Adventure Tactician

Two surf boards lay on a beach in Jaco, Costa Rica

A Jaunt through Jacó, Costa Rica

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Jeff Golenski

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As a child, I grew up reading about the thick jungles and dramatic landscapes within Costa Rica. It’s home to some of the most beautiful frogs on the planet (which I actually keep in my collection), vibrant flowers, and thick forest that even the sun has a hard time penetrating. Even though I hadn’t been yet, Costa Rica has definitely had an influence on my affinity for keeping tropical plants and poison dart frogs throughout my life.

In 2023, I finally had the opportunity to venture to this spectacular country when my design team and I gathered for a meetup to work on some AI enhancements for Jetpack.

We decided to descend on the Pacific Coast in a small beach town called Jacó to get a little sun, fresh fruit, and some adventure in the wilds.

Map showing the route from San José to Jaco, Costa Rica, with estimated travel time and distance.

Jacó isn’t the most popular destination in Costa Rica for tourism, but it’s definitely gaining popularity in recent years. It’s in a great location and offers plenty of adventure, good food, and it’s still low-key enough that price isn’t a major concern. As a bonus, Jacó is about a 2 hour car ride outside of San José, so it’s very easy to get to.

My team and I flew into San José, chartered a small bus to our Airbnb, and were able to venture around the area of Jacó on foot and by some taxis, if needed.

Staying in the Rainforest

Just outside of Jacó there are hundreds of homes nestled in the thick jungle brush. Unlike the suburban American layout I’m accustomed to, there’s an insane amount of privacy amongst homes. Mature banana plants grow so thick, you’d never notice the Jaguars stalking you for lunch!

Interested in checking out this Airbnb? Here’s the listing!

A serene swimming pool surrounded by lush tropical foliage and bright blue skies, featuring turquoise lounge chairs and a float in the water.
Big fluffy clouds greeted us every morning.

Our place was absolutely shrouded by plant life, which meant I was in heaven. The common room was mostly large glass doors that opened into our wild yard, which included some stone walking paths, huge trees, and a fancy pool.

A cozy outdoor seating area illuminated by string lights, surrounded by lush foliage and wooden architecture at night.
The open patio was a delight to hang out in at night.
Cozy interior of a wooden house in Costa Rica, featuring a living area with a sofa, chairs, and a kitchen space, illuminated by warm lighting.
The inside of the common room had plenty of space for both work and lounging.
Cozy outdoor seating area adorned with string lights and plants, set in a lush jungle environment at night.
Nighttime scene featuring large tropical leaves illuminated by blue light, with two modern chairs in the foreground.
At night, the pool lights made the Banana plants dance with vibrancy.
A modern house nestled in a lush green landscape, surrounded by tropical trees in Costa Rica.
Of the few neighbors we had, we could definitely tell the area had some affluence.
Close-up of a large green leaf with visible veins, illuminated by sunlight, surrounded by blurred foliage.
Sun shining through Banana leaves made all the light green.

When staying in the jungles of Costa Rica, be prepared to integrate with nature. If you’re not a bug or small wild animal person, you may be better suited at one of the hotels in town.

Everywhere you look, you’ll find bustling Leaf Cutter Ant highways, Geckos, Beetles, Spiders, Bullet Ants, and hundreds of other creatures. And yes, this includes inside accommodations.

Ants get in the house, lizards swim through pools, and geckos climb across bedroom walls. It’s amazing.

A close-up of a small insect on a textured rock surrounded by green foliage and fallen leaves in a dimly lit rainforest environment.
A lone leaf cutter ant climbs over a rock on its way back to the colony.
A close-up image of a spider on its intricate web, with a soft blurred background featuring hints of green and colorful bokeh, highlighting the natural beauty of the rainforest.
Spiders built immaculate webs everywhere.
A small green lizard swimming in a turquoise swimming pool, with tropical plants and two turquoise chairs in the background.
A unknown lizard decided to take a swim in our pool. We’ll call him Fred.
Close-up view of large green leaves filtering sunlight against a blue sky, showcasing the lush vegetation of a rainforest.
Shadows from the trees gave each leaf its own personality.
Leaf cutter ants formed calculated highways across the yard.

See this ant crawling along the carpet below? That’s a Bullet Ant. You do not want to get bit by a Bullet Ant. Ask my friend Filipe. He may have stepped on it, sans shoes, while enjoying his morning coffee in the common room. He wasn’t enjoying his coffee after that.

