Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [285]
CANOPY TOURS
In Jacó there are two competing companies offering similar products: Canopy Adventure Jacó (2643-3271; www.adventurecanopy.com; tours adult/child US$60/45) and Waterfalls Canopy Tour (2632-3322; www.waterfallscanopy.com; tours adult/child US$60/45). These outfits do not have formal offices in Jacó, so it’s best to either phone them, or have your accommodations do so for you.
HANG GLIDING
HangGlide Costa Rica (2643-4200; www.hangglidecr.com; from $100) will pick you up in Jacó and shuttle you to an airstrip south of Playa Hermosa where you can tandem-ride in a hang glider or fly in a three-seat ultralight plane. There’s no office in town.
SPAS
A branch of the exceedingly professional Serenity Spa (Map; 2643-1624; Av Pastor Díaz, east of Calle Bohio) offers the full range of spa services.
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Courses
School of the World (Map; 2643-1064; www.schooloftheworld.org; 1-4 week packages US$525-1680; ) is a popular school and cultural studies center offering classes in Spanish, surfing, art and photography. The impressive building and activities center also houses a cafe and art gallery. Rates include kayaking and hiking field trips and onsite lodging. Spanish and surfing are the most popular programs.
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Tours
Tours around the area include visits to Parque Nacional Carara (from US$45) as well as longer-distance trips around the country. Another popular destination is Isla Damas – you can organize tours here or in Quepos, further south. Isla Damas is not technically an island, but the tip of a pointed mangrove forest that juts out into a small bay just south of Parrita. During high tide, as the surrounding areas fill with water, this point becomes an island – offering an incredible opportunity for bird- and other wildlife-watchers. Boating tours can be arranged from Jacó for around US$65 per person, but more avid adventurers can opt for a sea-kayaking expedition with Amigo Tico Complete Adventure Tours in Quepos (Click here).
Virtually every shop, hotel and restaurant in town books tours, as Jacó operates on a lucrative commission-based system. As you’d imagine, it’s hard to actually know who is greasing whose palms and who is actually running tours, though usually it all works out – assuming you use your judgment and book from places that look reliable. Needless to say, you shouldn’t book anything from touts on the streets, and if an offer from a vendor seems too good to be true, then most likely it is.
One long-standing agent that receives good reviews from readers is Gray Line Tours (Map; 2220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com; Best Western Jacó Beach Resort, Av Pastor Díaz), which books tours throughout the country as well as private intercity transportation.
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Jacó for Children
Jacó has long been on the radar screens of Tico families looking to swap the congestion of San José for the ocean breezes of the central Pacific coast. Therefore, you’ll find that your own children are very well cared for in Jacó, and there is enough on offer to keep even those with the shortest attention spans amused for days on end.
Families flock to the beach in Jacó, and compared with more famed surfing destinations up and down the coast, the waves here are modest. As with any water-based activities, the usual amount of parental watch is required, though young children can safely splash about on most days. However, strong surges often accompany ill weather, so it’s always best to survey the scene and inquire locally about conditions.
Beyond the beach, you’ll find a grocery list of activities on offer in Jacó, and a good number of operators offer discounts for young children. For more information, see the activities listings, Click here.
There is a tremendous diversity of accommodations in the Jacó area, and aside from the more backpacker-oriented youth hostels and the upmarket boutique hotels, the vast majority