www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Hi,

I am planning my first trip to CR toward the end of April (4/27 to 5/3) for a week, and while my main purpose is to monger and have a good ol time, I also want to spend a couple days on the beach if possible. I am looking to Jaco since it is the closest beach to San Jose. So my ideal vacation would be 5 nights of partying/mongering/fun, and a couple relaxing days on the beach (would be awesome if I am able to convince one of the girls to go with me)..

I plan on staying at SL and getting a room for the entire week there... Even if I do end up going to Jaco or elsewhere for a night I will still keep my room at the SL just to make it convenient.

I am looking for recommendations on how best to plan this, where to go for a good beach, what hotel to stay at when I am by the beach, chica options there, etc.

Also, I am going to be travelling by myself and hope to meet up with folks traveling during the same time, as well as veterans of the board and party with them... If there is a way I can get initiated by a veteran, that would be totally an honor...

Thank you!

meet up with local expats at sportsmans lodge any day or night. Always a few there and ready to give advice.
Actually pretty easy to strike up a convo in any of the Sj stops.

As for the beach and action, pretty much means your going to Jaco.
Book at the Cocal and be at ground zero of the Jaco scene.
The gig gets going there around 6 or 7 and goes to about midnight. Then head to Monkey Bar.
There are cheaper places to stay than the Cocal and Jaco is not that big, you are never more than 10 or 15 minutes walking from anywhere in town. Night time, the later it gets the better idea it is to take a taxi, better safe than sorry.
Not alot of daytime action. But it is there, I understand there are always a few girls at Cocal during the day but have no experience with that.
I like the beach bar in front of the surf schools at the south end. Grab a seat at the handrail beachside and have a cold one or two. As the girls walk past, you will know if they are in the game by the eye contact. Just smile and invite'em for a beer.

Lots of folks don't like Jaco town or its beach. It has a funky, slightly seedy vibe, but I like it.
The beach aint that bad and there is plenty of nightlife. Just don't expect powdery sugar sand like the gulf coast USA.
Hermosa up the road is a nicer beach, but if you don't surf, you will probably get bored.
If the surf is up, and you are not familiar, be careful, the rips can be very strong.
Black sand gets freakin HOT take your flip flops with you.
I would say stay in Jaco, just more options for everything.
Weekends get busy in Jaco with lots of local folks coming to the beach, if its a local holiday even more so.

If you really enjoy the beach, no need to stay in SJ, Jaco has everything you would like or need.
I usually only first and last night in SJ and spend the rest of the time at the beach. If staying longer I may spend more time in the gulch but I would rather drink my beers at a beach bar.

Plenty of places to eat, drink and be merry, you will have a blast.

oh about convincing a girl to take with you, WHY??? no need to take sand to the beach amigo, plenty of chicas in Jaco. Don't lock yourself into one, variety is the spice!!

In case the SL doesn't have a room available, you may want to check with La Armistad. I think they have transportation to Jaco. Even if you stay at SL, you can still use the transportation from La Armistad, for a fee.

Thanks so much Special_Ed & GoodDayJohn! I really appreciate the advice fellas!!

Based on Special_Ed's feedback I am thinking of doing 3 nights in Jaco and 4 nights in SJO. Main reason I was skeptical about Jaco was because I got the impression (maybe incorrectly) that the quality & quantity of the chicas in Jaco was much lower than that of SJO. Additionally the Jaco chicas were more expensive. Maybe I was misunderstanding. However, I am fresh off a divorce (a week ago) and so the image of myself on the Jaco beach with a cold one, and hitting on the chicas walking past, and picking up one, sounds like my idea of fun/relaxation after a pretty rough 2 years with the ex while going through the divorce

With such a trip, is it a good idea to just fly in to SJO and go directly to Jaco, spend 3 nights there, and then come to SJO and spend the rest of the trip there? Or, is it better to do the Jaco trip in the middle of the week with SJO stays buffering on both ends?

If I do go to Jaco I will definitely stay at the Cocal. Is this the hotel - http://www.hotelcocalandcasino.com/ ?? Looks pretty nice and actually quite family friendly to me. I hope the chica action there is pretty good.

