Jaco / Jaco Beach

[Grenada 79]

Actually fellas,

Looks like the only time I will be spending only one night in Costa Rica, and I will head to Panama via bus. It is an 18 hr drive, and we will most likely break it up into several days/stops. My flight home has been changed to depart Panama city. I will report on all relevant areas.

Thanks again.

[Grenada 79]

Yes I will be spending thursday night in "el pueblo", as in the bar/restaurant/shop maze. Monteverde, I assume, will be enjoyable, as my friend has been there for quite some time and knows his share of locals as well as international students with whom he's been working.

I have been to Jaco and most of the beaches within a few miles, and to be honest, wasn't my cup of tea. I would settle for even a smaller beach community and focus on the culture and people if I need to. If it is that strenuous I will opt to wait until monday night when I return to San Jose to catch my Tuesday flight. There, one of my favorite bars for non-pro action, El Cuartel de le Boca del Monte (sp?), hosts still, I believe, ladies nights on Mondays. If all else fails it will visiting El Pres, I suppose.

Looks like, based on your feedback folks, I should be choosing between Montezuma and Samara (sp). Any other feedback would be appreciated, otherwise I will do a bit more research and or will let my friend decide based on what he is told by his people in Monteverde. Certainly I will post a report on all cities/towns/bars involved.

Thanks again,

Tom

[Dgfd]

Go to Jaco. Perhaps more tourists than you may care for, but the beaches are beautiful, the women plentiful, and there are some other things to see - ie- Manual Antonio. Good luck.

Jaco Beach is one of the worst things about jaco; going there to P4P ain't bad lately, and probably the only beach town that has it, but don't go if you are looking for a beach you'd write home about. Manuel Antonio is a very nice beach, maybe 90 minutes south.

[Prolijo]

Quick clarifications.

I assume you mean you'll spend the EVENING at El Pueblo in the northern part of San Jose. Its not a town in of itself, just a commercial center with lots of bars, restaurants and shops and there are no hotels there to spend the night.

Monteverde (one word) is in the Santa ELENA area and if you find any local action there be sure to let us know but I'd be very surprised (the area was settled by Quakers). Your only possible chance would be if your friends know someone to fix you up with.

Of the beach towns you mentioned (Samara, Montezuma, Puntarenas). Montezuma would be my personal first choice, followed by Samara and dead last would be Puntarenas, which functions mostly as just a scummy port town that people pass through on their way by ferry to Nicoya. However of those 3 places only Puntarenas would I consider "to be feasible to return to san jose fairly easily" and that fails miserably for "nice beaches". Samara is directly across the Nicoya Peninsula from Monteverde but on very bad roads and for Montezuma your choice is even worse roads or having to catch a ferry across the gulf, either of which greatly adds to your travel time. Your best bet for nightlife, restaurants AND easy return to SJ would be Jaco (also plenty of P4P) but that will also have lots of tourists. Those things sort of go together. Places without a lot of tourists tend to not have much in the way of restaurants and nightlife (or P4P except in the local sailor brothel washed up puta sort of way). And non-pro local women in small communities aren't going to be as easy a nut to crack for one night stands with some gringo breezing through town when everyone they know is around looking.

[MCruddy]

Gentlemen,

Quick question, any responses are appreciated. I'll be making my third trip to Costa Rica on feb 1st. I'll be spending the first night in San Jose, or El Pueblo, more likely, where I'll be drunken salsa-ing and meeting scores of beautiful women (I'm optimistic). The next day I will be meeting some friends in either monte verde or santalinda, spend a few days there (never been to either) with some friends who have been living there for a few months. I assume they will have the activities planned.

From there would like to go to another city/beach that I havent been: Samara, Montezuma, Puntarenas? Etc. Don't know. Looking for not alot of tourists, nice beaches/outdoors, nice restaurants, nightlife, women (locals preferable, only pros specifically if not many locals) etc. Also needs to be feasible to return to san jose fairly easily. Any suggestions I will certainly take into consideration and will post report on all cities when I return.

Thanks for your time Guys,

Tom

Go to Jaco. Perhaps more tourists than you may care for, but the beaches are beautiful, the women plentiful, and there are some other things to see - ie- Manual Antonio. Good luck.

