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How about going to a vacation spot that is known to have some of the best and most popular beaches in Costa Rica? If you have always wanted to vacation in Costa Rica, check out Jaco.

Located only two hours from San Jose, Jaco is along Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast at the Northern part of Puntarenas province. Though there are plenty of things to do during the day, this is one of the country’s famous “party towns”, well known for the outstanding, eclectic nightlife that you can enjoy on the beach.

It wasn’t too many years ago that Jaco was a sleepy little Pacific beach community. Surfers discovered one great surfing beach after another nearby, a laid-back lifestyle, and cheap places to sleep. But, secrets are hard to keep and as word got out, more tourists started flocking to Jaco, looking for great relaxation, peace, and fun. Within the last half dozen years, Jaco has boomed. Where, not long ago, there was a single, quiet (except at night) little road through town, now there are towering high rises, nearby resorts, and lots and lots of restaurants and bars.

Fortunately, Jaco isn’t just a great location for people who have lots of money. Indeed, it caters to any budget. There are hotels and accommodations ranging from luxurious to, well, basic (think hostels with dorms and cold water—but cheap). Restaurants of every kind have sprung up here as well, not to mention tropical bars and taverns.

Jaco Beach sits directly in front of Jaco and is very, very popular but , in my opinion, nearby beaches just a couple of miles or kilometers away, are much better. There are fewer people and the waters are some of the purest on earth. The best beaches are awarded Blue Flag ecological certifications for cleanliness. When you vacation in Jaco, I strongly recommend going to spectacular Hermosa Beach, a couple of miles south of Jaco. Though it is not good for safe swimming due to its currents, it is pristine and pure with some of the best surfing on the planet. How good is the surfing? Think world class. Indeed, this July professional surfers from more than 35 countries are descending upon Hermosa to participate in a week of world surfing championships. Watch them during the days or party with them at night in Jaco.

There are dozens of different things to do and innumerable places to visit close at hand. Costa Rica is tiny but filled with interesting places and activities. Go whitewater rafting or learn to sea kayak. Take a horseback ride along the beach or through the mountains (if you’re into extreme riding, you can literally ride across Costa Rica from the Pacific to the Caribbean). Visit volcanoes, sit in volcanic hot springs, try rappelling in tropical mountains, go ballooning. Or just sit back and enjoy the great ocean views and beautiful, romantic sunsets. But, take care when swimming. Some of the beaches, wonderful for surfing, can be dangerous for swimming because of riptides. There are no lifeguards—and no warning signs—so ask if it is safe to swim before jumping in.

And, if you exhaust all the other activities (probably pretty difficult), don’t forget that you can also experience great off shore fishing. The warm, tropical waters are alive with marlin, tuna, sailfish, porpoises, dozens of other varieties, and often whales. But, whatever your tastes, Jaco is definitely a wonderful place to take your vacation.

Christopher Columbus discovered and named Costa Rica 500 years ago, yet every day people discover new wonders while visiting this marvelous country. Though it makes up only about 1/10,000 of the land surface of the planet, there are more species of butterflies here than on the entire continent of Africa combined! One-fifth of every species of plant and animal on earth is here.