I definitely look forward to meeting the local expats and CRT veterans and partying with them at the SL

Thanks again guys! I really appreciate the advice!

keep in mind the scenes are slower Sunday and Monday ... so plan Sunday to be a bit slower in terms of mongering options.

The thing SJ has over Jaco (and bear in mind I have only ever read postings about Jaco) is the overall selection of chicas. In SJ, you have the indie scene (HDR/SL/etc) which is larger than what I have gathered from Jaco, but during the day you have an expanse of cheaper thrills in the MPs ...

The best thing you can do is read threads. Advice comes in the form of personal opinion, and in the case of your questions, there will not be much of a consensus. Some guys love Jaco, some see nothing there that cannot be had in SJ. Some guys love MPs, some skip it entirely. Some love the HDR and skip the SL, some opposite.

You did a good job listing out what you'd like to experience. Choose where to spend the worst mongering day (Sunday), and then split your vacation based upon that. Whatever you choose, you're going to have a good time. So don't sweat the choices. They're all good.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

Search and read the forums, the newbie section, trip reports and the hotels are the best one to start with, read the newbie guide by orange is a good place to start.

As far as planning your trip, where are you coming from and when do you arrive will have a big influence on your first few days in my view. If I were in your position I would spend the first day in San Jose to get accustomed to the country and meet up with some like minded people especially if you travelling solo on the first trip. Your post indicates you are arriving on a Sunday, many of the girls will be coming back from Jaco to San Jose.
Are you going for just the girls or do you want to do some sightseeing or adventure activities, this also has influence or where to stay and for how long. I do not recommend renting a car on the first trip.
There is multiple ways to get from San Jose to Jaco and back, depending on your schedule and budget.
The Cocal rooms are basically American style, not boutique like, I have stayed beachfront, pool and parking lot, all are basically the same.

the best nights are going to be Thurs-Sat in both places, so you are going to have to pick which you prefer.
As for quality per percentage of chicas, Jaco wins. Fewer girls over all than the Del Rey but a higher number of what I consider HOT.

Prices are about the same, girls might(probably) will ask for more in Jaco. But can generally be had for 80-100 if you are a decent regular dude. Some casanova types claim cheaper rates but who knows.
The girls are there to work and make money don't waste their time if you are not interested and don't let them waste yours.

If this is your first trip, nothing written here can prepare you for what you are about to walk into.
Your mind will be blown.
READ all the newbie threads and read some more.
Easy to screw up and blow a c-note on a unsatisfactory experience, but it happens to everyone.
Shake it off and move on.

Be careful who you hit on, remember not every girl walking the beach in Jaco is in play. They will let you know if they are, trust me.
Generally speaking if girls are in Del Rey, Key Largo, Sportsman, Cocal there is a high probability they are working. Monkey Bar in Jaco can be a mixed crowd, pay attention and you will see lots of girls from Cocal there later in the evening, rates can be cheaper there the later is gets.

Keep a positive attitude and enjoy yourself, I find it damn near impossible to not have a good time in Costa Rica.
You will not believe the quality of women that are available, it is absolutely crazy. You will have a great time! Geez, writing all this makes me jones bad, wish I was going with you!!

Thanks so much for the awesome advice fellas! I really appreciate it!

I decided to go to CR after stumbling across this board, and have been going through it extensively to take in as much context as possible coz I only have a month before my trip!! I also have to start learning some basic spanish and definitely getting an awesome translator app for my phone to use while I am there I will make sure to read all the relevant threads in the newbie section and prepare how best I can for all the awesomeness that is going to hit me once I land in CR!!

I am not planning on doing any adventure stuff although that is what I would have normally preferred if not for the amazing chica scene in CR Definitely want to split time between the beach and SL so I will plan my trip accordingly...

I will be flying in from Seattle so it is ~11 hours of journey time before I land in SJO so I will maybe spend a couple nights there, then go to Jaco and spend 3 nights there, and the rest back in SJO. So it looks like I will spend Friday/Saturday in SJO and take my flight back to Seattle on Sunday...

Special_Ed, how long has it been since you've been to CR? You should join too!!

