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DIRECTIONS
Located in the gated community of Hermosa Palms located 15 drive from Jaco, Costa Rica on the Central Pacific coast. It is roughly 1.5 hours, depending on traffic, from San Juan Santamaria International Airport. Enter “Hermosa Palms” into google maps or waze.
GETTING THERE
At the airport you can get a taxi in the arrivals section, or we can get a driver to pick you up at the airport and bring you to the beach. He will arrange a small car or van depending on the number of people and luggage requirements.
Alternatively you can rent a car. There are a number of them to choose from. I have often used Alamo and they are very honest and fair with all their renters. They pick you up at the airport and their location is just a few minutes away so you’ll be on the road in no time.
I prefer to get a driver and then have the Alamo in Jaco drop off a car at the villa the next day. Alamo will drop off and pick up for free if booking the Jaco location.
THINGS TO DO
VISTA LOS SUENOS ADVENTURE PARK - Close by, in Los Suenos, this place has everything. Zip lining, canopy tour, repelling, atving, horseback riding, waterfalls. https://vistalossuenosadventurepark.com
MIRO - A hike close by in Jaco up the mountain to 2 different viewing decks. Miro, or Mirador de Jaco is a nice hike. Has some incline, but is not a long hike, and you get to experience panoramic views of Jaco below. https://goo.gl/maps/8e2Vo1FURYDe3CuT8
MANUEL ANTONIO PARK - 1 hour south of Jaco, this national park is full of walking trails, white sand beaches, and is teeming with wildlife like sloths, monkeys, deer, macaws and iguanas. Closed on Sundays to give the wildlife a break from humans. There is a fee to enter the park, & be sure to bring lots of water and sunscreen.
LOS SUENOS RESORT AND MARINA - Nice and close, just 10-15 minutes from the condo, this is a lovely resort with cute shops and restaurants. Lunch at Dolce Vita is delish in their open air dining. Fishing and catamaran tours go out from Los Suenos as well.
PEZ VELA MARINA - This is close to Quepos, which is just outside of Manuel Antonio Park. So would be nice to visit the park during the day and then head to Pez Vela Marina for sunset and a cocktail or dinner. They also have catamaran tours, fishing trips, parasailing, jet skis and everything you need for a fun day out on the water.
NAUYACA WATERFALL - 1 hr 45 minutes south near Dominical, this is by far our favorite waterfall and one of the most impressive in the country. 2 tiers of cascading falls, with a large pool where you can swim, or climb the falls. You can choose to hike which takes 1-2 hours each way depending on your speed. Or if you are more about enjoying the falls and want an easier way in, we recommend taking the 4 x 4 truck which takes about 15 minutes and gives you 2 hours at the falls. http://nauyacawaterfallscostarica.com/?product=4x4. There’s also the option to ride on horseback to the falls, which is a fun adventure.
RAINMAKER - Rainmaker is a fabulous day trip, only an hour south where you can hike through the jungle and over hanging bridges. Great for spotting wildlife, taking photos on the bridges and having a little dip in the river pools.
CROCODILE TOUR - Tour the river in a river boat and experience the mangroves, birds, and all the wildlife that inhabits Rio Tarcoles, including the abundance of crocodiles. Just 30 minutes north https://crocodilemantour.com is one of the most popular, where they step out onto the river banks and hand feed large crocodiles. Also, when heading to and from the coast, you can stop at the bridge in Tarcoles and see the crocodiles from the bridge.
DEEP SEA FISHING - If sport fishing is your thing, Los Suenos Marina or Pez Vela Marina are both known for their fishing tours. You can book a boat for the day to head out and catch Yellowfin Tuna, Mahi, Marlin, Snapper, Rooster fish and Costa Rica’s waters have the largest concentration of pacific sailfish.
ISLA TORTUGA - Tortuga Island is a nice day trip to enjoy the white sand beaches and turquoise waters. Costa Rica is not known for its snorkeling/diving because of the lack of clarity and not having large reef systems. However, if you like to snorkel you’ll still spot some tropical fish. The catamaran tours are nice, and the best one that goes directly from Los Suenos resort to Isla Tortuga is Costa Cat Cruises.
PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION - Book a portrait session, or photographer to capture your family vacation. Canadian photography team, Miles Photography, is there to capture these memories. They also offer private photography lessons. info@milesphotography.ca (Call 8703-6961).
SURF LESSON - For beginners, the south end of Jaco Beach is the best place to find smaller, more sheltered waves, and you can find many surf instructors. Roberto will be happy to arrange surf lessons for you. There are multiple places that will also rent you a board so you can head out solo. If you’re looking for more challenging waves for advanced surfers you can head out your door to our very own Playa Hermosa, but beware of the dangerous rip tides.
YOGA CLASS - Aurora Yoga in Jaco Walk, or Vida Asana in the jungle in Playa Hermosa are great yoga studios to take a class for all levels. There are also teachers that offer private lessons, like Jennifer Saunders who is the owner of Aurora Yoga.
ART CLASS - Highly recommend taking an art class with Delphine Raveau from Big Step art studio. You can find her on Facebook and arrange to attend a group class or private session. She is lovely, patient, kind and a very good teacher.
JACO MARKET - On Thursday evening, or Friday morning there is a farmers market in Jaco. Highly recommend going on Thursday afternoon around 3pm to get the best pick, especially for the organic stand when you first walk in.
MASSAGE, MANI PEDI, SPA - You can head to Acqua Spa which is close to the condo for all your spa treatments and mani pedis. Alternatively, villa caletas is about a 15 minute drive, but incredible ambience in the hills with superb views. Or for a massage, book a private massage therapist to come to the condo. Highly recommend Jenifer Simbrow, a registered massage therapist in Canada.
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