If you are staying at Room2Board in Jaco and looking to do some exploring you will find there is so much to see nearby. Buses run quite regularly from Jaco making day trips from Jaco cheap and easy. I will share with you some of my favorites and a secret spot to check out.
Playa Hermosa is a very small surf town known for its surf competitions and good consistent waves. Hermosa is about a 10 minute drive down the coast from Jaco. From Jaco you can actually walk to Playa Hermosa. If you head south on the beach you will take the last road: Calle Madrigal up to the main road. On the other side of the main road is the trailhead for El Miro. You will walk almost all the way to the top and when there is a fork in the road you will take the right. This trail takes you over to Playa Hermosa. It’s about an hour and a half hike. Playa Hermosa is our favorite day trip as it is a quiet surf beach and just a great place to relax during the day. We bring our surfboards and catch some waves on the end of high tide. We always sit in front of Vida Hermosa under a little shack for shade or on the grass to the left. There are usually some slack lines in place to test your balance and they have an outdoor shower to rinse off after a surf. Vida Hermosa is a great bar and restaurant that has delicious 1900 colon smoothies. You also have to try the sesame chicken! Down to the right is another restaurant and hotel called Las Olas. They also have smoothies, crepes, gelato, and Cookie 506. Great to go for an afternoon snack after a swim and time in the sun.
If you rent a car a there are some great day trips from Jaco to explore. A beautiful drive starts by going to the Backyard in Hermosa. If you are looking for uncrowded waves this is your ideal road trip! Take a right hand turn after Backyard and follow the road along the beach. This road is gravel and has speed bumps but can be done without a 4×4. You will pass about 5-10 surf spots and the road ends at a river mouth where the only people will be a couple of fishermen. Have a surf or nap on the beach and grab a coconut from the solo stand on the road. The road ends at the river so you will have to turn around and come back to the main road. If you then take a right and continue down the main road you will come to another quiet surf town called Esterillos. Esterillos is not touristy at all and only has a few sodas as food options. If you are looking for uncrowded beautiful waves this is where you should go! The last spot on your map should be Playa Bejuco – about 10 minutes down the road. This is a great place to go longboarding and there is a surfboard rental shop in town. Try to go when high tide is in the morning as the winds are not strong and the waves are cleaner. Spend the day at one of these beaches and enjoy the beautiful sunset before heading back to Jaco.
Another day trip from Jaco we like to do is to explore the north end beach at low-tide. To walk from Room2Board to the very end takes about an hour. Try to do this walk in the morning as the sun is strong in the afternoon. Once you reach the end you walk over rocks and can explore tide pools and find hidden caves. Keep walking and around 45 minutes later you will come upon Herradura beach. You can pay $50/day to enjoy the Marriot facilities which will be a partial credit to the bar and restaurant. You can also catch a bus from Herradura town back to Jaco. If you decide to take a taxi and are still feeling ambitious there is an awesome waterfall on the way back to Jaco. The Taxi Driver should know where Neofauna is. There is a sign on the left hand side of the road to Neofauna. If you see Deco Rock on the right side you have gone too far. Take the road up to the left until you see Escuela Pueblo Nuevo on the left and turn left. At the end of this road is the trailhead. You will follow this trail until it runs into a river and follow the river all the way to the waterfalls. You will get completely soaked as you will have to wave or swim through some waterfalls to climb to the next. There are yellow spray painted rocks to show you the way and sturdy ropes to help with climbing. Make sure you explore all the way up-there are many waterfalls and if you are feeling brave jump from a platform into the pool below. Always test the depth before jumping and jump at your own risk. If it is dry season be aware the water levels are a lot lower. Make sure to arrange a pick up or have a waterproof phone and number for a taxi when you leave. You usually will spend at least 2 hours here if not three. You will rarely see anyone!
Explore and enjoy these lesser known destinations near Jaco. Take some time to see what hidden gems you can find and which places become your favorites, then head back to Room2Board in time for happy hour! Safe travels!