Planning a Trip

Getting There & Departing

By Car -- There are several routes to this region. The most popular one is a narrow and winding two-lane road, the "old highway," over and through mountains, known locally as La Cuesta del Aguacate (Avocado Hill). This route is equal parts scenic and harrowing -- it's not uncommon to encounter buses and trucks passing on blind curves, or to find yourself in a long line of cars stuck behind a slow-moving truck crawling up one of the steep hills. Begin this route by taking the Interamerican Highway west out of San José and exiting just west of Alajuela near the town of Atenas. Follow the numerous signs to any hotel in Jacó or Manuel Antonio. The old highway meets the Costanera Highway a few kilometers west of Orotina. From here it's a straight and flat shot down the coast to Jacó.

Alternatively, you can head out of San José on the highway to Escazú and Santa Ana. Continue to the town of Ciudad Colón; from here, follow signs to Puriscal and then Orotina. This is a similarly scenic and winding route through the mountains, with the same caveats, but it is less traveled and slightly more direct than the more popular route mentioned above. Finally, if you're coming from anywhere in northern Costa Rica, take the Interamerican Highway and get off at the Puntarenas exit and follow signs to Caldera. From here, head south on the Costanera.

By Bus -- Transportes Jacó express buses (tel. 223-1109 or 643-3135) leave San José daily at 7:30 and 10:30am and 1, 3:30, and 6:30pm from the Coca-Cola bus terminal at Calle 16 between avenidas 1 and 3. The trip takes between 2 1/2 and 3 hours; the fare is $2.50 (£1.25). On weekends and holidays, extra buses are often added, so it's worth calling to check.

Gray Line (tel. 220-2126; www.graylinecostarica.com) has two buses that leave San José for Jacó daily at 8am and 2pm; the fare is $21 (£11). Interbus (tel. 283-5573; www.interbusonline.com) has two buses that leave San José for Jacó daily at 8:15am and 2:30pm; the fare is $19 (£9.50). Both companies will pick you up at most San José-area hotels.

Buses from San José to Quepos and Manuel Antonio also pass by Jacó. (They let passengers off on the highway about 1km/ 1/2 mile from town.) These buses leave San José daily at 6, 7, and 10am, noon, and 2, 4, 6, and 7:30pm. Trip duration is 2 1/2 to 3 hours; the fare to Jacó is $3 (£1.50) on the indirect bus to Quepos and $5 (£2.50) on the direct bus to Manuel Antonio. However, during the busy months, some of these buses will refuse passengers getting off in Jacó or will accept them only if they pay the full fare to Quepos or Manuel Antonio.

From Puntarenas, you can catch Quepos-bound buses at 5 and 11am and 2:30 and 4:30pm. The buses drop you off on the highway outside of town. The trip's duration is 1 hour; the fare is $2 (£1).

The Jacó bus station is at the north end of town, at a small mall across from the Jacó Fiesta Hotel. Buses for San José leave daily at 5, 7:30, and 11am and 3 and 5pm. Buses returning to San José from Quepos pass periodically and pick up passengers on the highway. Because schedules can change, it's best to ask at your hotel about current departure times.

Orientation

Playa de Jacó is a short distance off the southern highway. One main road runs parallel to the beach, with a host of arteries heading toward the water; off these roads you'll find most of the hotels and restaurants.

Getting Around

Almost everything is within walking distance in Jacó, but you can rent a bicycle or scooter from several shops on the main street or call Jacó Taxi (tel. 643-2020). A bike rental should run you around $8 to $12 (£4-£6) per day, and a scooter should cost between $30 and $50 (£15-£25) per day. Rent @ Me (tel. 643-1809) offers free shuttle service to and from your hotel.

For longer excursions, you can rent a car from Budget (tel. 643-2265), Economy (tel. 643-1098), National (tel. 643-1752), Payless (tel. 643-3224), or Zuma (tel. 643-3207). Expect to pay approximately $50 (£25) for a 1-day rental. You might also consider talking to a local taxi driver, who'd probably take you wherever you want to go for about the same price, saving you some hassle and headache.

Fast Facts

The Banco Nacional (tel. 643-3072) and the Banco de Costa Rica (tel. 643-3695) have branches in town on the main road and are open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 3pm. Also on the main road, you can find the Farmacia Jacó (tel. 643-3205) and the well-stocked Farmacia Fischel (tel. 643-2683), which is in the El Galeone shopping center. A gas station is on the main highway, between Playa Herradura and Jacó, and a 24-hour gas station, El Arroyo, is on the highway on the southern edge of Jacó. The health center (tel. 643-3667) and post office (tel. 643-2175) are at the Municipal Center at the south end of town.

A public phone office, where you can make international calls, is located in the ICE building on the main road. This office is open Monday through Saturday from 8am to noon and 1 to 5pm. There are half a dozen or more Internet cafes in town, as well as several inexpensive full-service laundromats; a Western Union office in a small strip mall across from La Hacienda restaurant; a large Más * Menos supermarket on the main drag in the center of town; and an even larger and more modern Automercado supermarket in the new strip mall on the main highway near the entrance to Playa Herradura.