This post details how I travelled from Liberia to Rivas, crossing the Costa Rica-Nicaragua border at Peñas Blancas using local transportation.
I’d crossed the Las Tablillas/Los Chiles Border some weeks before, travelling south from Nicaragua to Costa Rica. This time, I wanted to use the other main crossing on my journey back north.
My day began in Liberia, Costa Rica and ended in Rivas, Nicaragua.
From leaving my hostel, Hospedaje Catalina SS, in Liberia at 7.30 am and arriving at Hotel Julieta in Rivas at 1 pm.
I took the 8 am bus out of Liberia. Arrived at Peñas Blancas at 9.45 am.
Timetable for the Peñas Blancas bus out of Liberia:
Crossing the Peñas Blancas Border
I was in the company of a Swiss girl, a Spanish girl and a half-Spanish/English guy who had been through this border a few times.
Costa Rica exit tax at Peñas Blancas
First, we paid the Costa Rica exit tax (departure tax). Another Costa Rican rip-off. The tax is 8 USD, but here they wanted 10 USD or 7,000 CRC (another reason why Costa Rica has a low go-back factor).
Over to the immigration:
Getting processed took 20 seconds. They scan the passport, press some keys and put a nice stamp in your passport. Very fast.
We cross no man’s land, presenting our negative COVID-19 tests or vaccination documents. It’s straightforward.
Then to the immigration hall where you pay 1 USD (baksheesh?) to enter, and here began the standard two-hour wait whilst they dither with whatever. It’s quite impossible.
We got processed together. That’s easy, as we get just one receipt for the four of us, the Spanish guy did all the talking, listing us all as staying at the same hostel in Granada, which none of us had any intention of using. It’s one of the popular ones whose address and phone number I had screenshots of.
Nicaragua Tourist Card
The Tourist Card costs 10 USD, and there’s a 3 USD immigration fee:
Passport stamps:
You gotta show your passport and the payment slip as you leave the border area, and then you are free to explore Nicaragua.
Getting the Bus from Peñas Blancas to Rivas
The bus terminal is 100 m up the road on the left side.
From there, we boarded a Managua-bound bus. The two girls got off in La Virgen (20 C$), as they were going to San Juan del Sur, and I got off in Rivas (30 C$). The Spanish guy continued to Managua (150 C$).
Another day at the office. Even got a bit of time to explore Rivas:
My hotel in Rivas, the Hotel Julieta. Just the job. Quiet, a good sleep, comfy bed, awesome host.
