Bring sunscreen and insect repellent from home, both of these items are super expensive in Costa Rica and you will need them both.
A typical day in Costa Rica during the rainy season is sunny in the morning and rainy in the afternoon. Showers can be very intense but are normally not very long in duration. Now, in the event of an extreme weather scenario, the conditions can be very different (rain all day is not rare in those cases) so being prepared for both sunny and rainy weather is very important.
Rain jackets, a reusable water bottle and water shoes can be very useful.
Exchanging money to costarrican is not really necessary as most shops will accept USD. Now, $100 and $50 bills are only accepted in certain establishments, so having lower denominations like $20’s, $10’s, $5’s and $1’s is a better idea.
Downloading WhatsApp and Waze on your phone prior to arrival. The first one can help if you need an easy way to communicate with drivers, restaurants, shops, etc. The second one can help you to navigate the area in case you decide to rent a car or hire a taxi.
If you decide to rent a car, get full cover insurance and make sure you have hard proof of everything the rental car company offered.
Taxis in Costa Rica are normally very reliable and easy to spot (the official taxis are all red). You can ask the front desk to call one for you or you can use WhatsApp to contact them. The phone numbers of the official taxi service in Jaco is (506) 2643-2020.
Downtown Jaco is considered a party town and prostitution is legal in Costa Rica, so the environment there can be quite heavy for families (especially at night). Avoid booking massages and/or visit the place in the late evening hours.
The sun rises at around 5:00 am and the sun sets before 6:00 pm, every single day. Going for a walk in the early morning or late afternoon can be a great way to spot wildlife, the trails all around Los Sueños are perfect and safe for walking and exploring.
