www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Looks like the Pres. has rooms except for the Friday night we'll be in town. Hassle to move out for one night to another hotel I guess but was considering taking the ride to Jaco to spend the night. How long is the trip? 2 hrs? What's the best bus or way to go?
I'm thinking there will be some action as it'll be Friday and Copacabana has rooms. (thanks for the discount CRT!)
Also wondered about checkout time and the bus schedule, if we'd have to hang around with our luggage from noon waiting for the 3:00 return bus or something.
Any help appreciated, we're up for an adventure but wondered it this may be too much hassle for overnight and we'd be better off just moving to the Del Ray or Morazan for a night.
Pacoloco

I guess it really depends what you're looking for. My last trip I drove to Jaco for two nights, but only ended up spending one there. The trip itself is beautiful. It took me closer to 3.5 hours because I was driving pretty slow through the twisty roads and there was a lot of construction. One side note - be careful about pulling off at the viewpoints. The one I got off at was unpaved and was such a drop off the pavement that the little car I had rented couldn't climb back onto the road. I had to build a ramp out of rocks to get out of there.

Jaco isn't the nicest beach. The sand is brown and the place isn't all that clean or attractive. The weather right now is in the low 90's and when I was there in the Spring it felt real hot too. There's not much to do during the day and no action that I could see during the day. The Beatle Bar has action at night but nowhere near as much as SJ. I hear weekends are better - I think I was there during the week. The Copa has a very nice pool area, which is a big plus after staying in the Gulch. I pretty much spent the days at the pool.

Distance-wise, it really isn't too far to go for an overnighter. Like any destination in CR, there's the Tico bus (about $4 each way I think) without AC, and the tourist bus that's $25. The tourist busses run once a day while the Tico busses run more frequently. I'm sure the hotel wouldn't mind holding your luggage after you check out.

So, go if you're looking for a nice trip that's not too long. Go if you want to go to the beach and/or hang out at the pool. Don't go for the action (note: if you are younger the disco in Jaco might be worth checking out). Don't go just because the Presidente doesn't have a reservation for that night. Like you said, you can move to the Morizon, or most likely if you are already at the Presidente they will have an opening and you might not even have to change rooms.

Another change-of-pace option is to check into the Best Western Irazú for that night. They usually have a weekend special. It's a US-style hotel about a 15 minute cab ride from the Gulch. All the rooms have balconies - ask for a room overlooking the pool. Of course, it won't be as hot in SJ but you can still swim. They also have a fitness center and a nice bar and disco. The chicas really like going there and it's monger-friendly. They will deliver drinks to your room, which the chicas find very classy. I find that chicas tend to want to stay and hang out longer at the Irazú than they do at the Prez. Sometimes I spend my last night or two there if I have an early flight, because it's a lot closer to the airport.

All of the rooms at the BW Irazu do NOT have balconies. Only the rooms
facing 'inward' overlooking the pool have balconies. It should be easy to
get a room on the pool side, as they usually have plenty of vacancies.

_________________
"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

Thanks for the correction, Tim. I never stayed in an outside room and now I know why

Thanks for the great info PartyCA,
Since we'll only be in town 5 days, now thinking maybe we'll just stay in the gulch, get a place with a pool and hit Jaco next trip...
Paco

Best deal in San Jose for a nice place with a pool is Casa Conde. With the CRT discount package, you can enjoy a nice outdoor pool, jacuzzi, and fully furnished suites which are the nicest in town. 2 guys to a suite that has 2 separate bedrooms at $70 night is hard to beat. Check out the sponsor section for more data.

I still think Jaco is a nice break in the action if you want to see variety in Costa Rica. If you have 2-3 guys sharing costs of trans...you can get 24 hr trans service in a bi-lingually chauffered van with cooler of beers...stay at the Copacabana right on the beach at CRT discount rates...1 blk walk to the famous Beattle Bar which most nights has plenty of chicas to talk to and "take out". Personally I think worth the overnighter...will broaden your perspective on CR. PM me if you want connections on transportation and things to do there. Alot of it has been stated here previously. Just do a "search" of posts regarding "Jaco"...

See ya down here...

Thanks Tman,
Due to our short (5 day) stay and the fact that we will be taking a day tour, decided to put off Jaco until next trip. The Casa Conde looks great but I'm not sure about the "only girl you check in with" policy. I'd love to stay in a place that nice and reasonable for the weekend but I'm afraid we'll need a little more flexibility with the chica rules.
Any other suggestions? Found a link for the Morazan but the site is down...

Does anyone have a link that show the schedules of the Tico buses that run fro Jaco to San Jose Any info would be much appreciated. I am planning a 2 day Jaco side trip in April Thanks

Indy_Dan

_________________

Wow nice avatar..
She's really working it, gonna stretch those things out.
There's several bus links in this thread- https://costaricaticas.com/phpbb2/vi ... .php?t=531

_________________

Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY

Empresa Jacó (a.k.a. Garabito) buses, route 655, leave daily from C16/A1-A3 ("Coca Cola") at 7:30 am, 10:30 am, 1:00 pm., 3:30 pm, and 6:30 pm; duration 3 hours, 1,020 colones. Buses return at 5:00 am, 7:30 pm, 11:00 am, 3:00 pm, and 5:00 pm. Tel: (San José) 223-1109, (Jacó) 643-3135.

If you want air cond, hotel pick-up and only a couple stops for $17, Interbus is an option.

http://www.interbusonline.com/

One of Paco's first post
Did you find a place with a pool
How things change, but stay the same

Yes an overnighter to Jaco is definitely worth it even on a short stay.
NOTE: Most of the info above is from many years ago and thus outdated, and that link guide can be a bit hard to navigate. For bus schedules try this:
http://thebusschedule.com/cr/index.php
or this: http://www.costarica.com/trip-planning/ ... schedules/

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED