Walking across the border into Costa Rica from Nicaragua via the Peñas Blancas border is a relatively straightforward process. Once you are dropped off on the Nicaraguan side (most backpackers will bus or take a taxi), walk straight forward into the immigration building. There are also people here selling Costa Rican currency (colones). I was left with a 500 cordoba note from Nicaragua, which I exchanged for 8000 colones, or about $14 USD, which is a pretty crappy exchange rate but I didn’t really want to hang on to it.
You need to pay a total of $3 USD to exit Nicaragua (these are two separate fees – one is $2 and the other is $1). You definitely want to have small bills as they probably won’t have change. There is a Lafise Bank just before this building and if they are open, they might give you change. The immigration officer will stamp you out of Nicaragua and then, after getting your passport checked by another officer at the end of the road, you are free to walk to the Costa Rica border. On the left-hand side, you will find the “Welcome to Costa Rica” sign if you want to take your photo for the ‘gram.
Keep walking and veer to the right, there will be a building on your left. This is customs and immigration for Costa Rica. They are strict about proof of onward travel out of Costa Rica so be sure you have this. I had screenshots on my phone of my confirmation e-mail which worked fine. You can also buy a bus ticket out of Costa Rica from one of the companies outside. The downside of this is that they are non-refundable. Once you are stamped in, put your luggage in the x-ray machine and then you are done! I had read articles and spoken to locals that say it can take an hour or more to get through customs and immigration. Luckily we were out within minutes. Maybe this can be attributed to to low tourism in Nicaragua, or the fact that we made it inside before a Tica Bus full of people pulled up.
Now what? Now you need to find out how to get where you want to go within Costa Rica. There are several buildings and kiosks for bus companies here. You may have to ask around to figure out which one you need to go to. There is a bus that leaves every 30 minutes or so for Liberia. Since I was going to La Fortuna (about 3-4 hours away by car), I was directed to a green and white building and told the man behind the counter where I wanted to go. He told me I would have to take a bus to Tanque and then from there, another bus into La Fortuna, which is only a few miles away from Tanque. The bus wasn’t scheduled to leave for another 2 hours. I bought a water and sat down and waited with this cute little dog.
Tips for Crossing the Peñas Blancas Border
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Bring small USD bills
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If you have questions, ask an immigration officer or police
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If you are traveling solo, try to hook up with other solo travelers crossing the border
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Don’t accept offers from people trying to help (you don’t need any forms)
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Only exchange money if you have to (the exchange rate sucks). Don’t exchange USD, as they are accepted in Costa Rica!
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Always put your passport away when you are done with it
- The border is open 6 am–10 pm Monday–Saturday, on Sunday it closes at 8 pm. Try to go well before closing time. During the holidays you may have to wait a while.
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