Seriously, how to cross the border at Sixaola from Costa Rica to Bocas del Toro
When we decided to go to Bocas del Toro, we thought it would be a well traveled route with clear paths.
This is a beautiful archipelago on the coast of Panama. It’s also like… Cabo. How hard can it be?
Then we read a few blogs and saw that to go overland, rather than fly in to the Bocas airport from Panama City, required many steps. We also could not get the kind of details we wanted. This essay is the documentation for any future inquiry by people like us, cerca two weeks ago.
NB: Everyone’s border crossing is different! We just wanted other people to have the benefit of Real Details.
NOTES
Duration.
We read it can take six hours to go from Puerto Viejo to Bocas del Toro. We did each way in about three hours. We did not use shuttles or special buses, but we are aware of them and they would certainly relieve some of the uncertainty and need for negotiation. For example, you may have the option to take a shuttle directly from Puerto Viejo area hotel establishments. They will do an entire round trip wrapper to help you through each of these steps, and you can park your car at your Costa Rican hotel. This is a pretty good idea, you pay more but it is probably simpler. We did not do this.
Parking.
If you drive, when you get to the border, you may wish to park a car. You need to take the ramp before the bridge and go to a large parking lot for daily posted rates. In Oct 2022, this was 6 mil colones a day. When we paid the fee upon returning, some people at the table were getting their hair done, others were grabbing a beer from the fridge. A multi-activity kind of vibe.
Exit and Entrance Fees.
You have to pay fees to leave Costa Rica and enter Panama. We did not pay fees to enter Panama, and we genuinely do not know why. Most people say it costs a few bucks. You can pay (cancel) your exit tax from Costa Rica in advance, online. Look it up on the Banco de Costa Rica website. We had proof on our phones and that was good enough. If you do not pay in advance, it appears you can pay on site, at a minimally marked kiosk/desk in front of a clothing store next to the parking lot. We brought a bunch of cash just in case, as we didn’t see an ATM in the vicinity.
Proof of Departure.
You have to show proof of leaving the country within the visa timeframe. Upon entering Panama, our proof of leaving Panama was our flights / bus tickets out of Costa Rica in the future, and our statement of when we expected to return to Costa Rica. We did not need more than that (eg. proof of leaving Panama in a bus ticket or flight).
Bridge.
The bridge over the river has been fully renovated in 2021 and is lovely, wide, stable, all the things you want a bridge to be. As you cross into Panama, Interpol was stationed there to take a quick look at our passports and snap a picture of them (…).
Money.
Panama accepts US everywhere, it is pegged to their currency. And you will need cash. Everyone wants cash, even big fees like tours. It’s also best to carry a bunch of small bills as many things are only a few dollars and breaking large bills is sometimes difficult. The total cost per person for a roundtrip to Bocas back to Costa Rica was $35/person for us. That included the shuttle pickup right after crossing the bridge to the port in Almirante, the water taxi to Bocas, and the same return trip back to the border a week later. The parking in Sixaola was extra (6 mil colones per day).
The Panamanian currency is the Balboa. This is also the name of the best of the cheap beers, in my view. The coins are embossed with the conquistador. (….).
STEP BY STEP
1. Leaving Puerto Viejo you drive south on the totally amazing road (maybe the best we’ve driven in Costa Rica) towards the bridge. You’ll start to notice trucks on the side of the road and someone will flag you down to stop you from continuing toward Panama. In our case, we had to go forward enough to go down a ramp the opposite direction to the busy local street. The parking is not super visible from the main road or for the side road. Park in the parking lot for the rate advised as you drive in. In our case, 6 mil colones a day.
2. From the parking lot, it is a very short direct walk to the Costa Rican checkpoint and walkway to the bridge. The bridge is open and renovated as noted above. Pedestrians have wide space and separated from the road. Across the bridge you have to go behind the duty free and taxis to locate the Panamanian checkpoint. It is very common for people to travel to Bocas through this checkpoint.
3. When you hit the parking lot, people will immediately offer you assistance in finding a taxi to Almirante. We accepted an offer, and the guy walked us from the lot through both national checkpoints, and to his taxi guy. Of course the offer he presents to you may not be identical to the understanding of the taxi driver. One item of discussion is paying for a round trip. Another is paying for the water taxi included in the cost. And of course everything is in cash. Our shuttle driver wanted us to pay the entire round trip, in cash, before we started the shuttle. We were reluctant and he finally agreed to take half now and receive the rest upon our return. (For his part, he was true to his word on cost for the remainder of the trip and we paid him what he said we owed in the beginning.) For the 4 of us, it was $140 total, which ideally he wanted in cash up front. He gave us his number to call when we were ready to return a week later.
4. After you agree the terms, hop in this shuttle/van for an hour of banana plantation-lined roads to Almirante. There may be others on the bus who require a detour stop, of course.
5. Once you get to the Almirante port, the driver will walk you into the water taxi place and speak with the cashier. Without him, the fee was $10/person roundtrip. With him, it was $5/person. They will hand you a slip of paper which is your pre-paid return ticket. Don’t lose it else you’ll need to pay the taxi company again at the standard rate to return. There are several water taxi places on the same dock, next to the Chiquita storage yard. We took Valencia which was almost entirely locals; Taxi 25 was a few docks down and appeared to be larger and more structured.
6. The water taxi is a lancha, with an outboard motor, a guy up front with a steering wheel, and benches between the two. Because of the weight distribution, the first row is BUMPY as it is the part of the boat hitting the waves. Middle is ideal, fewer bumps and fewer fumes from the engine. It takes about 30-40 minutes to get to Bocas from the Almirante port across an open bay. It is a glorious ride.
7. You arrive right in Bocas Town, and from there you can grab a drink, do some shopping, or hail a taxi all in the central area.
8. When you’re ready to return to Almirante, you must use the same taxi place you did to get to Bocas. Give them the slip at the port and tell them the names of you and any passengers travelling with you. The water taxis leave every 30 minutes starting at 7am, and we called our taxi driver in Almirante just before we boarded the taxi to let him know when we would arrive.
9. Once you arrive in Almirante, your bus taxi driver will be there to pick you up. If, like us, you somehow didn’t pay all up front, it’s best to clarify with him what the price will be before you get in. The buses are like large vans, dala dalas, the classic multi-seat taxis.
[SIDE NOTE: one of us discovered rental keys in her pocket as we got in the bus taxi and our taxi driver Jonathan was so helpful about returning them, stopping at a small mercado for a sobre (envelope) and then taking us to an express mail service at a town on the way, with no fee or even showing annoyance. Gracias Jonathan.]
10. After arriving back at the border, you’ll have to visit the exit line at Panama customs, give them some fingerprints (not needed for minors) and get them to stamp your passport before crossing the bridge again. Once on the other side, walk past immigration there as well and they will stamp your re-entry into Costa Rica. No other documentation was asked for, but best to have your flight/bus ticket handy in case they want to see proof of you leaving within 90 days. Cash out at the parking lot and you are on your way.
With love to Vic for making the trip and bringing her usual heart, joy, and adventure. Yalla habibti.