Thanks again guys! You have been very helpful and I really appreciate your time!

thanks amigo, wish I could join you.
It be fun for sure, always fun to watch a new guy's eyes light up.
My last trip was a year ago, I spent Jan&Feb up the road from Jaco in Hermosa beach.
Which reminds me, if you are in Jaco on Wednesday night, check out the Backyard Hotel Bar.
Its ladies night there and the girls get free drinks.
Usually a good crowd. No need to go before 11.
Its about 3-4k colones taxi ride from Jaco.

Spanish is definitely helpful but not necessary. Most girls know the basics.
Learn to say NO and don't be afraid to use it!
Lots of leaches in the bars as well.

Good luck and write a trip report when you get back!

Pura Vida

Read Special Ed's posts in this thread over and over...best and most complete posts I've seen on Jaco in a while.

For sure Cocal is the place to be in Jaco. There are some other places if it is booked like the Cancions del Mar (all suites and newly remodeled) Copacabana, Poseidon, and Hotel 9. All these options are 'chica friendly' although Copacabana still has a chica fee

My advice to all my clients is to go to Jaco at the beginning or end of the trip and go straight from the airport to Jaco or vice versa. Arriving that early and after an 11 hour trip, that extra hour to get to Jaco does make a difference. Always hated arriving early in Amsterdam because the hotel wouldn't let you check in until later and that was tough sometimes.

The quality in Jaco is amazing but it is mostly only available in the evenings. Reports I get say $80-$100 is standard but there are those rare few that ask and hold out for more. In addition to the Monkey Bar, keep in mind the Beetle Bar is open again and have lots of good reports from Le Loft and Orange Pub lately.

Good luck on the trip and post a report when you get back!

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The only thing that matters is happiness in all it forms...

Thanks a lot, guys!!

I am going to be spending the few weeks I have remaining reading through all the posts of the veterans and planning out my trip and getting a sense of all the hot spots I have to hit up both in Jaco & San Jose!! I have a huge thing for Latinas and my eyes are definitely going to pop out!!

Will definitely post a detailed trip report and like some others TRs that I have admired while reading, I will try to do it at the end of the day each day, while it is all fresh in my head

Thanks again!

Just booked my ticket!! Yay!! I chose the option to arrive in SJO on Friday (4/25)at Noon, and depart from SJO on Saturday (5/3) at 3PM so that way I get to spend 2 Friday nights in CR!!

Now just need to figure out how to split my 8 nights in CR between Jaco & SJO

There are a couple options I can take and am torn between then -

1. Fly in to SJO on Friday noon (4/25) and spend 4 nights in SJO until Tuesday (4/29), and then go to Jaco to spend 4 nights (4/29 to 5/2) and then wake up on Saturday (5/3) and take a cab directly to the airport to catch my 3PM flight

2. Fly in to SJO on Friday noon (4/25), take a cab directly to Jaco and spend 4 nights there. Come back to SJO on Tuesday (4/29) and spend 4 nights in SJO and leave on Saturday

With both options, I can experience the weekend scene in both these awesome cities...

I am not sure which option to take, the first one seems to be the better option since it will help me get a better sense of the scene in CR, meet some of the expats, and get a moment to take all of it in. However, I am a little concerned about whether or not I will be able to make the 2 hour ride on Saturday from Jaco to SJO airport and make it to my flight comfortably.

Additionally, I am able to get a nice suite in the mansion wing at SL until 4/29, and only a regular room for the second half of the week, which again aligns with the first option.

Any recommendations to help me choose one over the other so that I can book hotels accordingly?

Thanks again!

I would go with option #2. The weekend in Jaco should be awesome, and with option #1, that ride from Jaco to the airport would be murder. You'll be worn out, possibly hung over, and miserable for an almost 2-hour cab ride. The downside is that in May, a Tuesday- Friday night stay in San Jose might not be that active for you. I still think #2 is the best call. While the mansion rooms at SL are nice, I wouldn't sweat that as a deal-breaker. There are expats to schmooze with in Jaco (at Cocal and other places) and also at SL.

Option #2 is my recommendation. Look at staying at La Amistad while in SJ. It is only a block or so away from SL, and the all inclusive package is great. I have stayed in 3 different rooms at LA and they were all nice.