Two New Openings Along the Jacó–Esterillos Coast

It was a Tuesday night at Zelva Grill & Wine, and there were kids in the courtyard. A family was ordering the burrata and the entraña while a server brought out mussels to the next table over. The restaurant has a dedicated play space built into its design beside an elegant cocktail bar. That detail, a kids' corner next to a wine list, makes the restaurant feel suited to repeat visits.

Two of the most talked-about openings on this stretch of the Central Pacific Coast recently offer different amenities, from a children's play area to resort access.

For years, Jacó's main strip has been defined by souvenir shops, surf outfitters and budget sodas built for people moving between beach breaks on a tight vacation schedule. That's not a criticism. It's just the economics of a town where most visitors stay a few nights and move on. What's changed is what's opening in the gaps between those businesses.

Zelva offers a family-friendly dining option

Zelva Grill & Wine has climbed to a 4.8 out of 5 rating on Tripadvisor, landing at 69th out of 191 restaurants listed in Jacó, a fast rise for a kitchen that's still building its review count. The restaurant's own description leans on words like sophisticated and elevated, but the operational choices tell a more useful story: an air-conditioned dining room paired with an open-air terrace, a full cocktail program, and that children's play area sitting right in the middle of the design rather than tucked in a back corner as an afterthought.

Reviewers keep coming back to the same details. One diner called the burrata, steak tartare, and entraña standouts. Another mentioned the mussels without prompting. A third mentioned the spacious parking and the children's area together, highlighting the restaurant's family amenities.

Jacó has never lacked for restaurants, and Zelva adds another option with a dedicated children's play area.

Six kilometers south, a new beach hotel

A new beach hotel sits just outside town. According to The Tico Times, Amarena Canvas Beach Hotel opened in April 2026 inside the Místico One of a Kind Beach Community, positioned between Jacó and Esterillos, six kilometers from Jacó itself. The project represents an investment of more than four million dollars and consists of sixteen Balinese-style tented villas, each combining a bedroom, bathroom, terrace, pool, and lounge space that opens up to 360 degrees toward the beach and forest. The Tico Times reports that the property's pitch describes the concept as "living without walls."

The hotel's construction is suited to its oceanfront setting. The tented structures were manufactured in Indonesia and shipped to Playa Hermosa, built with materials chosen specifically to withstand salt exposure.

Inside the community sits Kairos Bar and Restaurant, overlooking the resort pool toward the ocean, alongside access to the Madresal Beach Club, a spa, yoga classes, and the rest of Místico's amenity list. A two-night stay for two adults in early June 2026 was listed at roughly ₡255,190 to ₡407,758, which works out to somewhere between $500 and $800 for the stay depending on room type and booking terms. That's not a budget weekend anywhere, but it's also not a flight and a passport. It's a splurge that now exists a short drive from home instead of requiring one.

For anyone who already lives along this coast, the practical takeaway isn't the price tag. It's that the corridor between Jacó and Esterillos now has a resort-grade beach experience built into the neighborhood rather than requiring a trip to Guanacaste or the South Pacific to find one. Out-of-town guests have somewhere new to stay. A milestone anniversary has somewhere new to happen.

What the openings offer

Neither of these openings would be worth writing about on its own. A new restaurant opens somewhere on this coast most months. A new boutique hotel is not unusual news for a stretch of Pacific coastline that markets itself on exactly that kind of announcement.

Together, these openings add dining and lodging options along the stretch from downtown Jacó through Playa Hermosa toward Esterillos. A few details stand out:

• A restaurant with a dedicated children's play area
• Construction materials selected for salt exposure in an oceanfront setting
• A beach community with access to a spa, yoga classes, and a beach club

Together, these features add amenities and experiences to this stretch of coast for residents and visitors.

If you've lived along this coast for a while, you may have noticed changes in its restaurants and new construction. The businesses opening here add to the range of places and amenities along the coast.

For those of us who spend our time thinking about what this coast is becoming, not just what it already is, these small signals matter. If you're curious how these kinds of shifts in a neighborhood's daily rhythm connect to what's happening in the property market around you, Luxury Living Costa Rica has spent decades watching this coast change from the inside. Get started now if you'd like to talk through what you're seeing in your own corner of it.