Jacó has become one of Costa Rica's go-to spots for group travel, bachelor and bachelorette parties, friend reunions, and multi-generational family trips all end up here, and it's easy to see why. It's 90 minutes from the San José airport, the beach runs for miles, and there's enough jungle, ocean, and nightlife packed into one town to keep a group of any size busy for a week without ever getting in a rental car.
The part that actually makes or breaks a group trip isn't the destination, it's the logistics. Finding a villa that fits everyone, booking tours that work for a mixed group of ages and energy levels, and figuring out where 10 people are going to eat dinner every night. That's the whole reason Pura Vida Bookings exists, Matty and the team build the entire trip around your group so you're not juggling five different bookings from five different websites.
Why Jacó Is a Great Fit for Group Travel
A lot of Costa Rica's best-known destinations are built around remote eco-lodges and long drives between activities, which is fantastic for a couple, but a headache for a group of eight or twelve people trying to coordinate. Jacó flips that. The town itself is walkable, tours depart right from your accommodation or a short ride away, and there's a real restaurant and nightlife scene for whoever wants to keep the night going.
It also means a group with mixed interests, some people want to surf, some want a spa day, some just want a pool and a good book, can all base out of the same villa and split off during the day without anyone missing out.
A private pool and a big enough deck to fit the whole group, exactly what a group villa in Jacó should offer.
Villas Built for Groups, Not Just Couples
Splitting a group across two or three separate hotel rooms kills a lot of what makes a group trip fun, you lose the shared kitchen, the common pool deck, the late-night hangout space. Pura Vida Bookings works around a handful of hand-picked villas near Jacó Beach specifically because they sleep a group under one roof.
All of them come with free cancellation up to 48 hours before check-in, which matters more for groups than anyone, plans change when you're coordinating that many schedules. Browse the full lineup at puravidabookings.com/stays.
Tours That Actually Work for a Group
Not every tour scales well when you show up with ten people, but a few of the options at puravidabookings.com/tours are practically made for it.
Costa Cat Catamaran Tour
A full day out to Tortuga Island with snorkeling, an open bar, and plenty of deck space for a big group to spread out. This is the go-to for bachelor and bachelorette parties, $169-$179 per person for 8 hours.
Matty's Waterfall Tour
A 4-hour hike to Las Monas Waterfall with a natural swimming hole at the end. Easy enough for a mixed-age group, and the kind of shared adventure that becomes the trip everyone talks about later.
ATV-Waterfall Adventure
Solo or tandem ATVs through the Bijagual backcountry for the group that wants more adrenaline. Great for splitting off part of the group for a couple hours while the rest relax at the villa.
Taste of Jacó Walking Food Tour
A 4-hour walking tour through downtown Jacó hitting multiple local restaurants, a low-key way to keep a group together on a slower day without booking a full activity.
Free transport is included with most tours, so there's no need to coordinate rides for a big group, everyone gets picked up from the villa together.
A Private Chef for the Whole Crew
Feeding a group every night is usually the most exhausting part of a trip like this, someone's always trying to find a restaurant with a table big enough. The Pura Vida Bookings private chef service is built to solve exactly that. It covers groups of 2 to 15 guests at $55 per person, with the chef handling the grocery shopping, setup, cooking, service, and cleanup, so your group just shows up hungry.
One long table, one chef, zero group texts about where to eat tonight.
There are 11+ themed dinner menus to choose from, Costa Rican, BBQ, seafood, surf and turf, Italian, Asian fusion, and more, along with gluten-free, vegetarian, and low-fat options for anyone in the group with dietary needs. Book at least a week ahead so the menu can be built around your group's preferences.
5 Tips for Planning a Group Trip to Jacó
Book the Villa First
The right villa determines everything else, how many bedrooms you actually need, whether there's a private pool, and how close you are to the beach. Lock this in before booking anything else.
Pick One or Two Group Activities, Not Five
Trying to keep a big group together for every single activity leads to burnout. Book one or two shared tours, like the catamaran or the waterfall hike, and leave the rest of the trip open for people to split off.
Book the Private Chef for at Least One Night
Even groups that plan to eat out most nights should book one private chef dinner. It's usually the night everyone remembers most, and it takes the pressure off finding a big enough table in town.
Let Matty Coordinate the Whole Group
Instead of ten people booking ten separate tours, one point of contact for the whole group means fewer mistakes, group discounts where available, and one person who actually knows your itinerary.
Confirm the Cancellation Window
Group trips have more moving parts than solo travel, someone always has a schedule change. All Pura Vida Bookings stays include free cancellation up to 48 hours before check-in, so build your plans with that flexibility in mind.
Start Planning Your Group Trip
Whether it's a bachelor party, a family reunion, or a group of friends who haven't traveled together in years, Pura Vida Bookings can build the whole trip around your group, villa, tours, transport, and a private chef, all coordinated by one local team.
WhatsApp Matty with your group size and dates, and let the team put together an itinerary that actually works for everyone. Start at www.puravidabookings.com.