Hotel Terraza del Pacifico
Beachfront hotel on Playa Hermosa, the World Surfing Reserve just south of Jacó, with two pools, an ocean-facing building and a bar on the sand
About this stay
Hotel Terraza del Pacifico is a four-star beachfront hotel on Playa Hermosa, a few kilometres south of Jacó and about 90 minutes by road from Juan Santamaría airport. Its two buildings face either the ocean or the gardens, and rooms run from standard garden-view rooms for four to superior pool-view rooms, junior suites and villas for up to six. There are two pools, a main pool with LED lighting and a children's pool, both open from 8:30 to 20:30. Vivace serves Italian and Mediterranean dishes from 12:00 to 21:30, the Golden Beach Bar on the sand and the bakery stay open until 22:00, and the Iguana Bar serves the pool from 10:00 to 18:00. Buffet breakfast, Starlink WiFi, air conditioning and private parking are part of the stay.
- Direct access to Playa Hermosa, Central America's first World Surfing Reserve (2020)
- Main pool and a separate children's pool, open from 8:30 to 20:30
- Vivace restaurant, Golden Beach Bar on the sand, Iguana Bar by the pool and a bakery
- Ocean-facing building on request, the quieter one at night
- Starlink WiFi across the property, pools included
- Beach yoga three times a week and the Terraza Kids Club
Our take
Hotel Terraza del Pacifico opens straight onto Playa Hermosa, a few kilometres south of Jacó, the beach Save The Waves approved in February 2020 as Central America's first World Surfing Reserve. That decides who should come. The break is powerful and consistent, with strong currents, so the hotel suits surfers far more than sea swimmers, who get two pools open from 8:30 to 20:30 instead. Ask for the ocean-facing building, which the hotel recommends for quieter nights. Vivace serves Italian and Mediterranean food until 21:30, and the Golden Beach Bar on the sand stays open until 22:00. The score is 8.7 out of 10 from 852 reviews. I would choose it over central Jacó for anyone who surfs well, not for a first lesson.
- ✓Check-out is at 13:00 and SJO is about 90 minutes by road, so a last surf session and lunch on the terrace still fit before an evening flight home.
- ✓Reception is staffed from 7:00 to 22:00: if a late landing puts you on the coast road after dark, give the hotel your arrival time before you leave the airport.
- ✓From July to December olive ridley turtles nest on Playa Hermosa, part of the Playa Hermosa-Punta Mala wildlife refuge: stay at least 10 metres from a nesting turtle and never touch eggs or nests.
- ✓Do not book a first surf lesson here: Jacó beach, a few kilometres north, has gentler breaks and is the usual choice for beginners.
- ✓Waves are biggest in the green season: from May to November south swells reach Playa Hermosa, and June to August can bring six to eight feet. From December to April the surf around Jacó is smaller, three to five feet, with offshore wind in the morning, so surf early in either season.
Why we love it
- A World Surfing Reserve break right in front of the hotel
- Two pools for the days the sea is too rough to swim
- Dinner at Vivace and a drink at the Golden Beach Bar on the sand
- Junior suites and villas that sleep up to six
Why guests love itTerraza del Pacifico gives families a separate children's pool, large gardens and the Terraza Kids Club, which runs art classes for young children. Standard garden-view rooms with two double beds sleep four, superior pool-view rooms also four, and junior suites and villas up to six, so a family of five or six can share one unit. The catch is the sea. Playa Hermosa is a powerful surf beach with strong currents, not a swimming beach, so children play on the sand and swim in the pools. Between July and December, a turtle nesting on the beach at night can be the moment of the trip, watched from a distance of at least 10 metres. Jacó's restaurants and shops are a drive north rather than a walk. I would book it for a family with a confident surfer among them, not for toddlers who want to splash in the waves.