Tours & Activities

Jaco Beach activities and things to do.

Enjoy your Tourist Guide in Jaco Beach

Jaco Beach Fishing

Jaco, Costa Rica fishing trips on the mid-Pacific coast offers the closest offshore fishing boat charters from San Jose, the inland capital of Costa Rica. Sport fishing trips are just a scenic, 90-minute drive away.

The ride takes you from the capital to this bustling beach vacation town, which has the most vibrant nightlife from this part of the west coast all the way down to the Panama coast.

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Los Suenos Marina, you can reach a variety of activities fish in a quick boat ride. The best boats and captains are in great demand, particularly during high season, so make your reservations at least a month ahead of time, even sooner for the big boats like WaveDancer

Jaco National Park in Costa Rica

If Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica is on your list of things to do, then you’re on the right track. Though Manuel Antonio National Park may be the smallest in Costa Rica, it is also one of the most beautiful. Part of it is a marine park that may be explored by scuba diving or snorkeling, either from the beach or on a tour. (Another one that is nearly all underwater is Las Baulas in Guanacaste. Closed on Mondays, it is a rare treat for ecotourists and beach lovers. Several tour outfits run buses from Jaco Beach on day trips to this park.

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Jaco Beach Horseback Riding

Starting at: Adults: $70

Horse riding is one of the most popular activities to do in Jaco Beach‘s favorite and visitors will find local travel companies selling horse riding tours to a variety of destinations.

Places to horseback riding:

• Monteverde area is perhaps the most popular as it is cool all year round and offers lush green surroundings in which to ride. The
• Jaco Beach Equestrian Centre
• Rancho Cheyenne is also a popular spot for riding with various different tours of the land available.

Tortuga Island Cruise Tour

Starting at: Adults: $145

The world-famous Catamaran Cruise to Tortuga Island leaving, Los Suenos Marina Tour has been polished into one of Costa Rica’s greatest experience.

Dolphin and whale watching

Take a half-day cruise in Drake Bay on the Pacific coast and you’ll be taken to the areas where indigenous sea life such as bottlenose dolphins and humpback whales live. Adults and kids alike will revel at the chance to see some of nature’s most beautiful and graceful creatures.

Arenal Volcano & Hot Springs

From Jaco Beach – Leaves 8:00 AM
Costa Rica’s most active volcano, with constant eruptions, offering spectacular scenery en route and the experience of this natural wonder. Rejuvenate in the hot springs of Tabacon.

Carara Biological Reserve
From Jacó Beach – Leaves 6:30 AM
Discover the wonders of this transitional tropical forest, home of the scarlet macaw while taking a morning walk with a naturalist tour guide.
Bring: Comfortable shoes and light clothing
 

Poas Volcano & Sarchi

From Jaco Beach – Leaves 7:00 AM
Enjoy the panoramic sights of this volcano, and gaze into its enormous crater, and then visit Sarchi, home of the oxcart factories, and Costa Rica’s souvenirs.


Bring: Comfortable shoes and sweater

Manuel Antonio National Park
From Jaco – Leaves 7:30 AM
Considered to be the most beautiful park in all of Costa Rica, with white sandy beaches, scenic walking trails, and lively monkeys.

Bring: Bathing suit and light clothing

Crocodile Safari

From Jacó Beach – Leaves AM & PM
Explore the natural habitat of the enormous crocodiles of the Tarcoles River and the mangroves with amazing bird watching opportunities as you cruise along the river.

Bring light clothes and a hat.

Tempisque River & Palo Verde (birdwatching and waterways) min 3 pax CRTSCTACRTS-206 

From Jaco Beach – Leaves 7:00 AM
One of the best birdwatching tours in the country, combining the waterways of the Tempisque and Bebedero Rivers with the dry tropical forest.
Bring: Hat and light clothing

Tortuga Island Cruise

From Jaco Beach – Leaves 8:00 AM
A tropical cruise to a secluded island, pristine white sandy beaches, clear blue waters, swaying palm trees, and lots of fun and relaxation.
Bring light clothing, bathing suit & towel.

Aerial Tram (Pacific – Jaco)
A cascading 40-foot waterfall, giant rainforest trees, and panoramic views of the ocean are all part of the ride at the Pacific Rain Forest Aerial Tram. Costa Rica’s newest adventure tour destination is scheduled to open in April 2003 and will serve cruise ship excursions, independent and small group travelers, and incentive groups. Researchers and foreign and Costa Rican students are also invited to take advantage of the opportunity to observe life in the forest canopy up close.

