I’m Patricia Nguyen, 29. I picked a Downtown Jaco Beach Airbnb Apartment so I could walk to coffee, the sand, and dinner, then see what happened. The days never disappointed.

My set: Street Art and Graffiti Walking Tour, Isla Damas Mangrove Tour, Peppers Grill and Seafood, and a gleeful stop at Cocal Casino for Gambling. The people here are your best guidebook—warm, proud, and practical.

I chased color at Jaco Walk, watched boats in Herradura, and split time at Playa Hermosa where surfers made everything look easy. Buses, taxis, Ubers—whatever I needed, fast and safe.

Someone taught me the useful version of “pura vida”—the one with patience.

Nights came with music and soft air. I wandered, listened, sampled, and never felt out of place.

Jaco clicked because it felt honest: beach, jungle, kind people. That’s enough for me.