Population: 5,000-6,000
Location: Central Pacific Coastal Area of Costa Rica

           

The town of Jaco is located on the Central Pacific coast, approximately an hour and 45 minutes from Juan Santamaria International Airport. Jaco's close proximity to the airport and the central valley (where the capital city is located and most of the population live) has made it a popular beach destination for Costa Rican and international tourists. Jaco's central location makes it an ideal home base for travelers that want to explore up and down the Pacific coast. It has a wide variety of restaurants, shops, banks, hotels, internet cafes, and grocery stores. The main tourist season for Jaco is from mid December to April, which coincides with Costa Rica's holidays and "summer" vacation months. There is a secondary smaller tourist season during the months of June through August.

The population of (year-round) residents in Jaco is between five and six thousand people, although the number of people in town can swell to over twenty thousand during peak months of the year. This area is popular with surfers due to the fact that it is home to a wide variety of breaks, the most consistent surf in the country, and warm water all year round. Jaco has doubled in size in the time since the School of the World was first established here, but has managed to maintain the "sleepy beach town" appeal despite it's growing popularity among Costa Ricans and tourists alike.