Travel Tips
Clarita recommends that you hire a taxi or a van to drive you from San Jose or its airport to Jacó and Clarita’s.
Clarita’s Beach Hotel Beach Bar & Grill is located on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast. From San Jose or its international airport it is a 1.5-2 hour drive…give or take a truck or two in front of you.
There is no reason to rent a car in San Jose for a drive to Jacó.
Unless you love driving mountainous roads and following trucks, in Jacó a car is not needed. Everything is a 5 to 10 minute walk or a $2 cab fare. If you insist on renting a car in San Jose then follow Clarita’s map below to Jacó. When you arrive in Jacó take the first right off the highway and stay on that road until you run into the beach. Take another right and you have arrived.
You can catch a bus to Jacó in San Jose.
The buses to Jacó leave San Jose daily at 7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noonish, and 3:30 p.m. The fare is $6.00 and the trip takes 1 1/2 hours. The buses are modern, safe and according to Clarita, a great way to meet the locals and see the real Costa Rica. WARNING: While on public transportation do not let your carry-on baggage out of your sight. Baggage checked with a receipt from the driver is usually safe!
There are many car rentals available.
Once in Jacó, if you need to rent a car for a day trip or to explore more of Costa Rica, there are many car rentals available. We suggest Budget. Car rentals are approximately $40 to $60 per day. Budget, Economy & Zuma car rentals are only a 15 minute walk from Clarita’s.
The coin in Costa Rica is the Colone.
Its exchange rate with the dollar changes almost weekly. There are 3 banks with ATMs in Jacó.