Long before luxury condos and upscale restaurants arrived, Jacó was a surf town discovered by adventurous travelers chasing waves along Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast.
And while that surf-town DNA still defines Jacó, the town today appeals to a much broader mix of people drawn by the lifestyle this coast offers.
That’s one of the reasons I’m so excited about the true beachfront opportunity I’m bringing to members of my Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) group on Wednesday in a community called Solea. (More on that in a moment.)
Today I want to show you the activities you can enjoy in and around Jacó. Because this stretch of Costa Rica’s central Pacific offers one of the most active lifestyles anywhere on my beat. And when you have a base here, you get to experience them all—whenever you want…
The sun sets over Jacó beach on Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast. This is the closest beach town to the capital, San José.
Mornings on the Water
Surfing remains central to life here.
At sunrise, surfers paddle out beyond the break while cafés begin filling with early risers coming back from the waves for breakfast tacos and strong Costa Rican coffee.
The coastline around Jacó has been attracting surfers for decades because of its warm water, consistent waves, and year-round tropical climate.
Beginners can take surf lessons at the south end of the bay.
Jacó has been drawing surfers from overseas for decades. Today, they are joined by growing numbers of well-heeled expats, remote workers, and families who come for the town’s vibrant community and beachfront living.
The Food Scene
Jacó today has a surprisingly international food scene for its size.
There are around 100 restaurants and bars in and around town, including a pizza place run by a guy from Rome, a bakery with great coffee run by a French woman, and a Thai restaurant operated by a Thai-German couple. My scout Ciaran Madden—who lived in Asia for over a decade—says he had one of his favorite Thai meals here.
The town’s dining scene reflects the increasingly international community that now spends time along Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast.
A grouper red curry Ciaran tried at the Thai restaurant Jerah in Jaco. The culinary scene has taken off—one sign of the town’s accelerating transformation.
Life Around the Marina
Fifteen minutes north of Jacó is Los Sueños Marina, the centerpiece of a luxury resort community built around sportfishing, golf, waterfront dining, and high-end real estate. It’s also one of Latin America’s premier sportfishing hubs.
Before sunrise, boats head offshore chasing marlin and sailfish in the deep Pacific waters beyond the coast. Wealthy anglers fly in from across the Americas during peak season.
The marina itself has become one of the defining lifestyle anchors of Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast, with luxury yachts, waterfront restaurants, bars, and oceanfront homes overlooking the harbor.
Los Sueños Marina is one of Latin America’s premier billfish and sailfish hubs—Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, and a regular roster of Hollywood and Wall Street names run boats from the slips here.
Fairways Through the Rainforest
Above Los Sueños sits La Iguana Golf Course, carved through rainforest hills overlooking the Pacific. The 6,700-yard championship course opened in 2000.
Designed by Ted Robinson Jr., this is the kind of course that anchors a destination.
The rainforest setting means wildlife sightings can be part of the experience, including monkeys, iguanas, and tropical birds.
The championship course at Los Sueños—La Iguana, designed by Ted Robinson Jr.
Where the Jungle Meets the Ocean
Just over an hour south of Jacó sits Manuel Antonio National Park, one of Costa Rica’s most famous protected areas.
Rainforest tumbles down onto white-sand beaches along the Pacific coast. Hiking trails cut through jungle filled with monkeys, sloths, tropical birds, and dense vegetation.
Here you’ll also find one of the most photographed beaches in Central America.
The park is one of the clearest examples of what makes Costa Rica different from many tropical destinations: the country protected huge portions of its natural environment instead of overdeveloping it.
Manuel Antonio is Costa Rica’s most visited national park—drawing hundreds of thousands of international visitors a year for its beaches, rainforest, and wildlife.
Adventure Beyond the Beach
Costa Rica’s natural beauty underpins daily life along this coast.
Within easy reach of Jacó are waterfalls, jungle trails, rivers, mountains, and protected rainforest.
The area also offers rafting, ziplining, ATV tours, hiking, mountain biking, and surfing year-round.
Life here naturally revolves around the outdoors.