Open-air gondolas with canvas awnings seat eight passengers and a naturalist guide. The rugged topography of our forest means the modified ski lift skims the forest floor, and then soars to a maximum height of 130 feet above a rugged valley.

The hour-long ride on Pacific Tram takes about an hour to travel a half-mile into the heart of a transitional rain forest. The 210-acre private reserve is a transitional area between the drier climate of the northwest and the more humid climate of the southern coast.

Your visit to the Rain Forest Aerial Tram includes the hour-long tram ride accompanied by a bilingual naturalist guide (English-Spanish) and a 45-minute guided nature walk. Other languages can be accommodated with advance notice. Transportation is available from Jaco, Quepos, Puntarenas, Marriott Los Sueños and San Jose, and a public bus from San Jose also serves the area.

Rain Forest Aerial Tram Tour Pacific

KAYAK–SNORKELING or  OUTRIGGERS-SNORKELING

Our Sea Kayak or Outriggers and Snorkeling tour are serious fun. We’ve been doing them for 8 years now and we feel we have them perfected. The scenery is spectacular, our equipment is top-notch and easy to paddle. We snorkel (when conditions permit) from the beach so we have lots of options if someone in the group is into monkey watching or beachcombing.

 
  Snorkeling with Kayak Jaco and Costa Rica Outriggers is an added bonus to a fantastic tour. All of our ocean tours include snorkeling with all the equipment provided, we can guarantee snorkeling but we can’t guarantee how good it will be. *** Snorkeling is only offered when conditions permit. **** Waves, wind, and tides affect the quality of the snorkeling and these factors can vary from hour to hour so we can never guarantee good snorkeling. But we promise a great tour whether there is snorkeling or not. If you are not into paddling but just want to snorkel then ask us about our new

***********SNORKEL BARGE*************

This super comfortable catamaran is the best way to get yourself in the water and if you had enough water but your friends haven’t there is room to relax on the trampoline while you sip on a cold drink and catch some rays, while the rest of the group keeps swimming.

OUTRIGGER CANOEING

Outrigger canoes have been plying the warm waters of the world for centuries, long before the Colubus and the Vikings the Polynesians were paddling to discover new worlds. The craft they invented remains basically unchanged, and you will get a bit of that exploratory feel as you paddle to the most beautiful beaches in Jacó area.

Your tour will include bilingual guide, snorkeling(when conditions permit), bottled water, fresh fruit buffet on a beautiful beach, and a cold drink upon your return to our base in Playa Agujas.

Bathrooms, changing rooms, and safe parking if you arrive in your own vehicle or we will provide transportation.

Morning and Afternoon departures available

2 people minimum- 40 person maximum
 

RIO  DULCE,  WHITEWATER, inflatable kayaking tour 

Kayak Jaco does it again, with Jaco’s first whitewater tour. No experience is necessary to enjoy this exciting adventure just one hour from downtown Jaco. Instead of rafts, Kayak Jaco takes you down fun whitewater in inflatable kayaks.

So you, not your guide, do the river running. But we make it easy by making a big part of your tour instruction so that you actually know what is going on in the river. And then we make it even easier with our “follow the leader” technique.

WATERFALLS CANOPY TOUR

Waterfalls Canopy Tour is located just outside Jaco and only 10 km from the Carara Biological Reserve. It is part of an important ecological transition zone between Costa Rica ‘s dry northwest and the humid southern zone.

Much of the Canopy’s 46 hectares of protected area is covered with transitional rainforest growing on steep slopes, and studded with massive trees laden with vines and epiphytes.

Our Canopy Tour consists of 13 platforms, 7 cables of varying lengths, a 3 story treehouse, a Tarzan Swing, a suspension bridge, and a 90 feet rappel down at the end (optional for the adventure seekers).

The tour starts with putting on your harness, which is a professional mountain climbing harness. Then we do a short walk in, while I explain to you interesting facts about the area you are in, and the flora and fauna you encounter on the trails. Since a part of the forest has been used for agroforestry, a wide variety of exotic fruit trees and hardwood trees can be found here.

There are a variety of animals and birds to watch for also. Those big red parrots you see in the pet stores, the scarlet macaws, can often be seen and heard (they are very noisy), especially early in the morning and around dusk! The beautiful giant blue Morpho butterfly frequents river areas and is often found near our waterfalls. If we get lucky we may also see the toucans, aracaris, and white-face capuchin monkeys.

The nature walk terminates just past the waterfalls, here you will take to the trees. At all times during the canopy tour, except when inside the treehouse, you are attached either to the tree or to the cable. Personal security is tight here; your safety comes first with us. At all times, you are attended by our very well-trained guides.

