On Jaco.. Why do I live in Jaco? This is a question I get asked frequently working in real estate and living at a tourist destination.

Here is the answer. Jaco is a town that you love or hate. Beauty it has. Located on the central Pacific of Costa Rica and surrounded by rainforest clad mountains. Jaco is a small bay. This bay happens to produce consistent waves for surfing year round as well as being flanked by Hermosa beach on one side, which has larger and even more consistent waves (I am talking about consistency for surfing) as well as a turtle reserve and on the other side of Jaco the town of Herredura sits which contains Los Suenos Resort and Marina. So whether I want a walk along a turtle reserve or to go surfing every day of the year but also I want to dine on Fish and chips or at one of the more gourmet restaurants by Los Suenos marina I have it all.

Jaco is known for its surfing, restaurants, nightlife, canopy tours, and mountain biking. Jaco is also well known for it’s underbelly of drugs and prostitution. That is where stigma is attached to the town. The fact is, prostitution is everywhere in Latin America, in Jaco, due to the consistent flow of plump, wealthy fisherman it happens to be more out in the open. The drugs, well, they happen to be everywhere in the world too and in a tourist town they tend to be more prevalent.

The people: The locals in Costa Rica I love, literally, I have been living with one for almost five years! Sometimes you can get frustrated with cultural differences and the fact that there is always a different price for gringos, or that honesty is not as common as my native Wisconsin.

Gringos living here, on the other hand, can be adventurous people exploring the world and making a stop in Jaco but there is a good chance they are here for a reason, as in they are escaping something from there past. Some are escaping from harmless situations like a broken heart or overwhelming family but there are others hiding from a past of scams or crime.-and that’s the truth- So, when living a abroad in Central America, be cautious of the people you come across.

Why do I love it here? When I have a bad day and I go for a drive and have breathtaking ocean and rainforest views, I know I am in the right place. I actually have time to ride my horse three days a week. I also can afford boarding two Spanish Stallions at an amazing facility, something I could never afford to do in the states. The people I have made friends with are interesting and have a story of their own to tell. I also, happen to be a person who loves beauty, but if you have beauty everywhere with no grit it often doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves. I love to have a little grit and say hi to the crazies and maybe bum them a cigarette.

Being in nature is a part of my soul. Here I can surf and the Pacific which has a wide open wild feel, much different than the Caribbean. Here, I can take a jog through a valley with rainforest mountains on each side and tropical birds flying overhead, and here, unlike my native Wisconsin, I can do it any day, all year long!