts (and the town really is a resort) that feels the full exposure to the Pacific Ocean on the Costa Rican coastline as it extends southwards out of the swell shadow of the Nicoya Peninsula
Perhaps most importantly, San Jose Province, the home of the capital of Costa Rica and the country’s largest international airport is right next door to – only 42 miles as the crow flies!
on the main 34 coast highway, sat west and south of San Jose. You can usually get in from the capital in about 1.5 hours. Scheduled minibus transfers to Jaco from the airport (SJO) usually take a little longer – around two hours or so.
How to get to Jaco?
The first job is to get into Costa Rica. What’s great is that Jaco is SUPER close to the capital and the main airport in the country – in fact, it’s probably the closest surf town of any to San Jose. We tend to search Kiwi for long-haul flights just because we like thier way of matching up non-affiliated airlines to get the best ticket prices.
Once you’ve landed in Costa Rica, you can do any of the following to get to Jaco:
- Minibus transfer – The most common way to travel for backpackers crossing from San Jose to Jaco. MyPinkBus offer a pick-up at any hotel in the capital and direct shuttles to Jaco on comfy buses with WiFi for just $40 each. Easy Ride run 3x daily connections straight from the airport.
- Drive yourself – Costa Rican roads are getting better every single year and lots of travelers no go for the drive-yourself option. It really is fun, but be warned that navigating the traffic in San Jose can be a nightmare. Once out of the city, it’s two hours through the stunning central sierras to Jaco. Once you get there you’ll have a ride of your own, and that can be EXCELLENT for surfing, since it means you’ll be able to drive north and south to seek out emptier beaches and secret waves. We always use RentalCars for our hires – most bookings with them can be cancelled up to 24 hours before. We’d reccommend booking 4WD in Costa Rica.
Where to surf in Jaco?
Jaco is the hub of about five or six very good surf spots. The keyword of this part of the Puntarenas coast is consistency over quality, but that’s not to say there aren’t some well-honed waves to hit. There are, especially in Hermosa, Central America’s newest World Surfing Reserve…
Playa Escondida
Go north through the palm-fringed bays that lie outside of Jaco and you’ll eventually come to Playa Escondida. It takes about 20 minutes in the car. The reward – when it’s working, which is rare – is a expert’s reef break that wedges up and drops both right and left across the rocky seafloor.
It starts as one peak but quickly rips into two waves, one going one way and the other peeling the other. Both are pretty similar but opposite, with a fast drop and then potential to hollow out. Playa Escondida needs big SW or W swells to start going so expect to share the wave. Don’t surf it at low tide because the reef gets way too shallow.
Playa Herradura
Between Escondida and Jaco itself, Playa Herradura is a sheltered bay with views across the Golfo de Nicoya. It’s not really known for surfing.
Much of the SW and W swells are cut out by offshore islands. What’s more, the beach is popular among families and there are lots of swimmers in the water.
Our advice? Skip it alltogether if you want to surf each day. Only go if you’re traveling with the little ones and don’t mind making a trip to find waves..
Playa Jaco
Playa Jaco is the surf you’re after if you’ve come to Costa Rica as a beginner. But it’s not JUST for beginners.
This wide, well-exposed bay is a swell magnet, but manages to temper oncoming SWerlies with its big headlands to the south and north and array of sandbanks. The result is a 2.5-mile run of of brown-tinged sand that’s riddled with breaks of all shapes and sizes.
Generally speaking, the waves are bigger and punchier up the north end of Playa Jaco. That’s not good news, though, because there’s so little protection there that bigger days can be as messy as a Costa Rican volcano eruption.
Secondary swells run the whole length of the bay to offer loads for learners and schools. Meanwhile, the south end of the bay gets the better, glassier waves, which hold shape better, especially when the wind is up.
