Playa Jaco and our first Costa Rican surf

The next morning we woke early at sunrise to check the surf.
Unfortunately the tide was too low and the waves were dumping on the shore so we decided to wait until the tide came in a bit. As we walked along the shore we spotted a group of pelicans gliding close to the waters surface. They all flew in a line, keeping a close eye on the water below looking out for a potential fishy breakfast. The view of the pelicans soaring at sunrise was unforgettable so of course I had to whip my camera out as soon as possible hoping to catch this moment.

Jaco is quite a tacky town filled with bars, shops and clubs for the copious amounts of tourists that stay here.(Fortunately, this was just a place to stay for a day or two in order for us to get over our jet lag and ease ourselves into the temperatures and surf).

In the early morning with just a few walkers and runners for company on the beach, the towns seediness is quickly forgotten when you see the mass of jungle in the backdrop. 

We strolled back to our hostel as the day began to heat up and the town started to wake. After a fresh breakfast smoothie we slapped on some factor 50 and grabbed a couple of boards for our first Costa Rican surf in Playa Jaco. We were both ecstatic to find our toes weren’t painfully frostbitten after dipping them in the sea. Instead, we were welcomed into luxuriously warm (although a little brown) tropical water! As we passed the breaking waves outback, we turned to look towards the shore, feasting our eyes on the beauty of the rich, luscious backdrop of the jungle that was so close to the beach. This jungle backdrop overpowered the atmosphere of the sleazy town. Soon enough we were joined by pelicans flying closely overhead, dive bombing into the sea just a few feet away guzzling endless amounts of fish with their expandable beaks. Shoals of fish jumped out of the water curiously circling our boards. We were also lucky enough to see some dolphins playfully leaping out of the water on the distant horizon. This abundance of exotic wildlife mixed together with fun, clean surf in warm water, no wetsuit and no brain freeze, made the perfect, idyllic first day at our first Tico beach! Mmmm paradise!