How to Get from San Juan Del Sur to Costa Rica

Though we loved every minute of our time in Nicaragua, after 39 days it was time to leave. Getting to and through the Costa Rican border was an event, but we learned some lessons which we’ll definitely be applying at future border crossings. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, hopefully this post can enlighten you on how to get from San Juan del Sur to Costa Rica!

In San Juan del Sur

Catch the chicken bus that goes to Rivas (and stops in La Virgen). It stops at the southwest corner of the market downtown.

The driver will drop you off in La Virgen (which is essentially an intersection on the Pan American Highway).

Time: ~30 minutes. Cost: 20 cords per person.

Wait on the side of the road until another bus comes to take you to the border (Also called Peñas Blancas).

Time: ~ 1 hour. Cost: 20 cords per person.

In Peñas Blancas (Crossing the Border)

The bus from La Virgen will drop you off beside a large fence. There will be hoards of people surrounding the bus trying to sell you ‘official immigration forms’ and the like. You don’t need to buy these!

Get your passport checked at the gate and immediately head left to the group of buildings nearby after you’ve passed through the fence. This will take you to the Nicaraguan-side of the border where you’ll need to get your exit stamp.

Cost: $2 per person (Plus some random fee that we likely didn’t even have to pay, but the booth was located in the office, and it looked pretty official: 26 cords).

After you have your exit stamp (and bits of random paperwork which we never ended up using..), walk across the border. Some police men on the Nica side will be there to check that you have your exit stamp. There will be tonnes of transport trucks in line to go across (and occasionally a car), so just make sure you jump out of the way for them.

Once in Costa Rica, head to the right side of the immigration building. Go in and get your entrance stamp. 90% of the time the border officers will ask for “Proof of Onward Passage”. This essentially means that you’ll need to present them with a flight number or bus number to prove that you actually plan on leaving the country.

Mac and I didn’t have this as our plans are so rough. However, conveniently located across from the immigration building are booths for local & international bus companies! The downside is that they only sell non-refundable tickets and they’re hella expensive. Not knowing what else to do, Mac and I coughed up $25 each to buy a ticket from San Jose, CR back to Managua, Nicaragua that we’ll never end up using.

Once back in the immigration building, we had a different officer that didn’t even ask us for Proof of Onward Passage!!! GRRR!!!

Cost: Free (or, if you’re Mac & I, $25 per person). Time: if you get there with no line, 1 minute. If you happen to get there when a tour bus shows up, be prepared to wait quite a while.

Once you have your entrance stamp to Costa Rica, catch one of the many buses to your destination. We were going to Liberia.

Cost: 1670 colones per person. Time: 1 hour 45 minutes.

Lessons Learned

Unless you get a receipt for it (or see everyone else paying for it) DON’T BUY IT!

Do 15 minutes of research before crossing the border and find a flight or bus number that leaves the country within the allotted time allowed. I don’t actually know if they need to see a paper/email ticket, but I’d assume that having a correct flight/bus number would be equally effective.

Tica Bus is a popular option for border crossings as they take care of all the paperwork, but if one little thing is out of line with your itinerary, they’ll kick you off the bus and leave without you. It’s also upwards of $15 per person (Mac and I spent roughly $5 each to cross the border via chicken buses – not including the damn bus tickets).

Getting stamps on your passport is fun!