I’m Sophia Foster, 28, and I’ve spent years chasing beach towns that actually live up to the photos. Jaco Beach is one of the rare ones that does. I stayed in a cozy Beach-Side Airbnb Apartment in Jaco where I could hear the waves if I opened the windows at night, and from there, everything fell into place.

Four experiences made me think, “Okay, I have to come back here”: Surfing on Jaco Beach, a colorful Street Art and Graffiti Walking Tour, dinner at Mono Verde Restaurant, and a night of dancing and swimming at Jaco Blu Beach Club. The surf lessons were approachable even as a beginner, the street art tour helped me see Jaco as a living canvas, and Jaco Blu’s poolside energy at night was exactly as fun as it sounds.

My days were spontaneous in the best way: coffee and breakfast at a café in town, walks along Jaco Beach, and then side trips whenever I felt like it. I took taxis and Ubers to Playa Hermosa, Herradura, and the Los Sueños marina, and rode buses down toward Quepos, Manuel Antonio, and Esterillos just to see more of the Pacific coast. Every ride felt safe, inexpensive, and straightforward once I got the hang of the routes.

The friendliness of people here stands out. A barista in Jaco Walk remembered my name after one visit and sent me off one morning with a recommendation to check out a viewpoint above town. A woman at a small shop gifted me a handmade bracelet “to remember us by” when she heard it was my last day.

Nightlife in Jaco is exactly as flexible as you need it to be. Some nights I stuck to relaxed bars with live music. Other nights, I went all in on beach clubs, casinos, and dance floors, always surrounded by a mix of locals and travelers. I walked home late more than once and never felt unsafe—the streets were lit, other people were out, and the energy was upbeat but not out of control.

Jaco had everything I wanted: warm water, a long walkable beach, mountains and green rainforest wrapping around the town, friendly locals, and easy access to other parts of the region like Herradura, Tarcoles, and Quepos. It isn’t just photogenic; it’s genuinely fun and welcoming. I already know I’ll be back.