[Grenada 79]

Gentlemen,

Quick question, any responses are appreciated. I'll be making my third trip to Costa Rica on feb 1st. I'll be spending the first night in San Jose, or El Pueblo, more likely, where I'll be drunken salsa-ing and meeting scores of beautiful women (I'm optimistic). The next day I will be meeting some friends in either monte verde or santalinda, spend a few days there (never been to either) with some friends who have been living there for a few months. I assume they will have the activities planned.

From there would like to go to another city/beach that I havent been: Samara, Montezuma, Puntarenas? Etc. Don't know. Looking for not alot of tourists, nice beaches/outdoors, nice restaurants, nightlife, women (locals preferable, only pros specifically if not many locals) etc. Also needs to be feasible to return to san jose fairly easily. Any suggestions I will certainly take into consideration and will post report on all cities when I return.

Thanks for your time Guys,

Tom

[Dbros9]

Is the Hotel Los 4 Grandes still around?

I can't find any info on it.

Thanks.

[Admin]

Thread Starter.

[Member #2041]

Best car rental rate I could get was $38 a day for a Toyota Yaris, with a 3 day minimum rental. And given the state of the roads in Costa Rica, make sure that damage to tires and wheels is included in the base coverage.

[Tremont Teddy]

All the hotels are chica friendly to some degree with the exception of the Best Western. Copacabana Hotel seems to be the most popular for mongers.

TT

[Doc Bill]

Can someone tell me if most of the hotels in Jaco are chica-friendly? Thanks!

[Dbros9]

Thanks for info - I think a Taxi is the way to go.

Anyone have any input on Jaco girl friendley hotels near the beach?

Thanks

[Prolijo]

That rental rate is a little low. You might be able to get a tiny Toyota Yaris for $30/day during the low season. In January expect to pay somewhere more in the high 30's or $45/day if you want to upgrade to a Corolla. Depending on how many of you there are that may not even be big enough. And that doesn't cover any extra insurance, which many people feel more comfortable getting given the high accident rates in CR and the proclivity in some places for rental cars to be broken into (not all credit cards' insurance policies cover rental cars in CR). If you go for that expect to pay another $12-14/day. Then there's gas which costs nearly twice as much in CR. Finally Dbros9 should also know about the extra 12% surcharge that rental companies tack on if you pick you car up at the airport counter but that is easily avoided by taking a shuttle and completeing your paperwork at the nearby rental car lots.

I'm not saying they shouldn't go this route but they should be aware of all the extra costs. And while all those daily costs would be split by however many guys are going they would also have to be multiplied by 4 days. If there is enough of them to split that cost down to a reasonable level and they plan to make use of the rental locally while in Jaco (local cabs are a cheaper alternative for most people) then this still may be a good way to go.

Alternatively to taking either an expensive private taxi or an inconvenient public bus is going with a tourist shuttle van. Grayline (http://www.graylinecostarica.com/gra...s.html#sanjose) has one for $21 per person that leaves at 2PM. Assuming there is 4 of you and you split a Corolla even ignoring gas or any extra insurance, $45 per day times 4 days still comes out to $45 per guy round trip vs. $42 per guy if they all just took the shuttle. Extra insurance and gas or only 3 guys tip the scale even further against renting.

[Noguera]

Dbros9

Sorry, but I can't help you with lodging arrangements in Jaco as the only time I was there went down to see a friend of mine that is a working girl at the Beatle Bar. I stayed at her place.

However, just rent a car for $30/day and drive down to Jaco. It is only a two hour drive, pretty easy to follow a map, and the scenery along the way is both interesting and really pretty. This is much more convenient than taking a bus. I think you can get a taxi to take you for around $50, one way.

[Dbros9]

A few of us are flying into San Jose in mid Jan for business. We land on a Sat around noon. Meeting don't start until Tues so we want to go to Jaco for the weekend. A few questions.

- What is the best way to get from Airport to Jaco?? Taxi - bus - etc
- how long of a trip is it and how much should it cost?
- Where is the best place to stay in Jaco that is girl friendly and what should it cost ?
- I saw a post that mentioned "Best Tropics Condos" any feedback on that place.

Any other help/info would be appreciated

Thanks