Spacious Condos in Quiet Cove of Popular Jacó Beach

Jacó was Costa Rica’s first resort town, attracting flocks of wintering North Americans in the 1970s with its palm-lined shores and sugar-sand beaches. Jacó’s popularity has barely waned over the years, thanks in part to its proximity to the Costa Rican capital of San José. Today, a boom in high-rise development and a burgeoning reputation as a world-class surf and nightlife destination has helped to solidify Jacó’s reputation as one of the country’s top coastal party spots. But amid all the action, Club del Cielo has managed to carve out a quiet nook at the south end of Jacó Beach with two-story villas tucked in a lush, tropical cove.

The resort’s 19 condos vary in size and design, but they all harmonize with their natural surroundings. Wooded furniture and potted plants help to bring a bit of the outdoors inside. Each condo has its own private terrace with views of the gardens and the occasional toucan or monkey. In the full kitchens, stainless-steel appliances and built-in breakfast bars add a modern flourish.

Head to the onsite Tres Sabores Restaurant to dine on traditional Costa Rican and international dishes, such as mahi-mahi with mango sauce mashed potatoes and teriyaki chicken. Club del Cielo is a scant four blocks away from other Latin American and seafood eateries in downtown Jacó.

Though you can easily spend your days on the beach a block from Club del Cielo, the resort has a tour desk that can arrange excursions throughout Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast. Some tours include an observation of crocodiles in their natural habitat along the Rio Grande and a ride through the rainforest canopy in an aerial tram.

Puntarenas, Costa Rica: Scarlet Macaws and Surfing at Popular Ecotourism Getaway

Located along the Pacific coastline, Puntarenas is Costa Rica’s largest province, extending more than 500 miles from the Panama-Costa Rica border up to the Gulf of Nicoya. In Puntarenas, you’re never far from beaches, national parks, and nature reserves, making the area a popular ecotourism spot. The beachside town of Jacó attracts surfers from all over the globe with consistently big waves and good breaks. Just a few miles inland, Carara National Park, an 11,600-acre nature reserve, is home to crocodiles, two-toed sloths, and hundreds of scarlet macaws—a rare sight in most parts of the country.

About 60 miles northeast of Jacó lies the Costa Rican capital of San José, a cultural hub filled with colonial architecture, open-air artisan markets, and street vendors selling tamales and pupusas (stuffed flatbread). Farther north, Arenal Volcano looms over the surrounding jungle. Before 2010, the 5,437-foot volcano was Costa Rica’s most active, frequently spouting plumes of ash and lava. Since then, the volcano has entered a dormant phase, but you can still enjoy its geothermal hot springs and steamy rainforest hikes.

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