Birthplace of national and international surfing champions, Jacó's history and traditions are linked irrevocably to the ocean. A new town but with pre-Conquest connections, some of its founding fathers were surfing kids only a few years ago.
Surfing Jaco Beach
Jacó lies in the canton of Garabito, a name of some significance at the time of the Spanish Conquest. One early governor in the 1500s, Captain Andres Garabito coincidentally shared nearly the same name as the dominant cacique chief in the region, Garabito. While some historians suggest this intrepid chief adopted the Spaniard's name, his native language contained the word "garabee," defined as "the best," an apt title for the only indigenous lord to hold the Spanish forces at bay for nearly forty years.
Centuries later, tiny Jacó made its way onto the map. One of its first pioneers, Ubaldo Diaz recalls seeing nothing but scrubland and animals on the horizon. "The 'tigers' (Tito name for pumas) used to play on the beach like so many large dogs," he reminisced, "and we had to get the harvest out by launch to sell it in Puntarenas,"
Today Jacó's surfing stars enjoy nearly the same veneration as Cacique Garabito received. Dominating the challenging breaks and lively beach scene, members of this 21st-century elite like Don Damaso Castillo's grandson Gustavo, seven times a national champion, create a magnet for a high-spirited following of surf-champ wannabes. Like his contemporaries, he started 'making friends with the sea' in his infancy.
Ninety-five-year-old don Damaso, a living legend in the community's history, owned much of the land where central Jacó now lies. He also ran the original general store and bar along the north shore, which he later transformed into the first highly successful discotheque, La Central. Now it's destined for the history books as the striking ten-story condominium called Jacó Beach Towers, yet another innovative project, contributes to the changing beach skyline.
Bottom line, surfing creates its own lifestyle in Jacó.
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