A close-up of an ant walking on a textured blue carpet.
This Bullet Ant was on the prowl for its next meal, but found Filipe’s foot instead.

One of my favorite experiences in Jacó was the nightly monsoons rain storms. For about an hour every evening, a wonderful downpour drenched the forest behind our house (see the video below).

After the rain ceased, the trees became a symphony of song from the native insects and amphibians.

Jacó Beach

About a half mile from our place was the smooth gravel beach along Jacó where travelers can enjoy rides on horseback, take surf lessons, or simply vibe amongst the crashing of the waves.

Two surfboards lying on a sandy beach with waves in the background, a coastal building and lush hills under a partly cloudy sky.
We were tempted to grab the empty boards and hit the water.
A group of horses being ridden along a beach with a person walking by the water's edge and a cloudy sky above.
Horses were common amongst the sand.
A scenic beach view with a calm blue ocean, gentle waves, and a clear sky. A small stream flows across the sandy shore, leading to a lush green hillside in the background.
Nearby rivers flowed from the jungle into the Pacific.

There’s only one major “high-rise” in town, which gave the skyline a little depth amongst the palm trees. Naturally, it’s a condominium. I suspect in the next decade this skyline will become a lot more populated with concrete.

A tall yellow hotel building next to a sandy beach, surrounded by palm trees and a cloudy blue sky.
The only high-rise in town at the time was the Vista las Palmas condominium.
A tropical beach scene featuring palm trees and a sandy shoreline with driftwood debris, under a blue sky with white clouds.
The high-tide markers were very high up on the beach where all the driftwood collected.
A beach scene featuring a lifeguard tower with a yellow and red color scheme. The sandy shore is lined with palm trees and white beach chairs, with waves rolling in from the ocean under a partly cloudy sky.
The centerpiece of the beach was a picturesque surf shack.

On the other side of the sand was a bustling town full of tourist shops, bars, restaurants, and an odd amount of cars from the United States driving about.

I didn’t know this at the time, but over 1 million Americans venture to Costa Rica every year, with approximately 70,000 to 120,000 American expats actually living in Costa Rica (source).

Street view of a bustling downtown Jaco, Costa Rica, featuring various shops, vehicles, and a street vendor with a cart.
Jaco was full of cars from the USA.

Just outside of the main strip, the behemoth skeleton of the unfinished Sonesta Jacó Resort still stands tall. This was originally planned to be one of the most luxurious resorts in Costa Rica, but after some serious mishaps, it was abandoned. Read the story here.

An abandoned multi-story building covered in greenery, featuring exposed metal structures and a cloudy sky.
Sonesta Jacó Resort is a shell of the dream it once was.

A Quad Ride to Cascadas Gracie Waterfall

At the end of the week, after we actually got some work done, we planned an adventure to ride some 4-wheelers through the jungle to Cascadas Gracie Waterfall. The thing about this waterfall is that it’s pretty newly formed from a landslide that happened in 2022. It’s not massive by any means, but boasts a fun little swimming hole after a quick ride and a hike.

Our ride took us through rivers, thick forest, and some poor farmer’s land. I don’t think their cows were too pleased, but we were giddy with excitement.

Two men preparing for an ATV ride, wearing helmets and smiling, with lush greenery in the background.
Me and Filipe were gassed about riding on 4 wheelers.
A group of hikers walking along a trail in a lush green rainforest, with a small waterfall visible in the background and rocky terrain.
After the quad ride, Cascadas Gracie Waterfall was just a short hike away.
A group of people posing on all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in a lush green landscape, with trees and rolling hills in the background.
The Jetpack Design Team after a great week.

Some gasoline-induced excitement was a nice way to round out a quiet week of product planning and walking on the sand. I can’t wait to return to Costa Rica to explore more of its rainforest and beaches.

Thanks for following the adventure. Pura vida!

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3 responses to “A Jaunt through Jacó, Costa Rica”

  1. Filipe Varela Avatar
    Filipe Varela

    Such a beautifully written post and such great times. Can’t believe it’s been two full years…feels like yesterday.

    P.S.:”WHAT’S UP JERRY? HOW YOU DOING, BRO?” Thanks for the laugh! hahah

    Reply
    1. Jeff Golenski Avatar
      Jeff Golenski

      hahaha. such a good time. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any photos of the night me, you, and Ballio roamed around town and got accosted by that random dude.

      Reply
      1. Filipe Varela Avatar
        Filipe Varela

        I think having no visual evidence of the characters (plural) we crossed paths with during that evening is for the best.

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