Jaco Beach, Costa Rica

I have read many articles that promote Jaco Beach as a cheap and exciting family getaway for the holiday season, but having lived there for an extended period of time I have to set the record straight. Jaco Beach is not family orientated destination, it is a party town famous for sex drugs and rock and roll. Just walking down the street it is common to be accosted by prostitutes, drug dealers and drunken teenagers. Jaco is however a great destination for young adults looking to party, old men looking for sex with young, very beautiful women and drug addicts looking for a cheap fix.

The party scene at Jaco Beach never stops. With scores of bars and several night clubs this town really does rock 24/7. That is great if you are a student on spring break bent on binge drinking till dawn, but not if you have 2 children and have to play dodge the drunk to get to a restaurant for dinner. In Costa Rica it is not against the law to drink in the street or even on the beach so it is difficult to find a place where people are not drinking.

Drugs are becoming a serious issue in Costa Rica and Jaco is among the top 5 hot spots for this very serious problem. With both powdered and crack cocaine readily available at 1/10th the price it is in the US, many people get sucked into this scene with obvious consequences. Drugs are illegal in Costa Rican and the penalty for possession of hard drugs is severe. But that is not what we are looking at here, what is pertinent though is the amount of drugs available to anybody who looks for it. It is common for drug dealers to approach you and offer cocaine or crack cocaine and some dealers are aggressive in their sales techniques.

Along with the drugs, as is usually the case, comes crime. Many of the drug dealers in Jaco are addicted to crack and will do anything for their next hit. This may only take the form of selling drugs, but has been known to go as far as murder. Crime is becoming a big problem in Jaco Beach and tourists are being targeted as ready sources of money. Drug dealing and robbery may be common, but the scariest thing is the shootings. During my 3 year stay in Jaco Beach 5 people were killed in drug related shootings; one of them right in the middle of main street.

Another serious problem in Costa Rica is prostitution. Now I'm not making a stand against prostitution itself and it is legal in Costa Rica, but for a family destination this is a bad thing. Hundreds of prostitutes live in Jaco Beach, forming almost 5% of the population, and hundreds more come in from out of town on the weekends. This is Jaco's biggest industry and it is everywhere. The are even certain bars like The Beatle Bar that cater 100% to the prostitution industry. From 4pm onwards the streets are literally lined with prostitutes and men looking for them.

As you can see I don't really believe Jaco Beach is such a great destination for families, but I'm not saying it is not a great location. With a beautiful beach famous for it's surf, great access to local attractions like volcanoes and wildlife parks, hundreds of hotels and restaurants, it is a great vacation spot for adults looking for fun. Jaco Beach has been described as Disney World for adults and caters to the wilder side of tourism. I would highly recommend that if you are considering Costa Rica for a family destination you consider other parts of the pacific coast such as Manuel Antonio Beach and National Park.