Roca Loca
The rock reefs at the far south end of Jaco bay crash into the headland of Roca Loca ro form this pretty gnarly right. Usually needs at least overhead in the swell to start working. When it does, it’s a steep wall of water that runs right and very shallow. Fast and fun but not for anyone below advanced level.
El Gato
A similar rock-reef to Roca Loca powers up El Gato on the headland at the south end of Jaco bay.
However, here the S-SW swells are channeled into a neat left-hander that’s fast and rippable for a few seconds before petering out.
Best on larger days of 8-10 foot and only for the experts. Big local following. Rocks underfoot and can be quite shifty, so generally better for people with a bit more experience.
Playa Hermosa
Surfers in Jaco after the creme-de-la-creme of North Puntarenas simply have to visit Playa Hermosa.
This is an official World Surfing Reserve and a spot with the best reliability in the whole of Jaco, arguably in the whole country.
Waves are strong and punchy and there are regular days of perfect head-high wedges with lefts, rights, and all sorts during the peak surf season.
Hermosa counts about five individual named breaks up its length. For us, Backyards steals the show. It’s a bit like a powerful version of the The Wreck in Bondi, but the hollow walls of La Curva are something special when they start firing.
Honestly, if you’re SERIOUS about surfing and are anything over intermediate+, it’s worth considering skipping Jaco proper and basing yourself in Hermosa. There are cracking hotels that let you walk through the palm groves straight to some of Costa Rica’s best waves.
Where to stay? Surf Inn Hermosa is a top choice for surfers (as the name implies). You’ll sleep literally 1 second walk from Backyards, a perfectly peeling A-frame. Rooms are simple but affordable and have the best views through the palms to the surf.
We have a complete guide to surfing in Playa Hermosa if this one’s taken your fancy!
Esterillos Beach
Around 30 minutes’ drive south of Jaco is the long, south-facing beach of Esterillos. This wild, relatively untouched part of the Puntarenas shoreline is the place to go if you HATE crowds and like punchy beach breaks. It’s only got a few coast hotels but has over five miles of black sand that has peaks all the way along.
Most people stay in Esterillos Oeste, the western part of the beach, which is also home to one great A-frame reef that works at mid or high tide.
We have a complete guide to surfing in Esterillos Beach
Surf camps in Jaco
If you’re thinking about doing a surf camp in Costa Rica, then it’s definitely worth thinking about doing it Jaco. Santa Teresa, Tamarindo and Nosara tend to be the more popular locations these days, but there are pluses to coming here…
First, it’s closer to any international airport. Second, the waves in the main bay are extremely beginner friendly, so it’s surf in easy mode and top for first-timers. Third, packages tend to be a touch cheaper in Jaco than in other surf towns up and down the coast.
What’s the benefit to a surf camp? These are full-on surf packages that take care of everything for you. One price typically covers your accomodation and your surf lessons, plus board rental and transport to and from the breaks. Good surf camps will throw in more than that – yoga, breakfast, extra activities – but those are the basics. It’s an easy way to plan a full surf trip.
Currently, we’d say that the best surf camps you can do here are…
- School of the World Surf Camp (7-day double surf camp) – School of the World Surf Camp has forged a reputation for no-nonsense camps that focus on surf, surf and more surf. This “double” camp is called that because you’ll do 2x 120-minute surf lessons EVERY DAY, which trumps almost any other package in the country in terms of sheer amount of surfing. They also do video analysis with expert surfers.
- Damo Surf Camp (7-day surf camp) – A perfect choice for complete beginners, the Damo Surf Camp is very highly rated (we’re talking a perfect 5/5 on Goog with a bunch of reviews). Thier week-long package includes six surf lessons, yoga and mediation, all your accomodation, one daily meal, a guided sunset hike, and even free use of in-house equipment outside of lesson times, so you can practice as much as you like. All that for under $800 aint bad for Costa Rica!
Need more inspo? Don’t miss our guide to the best surf camps in Costa Rica, which we update every year to showcase the finest packages in the country.
