One of the most popular routes that many travelers in Central America take is from Costa Rica to Panama, or vice versa. You can easily find cross-country bus or shuttle services, but the cheapest way to do it is like always – by public transport. Fortunately, both Costa Rica and Panama are among the most developed countries in Central America, so even public transport is very easy to use and most of the time they are quite comfortable. This article is a step-by-step guide for people who wish to travel from Puerto Viejo and Limon area, Costa Rica to Bocas del Toro, Boquete, Panama City and other destinations in Panama.
Step 1: Public Bus From Puerto Viejo To Sixaola Border
The bus station in Puerto Viejo is hard to miss. It’s right in the center of town, with the ticket office on the opposite side of the road.
Buses leave Puerto Viejo every hour at half past the hour, starting at 6.30 a.m. On Sundays and holidays, the buses depart every two hours, starting at 6.30 a.m.
You don’t need to purchase the ticket in advance, simply show up half an hour before the departure time and buy one. The ticket price is 1,875 CRC ($3.33 USD) (as of March 2020). Travel time is less than one hour.
Step 2: Leaving Costa Rica
The bus will drop you off right before the border. As soon as you get off the bus, a woman will come and ask you to pay the departure tax at the shop. It almost looks like a scam but it’s actually official. You do need to pay the tax to get the exit stamp. You can pay at the first shop, or at another counter next to the pharmacy. The price is $9 ($8 plus $1 admin fee). You’ll then get a receipt of payment. Note: previously you could pay the departure tax by card at the immigration desk but not anymore. The immigration officer will send you back to those shops so it’s easier to just pay at the first counter you see. Going through immigration usually takes less than 15 minutes.
Step 3: Entering Panama
After you are stamped out of Costa Rica, you need to walk across a bridge. After the bridge, keep walking and take the stairs down on the left, you’ll see some desks. Fill out the form and give to the officer, then walk around the corner and down more stairs and there’s the Panama Immigration Office.
The officer might ask you to show proof of onward travel out of the country. An outbound e-ticket to Colombia was sufficient in my case, but it’s always good to be well prepared. They will then take your photo and fingerprints and stamp you in.
Citizens from most countries will get a 90-day tourist visa for Panama.
This line is usually very long. It took me about one hour to go through. The good thing about crossing the border on your own is that you don’t need to wait for everyone on the bus to go through immigration.
Step 4: Onward Travel To Changuinola, Bocas Del Toro And David City
Once you are in Panama, there is a bus stop directly on the right side of the road as well as many shared taxis. For people who are traveling to Bocas del Toro, you can take a shared taxi from here, but it’s very easy to reach there by public transport. It only takes a little more time and is very budget-friendly.
From the border, you need to go to Changuinola first. All the buses that come to the border go to Changuinola, so just jump on the first one you see. It costs $0.95. You can also opt for a shared taxi for $1.50 if you want to save some time. It takes about 30 minutes. Ask the driver to drop you off at the station for Almirante (if you are heading to Bocas del Toro) or David (if that’s your destination).
Changuinola – Almirante – Bocas: Shuttles from Chianguinola to Almirante leave once they have filled up and cost $1.50. It takes 30 minutes to reach Almirante. Once there, you can take a boat to Isla Colon, the price for a boat ticket is $6 and it takes thirty minutes. The last departure is at 6 p.m. From Isla Colon, you can catch a boat to any of the other islands of Bocas Del Toro.
Changuinola – David – Boquete: Shuttles from Changuinola to David leaves once they have filled up and cost $9.75. It takes over 5 hours but the view is amazing. If your final destination is Boquete, once you arrive in David, at the same station there are buses leaving every half hour to Boquete for $1.75 and it takes less than one hour to arrive.
For more bus travel guide for Central America, please visit:
Happy travels!