I’m Andrew Morris, 32, and Jaco Beach had been on my radar for years. Friends kept telling me it was this perfect mix of beach town, nightlife, and easy access to all the good stuff in the Central Pacific. I finally booked a flight and grabbed a Downtown Jaco Beach Airbnb Apartment so I could walk everywhere and just see what the hype was about.

My trip ended up revolving around four big experiences: Surfing on Jaco Beach, a steep but rewarding Miro Mountain Hike, cold beers and good food at Koko Gastro Pub, and a fun, high-energy night at Jaco Vice Nightclub. The surf instructors were patient and made sure I actually got up on the board; the Miro hike gave me those postcard views of Jaco framed by mountains and the Pacific; and both Koko and Vice showed me why people talk about Jaco’s nightlife so much.

Daytime in Jaco is its own kind of therapy. I walked the sand in the morning, then grabbed a taxi to Playa Hermosa to watch serious surfers handle bigger waves. Another day I rode up to Herradura and the Los Sueños marina, where the rainforest runs right down to the water and you feel like you’re in a movie. I even took a bus down toward Esterillos and Bejuco just to see more of the beaches that line this part of Puntarenas. Taxis, Ubers, and buses were all easy to use and felt safe the entire time.

What really impressed me was how genuinely nice everyone was. A guy at a small soda showed me how to load the bus card and then pointed out exactly where to get off for the best angle on Tarcoles and its crocodile tours. A shop owner at Jaco Walk laughed with me about my broken Spanish and still made sure I found everything I needed for the week.

At night, Jaco switches gears into this bright, social city that never feels too intense. I bounced between beach bars, casinos, and clubs like Jaco Vice, and there was always a mix of travelers and locals out for a good time. I met people from Costa Rica, the States, Canada, and Europe in a single evening. Walking home late never felt sketchy; the streets were lit, busy, and relaxed.

By the time I left, I finally understood why everyone kept telling me to go. Jaco is easy to navigate, full of things to do, surrounded by beautiful places like Herradura, Hermosa, Quepos, and Manuel Antonio, and the people make it feel like you’re meant to be there. I’m already plotting my next “long weekend” that somehow turns into a week back in Jaco.