Apart from the drugs and hookers Jaco actually has a lot going for it as a base on the west coast of Costa Rica. But im not going to tell you about that in this post - Ill tell you first the basics becuase im late for Yoga.
GETTING THERE
Buses run all the time from the Coca Cola Bus Station in San Hose (be careful there at night) and it takes about 90minutes unless, like now the bridge is closed because of rain.
ACCOMODATION
For budget places to stay, there are half a dozen hostels in the centre - check out i think its called Bohio street, right in the centre of downtown between the main road and the beach (It has Bohio bar and grill at the end, at the beach, which is busy by day with hard drinking 'sports fishermen' with their purchased by the week 'girfreinds' but does the best Fish Taco ive ever tasted and is famous for it (its about $6)
The guys at the surf school right there at the beach are decent and helpful too and can hook you up with any other things you might need (i.e. tours etc)
Anyway Hostels here are the usual $10-$20 a night and do the job if you are here to be around the beach and the bars for a few days. Also at the top of the north end of the beach, Claritas is a good budget option.
If you are really broke, then you can camp at the north end too, just be aware of your personal safety - there is a police station on the beach though (quite funny to see - they hancuff drunks to the railings outside!!)
Further up the scale...well i wouldnt know, im a cheapskate ;o) but you can rent a little condo for 2-4 ppl near the beach for $500-$900 a month depending on the size, and a house for $2000. Other than that id recomend better in one of the little resorts along the beach like Morgans Cove or Cocal (both have casinos, bars etc too) for $50-$100 a night, or check out THIS LINK for hotels and so on.
If you want a room for one hour, you can check The beatle hotel which, not surprisingly is next door to the Beatle Bar on the main road (north end of the centre). As the guide in the link amusingly says 'impromptu romances are not unknown to occur in the Beatle bar' (usually im guessing involving those lovely 'sports fishermen' , some kind of commerical transaction and lasting about one hour)
EATING
To eat, unlike the bars here many of the resturants are owned by foreigners so the choice is quite ok. There are the usual mexican/local food joints (both the 24hr restaurants at each end of the town are actually quite good and cheap) and for fish Tacos your best bet is Bohios or Taco Bar which dishes out 2 for 1 flyers every day.
There are even two good Sushi/Japanese places (Arigato is the better of the two, on the main road.) and a couple of steak houses (The aberdeen angus/argentinian steakhouse does a rib eye for $10 4-7pm every day) The only other two restuarants of note are Pili Pili which would be the place to take a hot date, with well presented food and quite reasonable prices (Jaco isnt cheap to eat mind you) and Wok, which does healthy and tasty Thai/Chinese stuff.
If your on a budget theres a Costa Rican buffet which actually looks ok (and has free wifi and $1 coffee) who's name i'll remember tomorrow.
Ok, now ive got the lonely planet crap out of the way, ill tell some more dodgy stories of Jaco in the next post...
GETTING THERE
Buses run all the time from the Coca Cola Bus Station in San Hose (be careful there at night) and it takes about 90minutes unless, like now the bridge is closed because of rain.
ACCOMODATION
For budget places to stay, there are half a dozen hostels in the centre - check out i think its called Bohio street, right in the centre of downtown between the main road and the beach (It has Bohio bar and grill at the end, at the beach, which is busy by day with hard drinking 'sports fishermen' with their purchased by the week 'girfreinds' but does the best Fish Taco ive ever tasted and is famous for it (its about $6)
The guys at the surf school right there at the beach are decent and helpful too and can hook you up with any other things you might need (i.e. tours etc)
Anyway Hostels here are the usual $10-$20 a night and do the job if you are here to be around the beach and the bars for a few days. Also at the top of the north end of the beach, Claritas is a good budget option.
If you are really broke, then you can camp at the north end too, just be aware of your personal safety - there is a police station on the beach though (quite funny to see - they hancuff drunks to the railings outside!!)
Further up the scale...well i wouldnt know, im a cheapskate ;o) but you can rent a little condo for 2-4 ppl near the beach for $500-$900 a month depending on the size, and a house for $2000. Other than that id recomend better in one of the little resorts along the beach like Morgans Cove or Cocal (both have casinos, bars etc too) for $50-$100 a night, or check out THIS LINK for hotels and so on.
If you want a room for one hour, you can check The beatle hotel which, not surprisingly is next door to the Beatle Bar on the main road (north end of the centre). As the guide in the link amusingly says 'impromptu romances are not unknown to occur in the Beatle bar' (usually im guessing involving those lovely 'sports fishermen' , some kind of commerical transaction and lasting about one hour)
EATING
 |
| The half starved skinhead look always goes down well with the ladies |
To eat, unlike the bars here many of the resturants are owned by foreigners so the choice is quite ok. There are the usual mexican/local food joints (both the 24hr restaurants at each end of the town are actually quite good and cheap) and for fish Tacos your best bet is Bohios or Taco Bar which dishes out 2 for 1 flyers every day.
There are even two good Sushi/Japanese places (Arigato is the better of the two, on the main road.) and a couple of steak houses (The aberdeen angus/argentinian steakhouse does a rib eye for $10 4-7pm every day) The only other two restuarants of note are Pili Pili which would be the place to take a hot date, with well presented food and quite reasonable prices (Jaco isnt cheap to eat mind you) and Wok, which does healthy and tasty Thai/Chinese stuff.
If your on a budget theres a Costa Rican buffet which actually looks ok (and has free wifi and $1 coffee) who's name i'll remember tomorrow.
Ok, now ive got the lonely planet crap out of the way, ill tell some more dodgy stories of Jaco in the next post...
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