A short slide at the first platform helps you get started. From there you will glide with the help of your professional climbing gear on a pulley to the first tree; an enormous Ceiba tree with a circumference of 22 feet! You will be taking cables from treetop to treetop in this jungle until you get to t he tree house; Jane and Tarzan’s place! This is the highest point of the Canopy Tour, you’ll be 100 feet above ground! Here you can hang out for a while to enjoy the scenery. And the tree house offers a great opportunity to do some bird watching. Try to spot some of the colorful birds present in our jungle! More cables follow until you reach a suspension bridge and the Tarzan Swing! Who can give the best Tarzan yodel?

The Tarzan Swing is followed by our longest cable, an optional cable for the truly adventurous! Then we both rappel and belay you down (for double security during the descent) to the forest floor. Bottled water and a selection of fruit awaits you!

Available :- Daily

– The duration is approximately 2 hours

Includes: guides, equipment, insect repellent, fresh tropical fruits and bottled water.

NATURE WALK, BUTTERFLIES AND SOMETHING MORE TOUR

On this guided Nature Walk we will be explaining about the different areas we pass through and the flora and fauna we encounter. Let us tell you a bit about the area in general. We are only 10 km from the Carara Biological Reserve which is part of an important ecological transition zone between Costa Rica’s drier northwest and more humid south.

Much of our 46 hectares of protected area is covered with transitional rainforest growing on steep slopes, studded with massive trees laden with vines and epiphytes. Only a small part was farmed by the people who live over the hill for the last 40 years so this part is not a jungle, it is actually an agro-forest.

An agro-forest is a way of farming in harmony with nature. There are 18 varieties of fruit trees around you as well as trees that were planted to be harvested for wood. In this area you can find mango trees, banana plants, plantain, a zapote fruit tree and hardwood trees like the very valuable mahogany tree over there. Also worthwhile to mention is the cacao tree as chocolate is made from it’s seeds, and the coyol palm from which a very potent local wine is made.

During the Nature Walk  we will be pointing out many interesting plants and trees to you, but  we  need you to help  us to spot the birds, insects and animals. So keep your eyes open!
 

When we cross the first bridge we enter a beautiful transitional rainforest and leave the agro-forest area behind. By the end of the walk you will have learned about the leafcutter ants, bamboo, royal palms, teakwood, the strangler fig and many other trees and plants.

If we get lucky we will perhaps see toucans and./ or scarlet macaws. Also we may encounter the white-faced capuchin monkeys, they are around when most often when there trees producing fruit.

Duration of the Nature Walk : approx. 30 min.

Includes: guide, insect repellent and bottled water.

We provide you with a map, and a booklet which explains things you see along the way. Please arrive before 3 pm to benefit from a full tour.
 

Also included in this tour is the  Butterflies, Frogs y Algo Mas Eco-project (“Algo mas” means Something More)

Welcome to the Butterflies, Frogs y Algo Mas Eco-project!  W e have a large 60 by 80 foot enclosure here. In it we have hundreds of free-flying butterflies and several species of colorful frogs, including poison dart frogs.

This eco-project was founded in 2004 by the renowned Costa Rican biologist Luis Angel Fonseca. His focus with this project is environmental education and the enjoyment of nature.

In the enclosure you have the chance to appreciate over 30 different species of colorful butterflies and a variety of frogs and toads.

The lush gardens in the enclosure include host plants for the butterflies, this allows  us to illustrate to you the complexities and nuances of the butterfly life cycle. You will see live eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalides on the host plants. Also we will probably see adult butterflies coming out of their chrysalides, and see them feeding, flying and mating as we stroll through the gardens. I will also tell you about their predators, host plant relationships and defense mechanisms.

The most striking butterfly we will see is the blue Morpho butterflies, this butterfly considered one of the world’s most beautiful butterflies because of it’s size and it’s beautiful blue metallic wings. You will also find Owl butterflies, which are the largest butterflies in Costa Rica .

The Poison Arrow Frog (Dendrobates pumilio), as well as the green frog (Dendrobates auratus) can be spotted quite easily in our gardens. Very active during daylight hours because of the lack of predators, these frogs can be seen within the ferns or in a bromeliad . After a rain fall you will hear them signing from different points in the garden. Also you will see the famous Red Eyed Tree Frog; this frog is nocturnal.

*  Butterfly and frog viewing is optimal during the morning hours.

Duration of the Tour around the Eco-project : 30 to 45 minutes