A note on why we partner with BookSurfCamps.com: Book Surf Camps are probably the biggest online aggregator of surf camps and surf-yoga packages in the world. We sounded out a quite a few potential partners before we affiliated with them. But, in the end, the abundance of choice for beginners, intermediates, and female-only surfing sealed it. We also love the simplicity of their booking system and the trusted brand name, along with the focus on connecting with homegrown local businesses on the ground.
Want more Jaco surf camp options? Search the whole shebang below right now and book in a few clicks.
Best hotels (for surfers) in Jaco
There are plenty of places to stay in Jaco. This is one of Costa Rica’s original surf towns and it has the hotels to show for it.
For surfers, a few stays stick out from the crowd for us. They offer on-site surf rental, storage, training, and recovery, but also some lux extras AND – importantly – good locations.
Here are the ones that we’d focus on…
Surf Synergy All-Inclusive Surf Retreat
Surf Synergy All-Inclusive Surf Retreat is one of our overall top picks among the gazillions of surf hotels there are in Costa Rica for 2024/25.
Nestled in the hills near Jaco, it combines wellness and surfing activities including daily yoga, cycling, and SUP tours.
Guests enjoy nutritious meals – think Middle Eastern baked eggs and tropical fruits and the like. There’s also a swimming pool, yoga shala, ice baths, and tropical gardens with stunning rainforest views.
Selina Jaco
Selina Jaco hits all the right notes for a wallet-friendly nomad stay. Just check out that pool, shaded by palm trees and gazing right over the sand to the waves of Jaco’s main beach.
Rooms are colorful and artsy, with a touch of luxury, there are affordable dorms, along with uber-cool “cylinder rooms” that resemble glamping pods. We think you’ll love it!
There’s also an on-site co-work space, which is perfect for traveling workers.
Hotel Perico Azul & Surf Camp
One of the best choices in town for beginner surfers, Hotel Perico Azul & Surf Camp is just back from the quality waves on the south end of the beach.
Rooms are quite simple, but there’s a central courtyard with a swimming pool, and the hotel offers an on-site surf school that does pay-as-you-go surf tuition.
Check out loads more amazing Costa Rican surf hotels in our guide to the very best in the country right now…
Surf lessons in Jaco
As we’ve already mentioned like 1 bazillion times in this guide, Jaco is bursting at the seams with surf schools.
The good thing about that is there’s lots of competition so prices tend to stay quite low here – you can get a 3-hour group lesson starting at about $100/per person.
Lessons tend to be focused towards the more beginner end of the spectrum. They’re a good way to get started with surfing without booking a complete surf camp for a whole week. They’re also fantastic if you’re just looking to do maybe a few hours of surfing with the family or other half while traveling Costa Rica.
Booking ahead can help you avoid the scammy (and there are, sadly, scammy) outfitters. The ones below come highly rated…
- Jaco Beach: Learn to Surf in Costa Rica – Surf for Families – This is a 3-hour package that’s aimed squarely at family surfers. The instructors know how to teach younger kids and they’ll take you to the easier breaks in town. Equipment is very beginner friendly.
- 2-Hour Private Surf Lesson with Instructor in Jacó Beach – One of the best-priced private lessons we’ve seen in Costa Rica. You get 2 hours of one-on-one instruction with a local for under $50. Can’t really go wrong. Takes place on Jaco main beach.
When to surf in Jaco?
Tropical Jaco has wet and dry seasons, just like the rest of Costa Rica. The wet season is best for surfers because it connects with the southerly swell channels that power up most of the breaks. That said, you shouldn’t be without waves in the dry season, such is the consistency of this corner of the Puntarenas coastline.
Rainy season (May-November)
Wear: Rashvest/board shorts. Maybe booties if you’re going to the reefs/Hermosa
The SW swells are key to the Jaco surf. They come head-on into the bays here, firing up the breaks from Hermosa to Playa Jaco itself. The rainy season is the the best time to catch them, with consistent southerly swell directions from about May onwards.