Ziplining, hiking, surfing, snorkeling, golf, sportfishing, wildlife tours, yoga and wellness…the list of outdoor activities to do in Costa Rica’s coastal destinations is incredible.
Into the Highlands
Costa Rica’s coffee culture is exceptional.
Some of the country’s best beans come from the highlands a few hours inland from Jacó, where volcanic soil and cooler mountain temperatures create ideal growing conditions.
Day trips into these mountain regions are easy from the Pacific coast. Coffee tours, small plantation visits, waterfalls, hiking trails, and scenic drives through the hills all make for popular excursions inland.
And back in Jacó, locally roasted Costa Rican coffee is part of daily life, especially in the mornings when cafés begin filling after sunrise.
Cloud forests on the mountain spines. Jungle-clad slopes. Fertile valleys. Thriving towns. A rich, welcoming culture. No wonder so many people come to visit Costa Rica, then decide to stay.
Close to the Capital
One of Jacó’s biggest advantages is accessibility.
San José and the international airport are only about 90 minutes away on a modern highway, making this one of the easiest beach destinations in Costa Rica to reach from North America.
You can spend the morning in the capital enjoying restaurants, museums, and city life, then return to the Pacific coast the same evening.
Jaco is the closest stunning beach to Costa Rica’s capital San José, making it easy to travel between the two places.
Why People Feel Better Here
Life on Costa Rica’s central Pacific naturally happens outdoors.
Morning beach walks, ocean swims, yoga classes, hiking trails, fresh tropical fruit, and warm weather year-round all become part of daily routine remarkably quickly.
The climate encourages a more active lifestyle.
Jacó also has modern gyms, wellness studios, and beachfront yoga classes, serving both locals and the growing international community along the coast.
The Pacific is always nearby. Jungle-covered hills rise behind the town. Fresh air moves through open-air cafés and restaurants.
Morning swim in the Pacific or your pool…work out on the beach or in your beachfront gym. This is life in the Solea community, where I’m bringing members of my Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) group a new opportunity. (Renders should not be considered final but give us a great idea what to expect.)
Sunset Over the Pacific
By evening, much of life drifts back toward the beach.
Sunset is a daily ritual here.
Restaurants and bars begin filling before dusk. People walk the shoreline as the light fades across the Pacific. The heat softens, the sky turns orange and gold, and the ocean becomes the center of attention again.
That rhythm—the ocean in the morning and the ocean again at sunset—is part of what keeps drawing people back to Jacó.
Sunsets are a big deal in this part of Costa Rica. Folks flock to the beach to watch the sun drift below the horizon.
Welcome to Solea
The combination of lifestyle, accessibility, and natural beauty is what draws people to Jacó.
And it’s one of the reasons I’m so excited about the true beachfront opportunity I’ll be bringing to RETA members here on Wednesday, June 3.
Members who act decisively have the chance to get in from $297,000 for a stunning two-bed, two-bath, ocean-view condo. I expect it will be worth $520,000 five years after delivery—a gain of $223,000.
I conservatively figure one of these two-bed condos can make around $50,200 a year in gross rental income. That’s a 17% gross yield.
Each condo looks straight out over the Pacific on 100 meters of titled beach frontage.
Solea is the first true beachfront condo deal I’ve ever brought RETA members in Costa Rica. It’s going to go fast when I open this deal on Wednesday, June 3 at 1 p.m. ET.
RETA members, be ready…and make sure you’ve read the full briefing on this opportunity.[AG1]
As an owner in Solea, your amenities including your pool, fire pits, hot tub, gym, co-working area and BBQ area are the only thing that will separate you from the sand and the warm Pacific beyond.
Wishing you good real estate investing,
P.S. As I say, Solea is RETA’s first beachfront deal in Costa Rica. But Costa Rica deals in general have been very rare. I’ve only got members a handful in the history of RETA. And each one has led to big uplifts for members.
Here you can see how they’ve turned out for members who got in…
Deals have always been hard to come by in Costa Rica, a result of tight restrictions on development, limited supply, and insatiable demand. The flipside is that when I get RETA a true off-market deal here it’s usually a total no brainer. Past deals have led to uplifts of $118,200…$149,000…even $252,600…
