Jacó () is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

of the Garabito canton, in the

Puntarenas Puntarenas () is a city in the Puntarenas Province, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Puntarenas canton, it is awarded the title of city, which comprises the Puntarenas, Chacarita and El Roble districts. A ...

province of

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

. Jacó has a black sand beach that is long and is popular among surfers.

History

Jacó was created as a district on 16 September 1965, after being segregated from

Geography

Jacó has an area of km² and an elevation of metres. Jacó lies between several mountains, and is neighbored by the beaches of

Herradura Bay Tequila Herradura (officially Grupo Industrial Herradura) is a tequila distillery located in Amatitán, Jalisco, Mexico. It was formally founded in 1870 by Aurelio López and the business remained in the family for over 125 years. Today it is ow ...

to the North, and Playa Hermosa to the South (not to be confused with another beach by the same name, but located in Guanacaste). About 35 kilometers north of Jacó, lies the

Carara National Park Carara National Park is a national park in the Central Pacific Conservation Area located near the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It was established on 27 April 1978 as a biological reserve, but its growing popularity after 1990 forced the governmen ...

, recognized for its exuberant wildlife and dense rain forest. Carara is home to one of the largest remaining populations of wild

scarlet macaw The scarlet macaw (''Ara macao'') also called the red-and-yellow macaw, red-and-blue macaw or red-breasted macaw, is a large yellow, red and blue Neotropical parrot native to humid evergreen forests of the Americas. Its range extends from south ...

s in the country. The

Manuel Antonio National Park Manuel Antonio National Park () is a small national park in the Central Pacific Conservation Area located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, just south of the city of Quepos, Puntarenas Province, Puntarenas, and from the national capital of San ...

is located 75 kilometres south of Jacó. Jacó lies about 100 kilometers (a little less than two hours via Route 34) from the capital San José and an hour and a half from Costa Rica's primary international airport, Juan Santamaría International, accessed via Route 27 and Route 34.

Climate

As Jacó lies on the seashore, climate is normally humid, with relative humidity around 80%, reaching 90% in June. Temperature is during the day and at night. During the dry season, away from the water, the temperature may consistently reach or above. Jacó lies in a tropical climate zone mainly defined by distinct dry and wet seasons. Generally speaking, August through early December are wet, and late December through early April are dry; the remaining months have irregular rainy spells.

Demographics

For the 2011 census, Jacó had a population of inhabitants.

Transportation

Road transportation

The district is covered by the following road routes: * CR RNP 34

National Route 34

Economy

Tourism

The beach in Jacó hosts several surfing schools and various shops that sell and rent equipment for surfing. Jacó is also near beaches for more professional surfers, such as Hermosa Beach, which is just five minutes away, with pipes and beach break for experienced surfers only. Jacó is not only known for its beaches and nightlife, but is near several national parks. Manuel Antonio National Park is only about an hour to the south. There are several excursions available in Jacó, such as ATV and horseback riding tours, snorkeling cruise to Tortuga Island, hiking, and ziplining.

References

External links

* * Surfing Districts of Puntarenas Province Populated places in Puntarenas Province {{Puntarenas-geo-stub