www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Do u think its worth the travel time? I want to see as much as I can.

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Hanging in Laurelas with the Paisas

Just returned from a week in CR and spent 1 night there. If you're gonna surf, fish, etc. sure, and the selection at Beatle bar was good but 1night-2 days was enough for me. It's much warmer/humid and I was spoiled by the comforts of the Pres. and ready to get back to SJO to my regular chicas...

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

I can catch the bus from The Presidente in the morning and return the next night? Correct?

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Hanging in Laurelas with the Paisas

Yes, I believe the bus comes by around 8:30am and it's around 17.00 one way. Perhaps Hazel or Devo could chime in or you could PM them as they made that bus trip one day. I know they told me thay missed the return bus and had to get a taxi back. Also the bus is a slower ride and makes stops along the way.
We got a driver w/ a van to take us for 60.00

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

It all depends on if you really want to see the beach. Jaco is nice, but a dusty little beach town, kinda touristy. What Paco said is correct. Do not go there to hunt chicas. You can find some at the beatle bar, but that is not what people go there for. There is a lot to see in CR and I do encourage people to partake of the sites....but bring a babe with you if you really like her. Makes the travel time much more fun.

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ASTROGLIDE

I went there back in Feb 2003 and the most enjoyable thing about Jaco was seeing the crocodiles from the bridge other than that the town was a dud. The Beattle bar is way over rated and the quality of the chicas at that time was probably 5-7's. I was suppoded to stay at the Cocal but IMO it was a dump and checked out and went to the Best Western which was a lot better. I took the bus/van from the Del Rey tour desk and I believe it was $17 each way and there were no stops along the way except to pick someone up from the Presidente.

Jimmydr,
I think the answer all depends on the individual and several other factors. While SJ is a real happening place I think YOU will be disappointed by Jaco after so many trips to Sosua and the beaches of Northern DR. The nightlife can not compare to either Sosua or SJ. And as for the beach itself, while there are much nicer beaches in CR. For others in general Jaco is an okay place to go to experience a little beach life during a short trip to CR. IMHO, If one is spending more than 6 days in CR however I would check out much nicer beaches in either Guanacaste or Manuel Antonio instead of Jaco.

If you still are thinking of going to Jaco, you should check my post in a recent thread on trnasportation to Jaco http://www.costaricaticas.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=1846&start=2 which provide links to several cheap shuttle services and Jaco sites.

It depends on what day of the week you go. If you go on a fri. or sat. night
I think you will have a good time. I had a great time last year on a friday
night,the Beatle bar was a blast,theres a dance club thats alot of fun too.
There is a late night mongering place [pancho villas] that's open till around
5am.I say go and enjoy......sometimes you just need a break from SJO.

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I came... I saw... I came

Yes, Jaco is worth seeing once or twice...but the best beaches in CR for my money are in Puerto Viejo and south on the Caribbean side. THe true white pristine sandy beaches. The crowd at PV is pretty hip also. I hope more guys on this board will venture over that way, because you might be surprised. More laid back than Jaco...and variety of women from Europeans to Island girls. Calypso music...yea...kind of like Dominican beaches or what Jamaica was like 30 yrs ago. It is also a good investment value over there real estate wise. Nows the time... Its a 3 hr bus ride for around $4.50 from Caribe bus terminal.

Tman...one day I'd like to check out the Caribbean coast. I was near there
one time with a Tica, but didn't quite make it to the coast. We went to
Siquirres, a small town about 15 miles from Puerto Limon. The bus was nice,
very comfortable, and cheap. I think it cost about $2.00. The ride was scenic
too, as we passed through the Braulio Carrillo National Park.

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"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 your help

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Hanging in Laurelas with the Paisas

Jaco should definitely be part of your CR history ... at some time or another... Most fun with a chica in tow... but also no fun at all if you have not "pre-cleared" her... checked her out for personality.

... have done the trip twice. First wonderful; jet ski'd, danced, laughed a lot. Second was a disaster; met a honey and spirited her away that morning. She turned out to be a bitch... my bad for not pre qualifying the companion...

We hired a minivan on both occasions. $100 for the trip + a cooler of beer for the road.

Of course, if you have money to burn, stay at Los Suenos.

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One more day. two more beers.. three more times...

Jimmydr,

I can give a biased answer to your question.

I say biased becuase i'm from south florida and i can always go to the beach or go fishing whenever.

So, when I'm down in san jose, I just stay put and enjoy all the city has to offer.

But, if you are a touristy type and like to see all the natural wonders, then I say go for it. If you do decide to travel to jaco then you will have a chance to see all the countryside.

Joe,
I think Jimmy already made his trip, but I have a question for you. Coming from Florida like you, the CR beaches are not high on my itinerary list either. But why would you spend all your time in a smog-choked city when you could be checking out the nearby mountains, something we certainly don't have here in Florida?

Also if one goes to Jaco, one will see much more of the countryside than they would if they stayed in San Jose but certainly not "all" . It is still a very small fraction of what CR has to offer, as they will miss the various volcanoes, the mountain lakes like Arenal, the mountain streams and rivers like the Pacuare, the cloud forests like Monteverde, the estuaries like around Tortuguero (not high on my list either due to similarity to areas in Florida), the drier "cattle country" of the NW or the entirely different feel of the Caribbean coast.

jaco is not a bad place. Especially if you only spend 7-8 days in Costa Rica and would like to see more then just San Jose. The beach is not the best considering it is rocky and grey but just up the road is playa hermosa which is just 10-15 minutes away. Jao is just 2-2 1/2 hour by bus if you take the directo. Once in Jaco, it's not just about the beach, you are closer to a lot of stuff like a horse ride through the mountains, canopy tours, and just to check out the natural fauna of the area. If you are not limited by time then I would spend a night in Jaco and make your way to Manuel Antonio and go from there.

Places are cheap in Jaco depending on how much comfort you want. Right now is pretty cheap so I can get a cabina with 3 rooms, no A/C, cable TV and a hammock for about $12 a night(Cabina Nicole, Cabinas de la Barca. If I want a swimming pool and A/C I can get it for about $30 a night(Poseidon). Just look around they are a lot of choices. Foodwise, unless you go to an Americanized restaurant you can eat pretty well for 4000 colones a day beer not included.

The Beatle bar is obviously the main hangout for mongers but certainly not the only place to pick up pros. It is a good place if you are lazy. Plus, after 2am you'll see lots of pros looking for a last minute John as they walk home or go to El Central or Pancho Villa. Unfortunately, Philthy Mcnasty went out of business but they are still a lot of places to meet non-pros and pros. if you have money check out Diva the girls there are hot and if she likes you, you can get the boyfriend treatment the next day.

Quepos is an alternative to jaco and Quepos is only 10 minutes from Manuel Antonio and has cheaper places for pros. Places like VIPS and Arcada.

If you are alone, take a bus. It's always a good experience. If you have 3-4 people, get a cab. If you go to the bus station you can usually find taxi drivers that will take you there for $50 and if you split it up, it's worth it plus you can drink and make all of the stops you need on the way there.

Oh yeah, I never bring a girl to the beach. I made that mistake once and it blew a few opportunities for free sex. Why bring sand to the beach?