The issue is that Jaco is almost too well placed to hoover up the SWerlies in the rainy season, so expect a few complete close out days (or snapped boards if you do paddle out). Yes, there’s some extra rainfall but it’s never that bad. What’s more, there are far less people around and the beaches are mainly given over to surfers at this time of year.
Dry season (December-April)
Wear: Rashvest/board shorts. Maybe booties if you’re going to the reefs/Hermosa
Mellower waves and sunnier days reign supreme when the dry season swings around on the Jaco coast.
That makes this a perfect time of year for beginners looking to get stuck into lessons with one of the local Jaco surf schools. Waves tend to cut down a few feet and the whitewash in Jaco Bay is prime for learning. Occasional westerlies do hit Hermosa for more seasoned riders.
Surf shops in Jaco
As one of Costa Rica’s original surf towns, Jaco is no stranger to surf shops. You can now rest assured that all the basics – wax, leashes, boardies – are on offer here. We’d still probably pack our own board, though.
- The Surfing Co. – An all-in-one surfer’s gathering point, The Surfing Co. is a co-work spot and a cafe. They also stock some lovely shaped sticks and designer surf gear. We’d recommend dropping in just to meet the folks, even if you’re not after anything in particualr.
- El Pana – El Pana Surf Shop is on the main road running through Jaco. They’re really all about bodyboards, so tray sliders NEED to drop in if they’re after anything at all.
Where to eat and drink in Jaco?
Jaco is a lively party town even without the surf crowd. It’s popular with weekending San Jose city slickers and hotel-going snowbirds alike. The upshot? There’s no shortage of great places to eat and drink. You hardly need tips from us – just Google em and see the ones with good reviews. If you must trace our footsteps completely, then our favs are below…
- KoKo Gastro Bar – This super welcoming spot sits right on the bown-tinted sand of Playa Jaco. It’s a casual Costa Rican kitchen that serves up tapas plates, pulled-pork burgers, sliders, and more. It’s chilled, filling food for a post-surf session eat.
- El Point – El Point Jaco Beach is a top lunch or dinner spot if you’ve been surfing the reefs or sandbank waves at the south end of the playa. It has al fresco seats on the sand with a menu that runs the gamut from fried octopus to pub burgers. Good cocktails, too.
- Roasted Edge – Inland from the beach but the best coffee in town hands down in our opinion. Sometimes they run events that let you taste coffees from around the world.
Things to do in Jaco when you’re not surfing
Off the surf, Jaco is a bit of an eco tourism hub – the closeness of the Puntarenas rainforests see to that. On top of that, there’s partying to be done in this rather lively coast town (we think only Tamarindo beats it on the nightlife front).
- Zip lining (obviously) – No trip to Costa Rica could possibly be complete without a zipline. This one near Jaco is very good fun. It counts 10 cables in all and 15 viewing platforms along the way. You’ll get the heart racing but also get stunning views of the surrounding jungles and do some bird spotting as you go. It’s one of the main adventure attractions away from the beach, costing around $70 per person.
- Tour of Arenal Volcano and inland Costa Rica – A lot of people – families espeically – base themselves in Jaco for their whole holiday to Costa Rica. That’s okay but it’s a shame to miss out on what awaits inland. Thankfully, you can do day trips that take in some of the wonders of the country, like this option to Arenal Volcano and the soothing hot springs of Alajuela Province. It’s a long one but soooo worth it for the views alone.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
Did you not even read the rest of that sentence you quoted from MagicSeaWeed? It goes on to read, “ but its main wave is far from one of the best in the country.” Haha Either way, thanks for the article. There is some great info in here 🤙
Haha, no it’s true we stretched that a little to make our point. I think I’ll choose to only read the “there is some great info in there” part of your comment too. Haha! Glad you like the piece man. Happy Jaco surfs!