The Best Hotels to Book in Jacó, Costa Rica

Rooms in this simple Jacó hotel nudge right up to the banks of a creek less than two minutes’ walk from the long, sandy beach. There are plenty of bars and restaurants right on the doorstep, and the hotel has a small pool and sun deck set in a butterfly-filled tropical garden pink with bougainvillea. Simple rooms in whitewash and tile are brightened with turquoise door and window frames, warm polished timber furniture and artsy murals. The hotel has plenty of tours on offer, as well as bikes for rent and a communal kitchen.

This Jacó hotel offers condo-style accommodation in one- or two-bed villas with enough space for a family or a group of up to six. Interiors are decorated in whitewash and teal, with touches of polished mahogany. There are sitting and dining areas with tables, sofas and lounge chairs, as well as well-equipped kitchens. Villas open onto a lawned garden, shaded with coconut palms, where a pool overlooks the best bit of Jacó Beach. With a restaurant and bar on site and more in the vicinity, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Rooms in Los Ranchos may be simple cubes in whitewash and floor tile, but they stand in a serene garden bright with flowers next to a small, palm-shaded swimming pool. The beach and the main bar and restaurant strip are within cork-popping distance. Standard accommodations do the job with ensuites and beds with bright-orange comforters; larger apartments and bungalows have small kitchen/dining areas. Staff can help sort surf classes and a range of tours to the nearby national parks.

Balcony rooms with private plunge pools and views over forest-covered mountains, two- and three-bedroom family suites, duplex rooms with a loft and three balconies – the Oceano has one of the widest ranges of rooms of any hotel in Jacó. And they all look great, with contemporary creams and polished tiles, floor-to-ceiling windows and splashes of color courtesy of photographic prints of Costa Rican landscapes. The beach, restaurants and bar strip are a half-hour walk (or a five-minute drive) away.

Most hotels in Jacó are right on the sand, but Doce Lunas is set in lush gardens next to the rainforest, making it the best hotel in town for wildlife spotting. From your balcony you’ll see capuchin monkeys cavorting in the trees, brilliant-blue morpho butterflies floating through the palms and toucans everywhere. Rooms have a wall of windows opening onto nature, and they feel fresh, with a palette of welcoming light oranges, warm yellows and polished woods. The beach and restaurants are five minutes away by car.

Hotels in Jacó don’t come with locations any better than this: picture villas in a palm-tree garden overlooking the creek and the best stretch of beach. The Jacó restaurants and lively bars are an easy stroll from here, and surfer shacks next to the hotel trade in everything from fresh-cut green coconuts and cold beer to surf classes. Rooms, in light yellows, whitewash and dark woods, come in all sizes, with space for up to nine. There are three pools (including one for toddlers), a games area and a wealth of tours on offer.

The USP of Hotel Mar de Luz is simple – great-value rooms (with breakfast) in a great location. The beach is less than two minutes’ walk away, the best restaurants and liveliest nightlife in Jacó are on the doorstep and the forest-lined creek – busy with iguanas and tropical birds – is right next to the hotel. Of the rooms – modestly decked out in tile, whitewash and dark wood – the best are on the upper floors, bathed in bright light from larger windows, with calming views out over the small pool and garden.

Looking for a tranquil beach and jungle retreat? Look no further than Macaws, at the serene southern end of the town. Away from the busy bar strip, it stands on the sands with the rainforest-cloaked hills stretching away behind. The rooms to book are the upper-floor apartments, cool and calm in a palette of creams, with soft sofas and kitchenettes and French doors opening onto large balconies overlooking a pool and patio. There’s a decent restaurant, and an excellent menu of adventure and wildlife tours.