I’m Robert Clark, 41, and I came to Jaco Beach because I was tired of waking up to car horns and push notifications. I checked into a Modern Airbnb Vacation Apartment in Jaco Beach a short walk from the sand, dropped my backpack, and went straight to the shoreline. The sound of the Pacific drowned out the city noise still buzzing in my head.

My trip centered around four main experiences: Surfing on Jaco Beach, a muddy and thrilling ATV Jungle Ride, a full afternoon at Jaco Walk Open Air Shops, and dinner at Ridiculous Burgers Restaurant where the name really does describe the portions. From the surfing instructors to the ATV guides, everyone made me feel like they honestly wanted me to have the best time possible.

On different days I took short rides to Playa Hermosa to watch experienced surfers carve beautiful lines, then headed up to Herradura and the Los Sueños area for a quieter marina vibe. One afternoon I hopped on a bus toward Esterillos just to see what the coastline looked like beyond Jaco and ended up with a quiet, wave-filled walk nearly to myself. Taxis and Ubers were easy to grab, and the buses were cheap, safe, and surprisingly simple to navigate with a little attention.

What stood out the most was how kind and welcoming everyone was. A fruit vendor near the main street gave me extra slices of pineapple “for energy” when he heard I was going hiking. A bartender drew me a little map on a napkin of his favorite viewpoints. People didn’t just tolerate tourists—they genuinely seemed to enjoy having us there.

Nights were exactly the kind of lively I wanted: music spilling out of beachfront bars, a couple of casinos lighting up the strip, and enough dance floors to keep things interesting without feeling out of control. I went out most evenings, enjoyed the nightlife, and always felt safe walking back to my apartment under warm streetlights with the sound of the ocean in the background.

By the end of the week, Jaco had shifted something in me. I slept better, laughed more, and actually felt like myself again. If you want to swap city noise for ocean waves and friendly faces, Jaco is a very easy “yes.”