I’m Christopher Perry, 41, and I came to Jaco Beach because my everyday life is full of honking horns and concrete. I wanted something completely different: ocean, mountains, and green everywhere I looked. Jaco delivered. I stayed in a Modern Airbnb Vacation Apartment in Jaco Beach that became my quiet escape in the middle of a lively town.

Four experiences defined the trip: Surfing on Jaco Beach, a memorable Jungle Crocodile Safari Tour, dinner at Soda Jaco Rustico Restaurant, and a night spent wandering between beach bars and a casino in downtown Jaco. Surfing challenged me in the best way, the crocodile tour showed off the wild side of Costa Rica around Tarcoles, and Jaco Rustico fed me like I was part of someone’s family.

Most days I’d start with a long walk along Jaco’s shoreline, watching the waves break with the mountains and lush rainforest behind town. I took taxis and Ubers to Playa Hermosa, Herradura, and the Los Sueños marina, and buses farther out toward Esterillos and Bejuco to get a better feel for Puntarenas Province. Every mode of transportation felt safe and surprisingly simple to navigate as a visitor.

The people I met along the way made Costa Rica feel incredibly welcoming. A grocery store clerk walked me through which fruits were local and in season. A tour guide on the crocodile safari explained how important tourism is to the local economy and thanked everyone for visiting. Even quick conversations on buses or in cafés came with smiles and genuine interest.

At night, I swapped city noise for Jaco’s version of energy: music spilling out of doorways, people laughing along the strip, and casinos glowing against the dark hillside. I tried my luck at the tables for a while, then headed to a beach bar to listen to live music with my feet in the sand. Walking back to my apartment late felt comfortable and safe, with other travelers and locals all around.

By the time I flew home, I realized that Jaco is the kind of place I could build into a regular routine. It has everything I miss in day-to-day life—warmth, greenery, ocean, friendly faces—and easy access to even more beautiful areas like Herradura, Tarcoles, Quepos, and Manuel Antonio. The next time the city noise gets too loud, I know exactly where I’m going.