Jaco itself is a bit touristy, but still rustic enough to feel Disney hasn't arrived. The surfing is terrific, as is the fishing (or in our case, the eating of much fresh fish!). And it's still relatively inexpensive to eat and stay there. Outside of town, we found waterfalls to swim in, and funky areas like Hermosa Beach and Herradura. Jaco is a nice central location from which to make day trips up and down the coast. You can even take the ferry from Puntarenas across to Mal Pais, rumored to be amongst the most beautiful places to go.
Quick Tips:
I love to drink Coca Cola down there, because they still make it with sugar (the 'classic' stuff you get in the US doesn't come close!) The meat is all very good, and the fruit & seafood are amongst the freshest you can get. It's all grown and produced locally, so it makes it to the table that day. Every meal we had was super!
I enjoy Costa during the summer rainy season, because I don't mind the quick showers, and the rain makes everything really bloom. I have never seen so many shades of green! And the coffee is tops- I brought quite a bit home with me. On hotels: a few times, we went down without a reservation, and we were fine. But check ahead anyway. Also~since CR is a surfing destination, call a surf travel specialist-they buy seats in bulk and may have better fares.Best Way To Get Around:
We rented a car in San Jose and drove in, which takes a little time. The roads are much better now~just 5 years ago, you'd hit potholes as big as kiddie pools all over the road. Having a car freed us up to travel a lot, but certainly towns like Jaco and Tamarindo up north can be good walking towns. Don't miss Johann's bakery in Tamarindo! Good stuff.