How to get from Nicaragua to Costa Rica at Los Chiles
This is a road trip report from September 2022 of how I travelled from San Carlos in Nicaragua to La Fortuna in Costa Rica via the Las Tablillas/Los Chiles Border Crossing.
Enjoying a well-deserved Imperial beer in La Fortuna in Costa Rica, my 102nd country, 95th UN listed:
Enjoying a well-deserved Imperial beer in La Fortuna in Costa Rica, my 102nd country, 95th UN listed:
The 3 stages from San Carlos to La Fortuna:
- San Carlos to Las Tablillas
- Los Chiles (the Costa Rican name) to Quesada
- Quesada to la Fortuna
1. San Carlos to Las Tablillas:
My 'border crossing' journey began in San Carlos, a small town on the northern side of Lake Nicaragua.
I had travelled to San Carlos over 2 days from Matagalpa, via Juigalpa. The road used to be one of the worst in the country. Now it's paved but it's still a tiring journey and can be made better (or worse) on the bus you take. It's potluck. And also how much sleep the accommodation you chose affords you.
So after experiencing the delights of an End of the road Nicaraguan town, I took a combi-van from the main bus terminal in San Carlos to the border at Las Tablillas.
I had travelled to San Carlos over 2 days from Matagalpa, via Juigalpa. The road used to be one of the worst in the country. Now it's paved but it's still a tiring journey and can be made better (or worse) on the bus you take. It's potluck. And also how much sleep the accommodation you chose affords you.
So after experiencing the delights of an End of the road Nicaraguan town, I took a combi-van from the main bus terminal in San Carlos to the border at Las Tablillas.
The combi van does not take the main road.
Just after the Santa Fe Bridge, there is a security check. Just like the check coming into Nicaragua at Potosi, they emptied everything out of my bag but at least they had a table here. And it was a bit faster and more amiable experience than the Potosi one.
So the ride from San Carlos to the frontera took 45 mins in total. The fare was 60C$.
I befriended a lady from Costa Rica. I don't know her name but she had been through the border before and knew the ropes.
From where we stopped it's a short walk to the immigration office.
I befriended a lady from Costa Rica. I don't know her name but she had been through the border before and knew the ropes.
From where we stopped it's a short walk to the immigration office.
Make sure you are in the right queue. Seems like there's one for exiting and another for arriving. As always it's not easy to tell which is which.
Nicaraguan immigration is known to be slow. It depends on the people in front of you having their paperwork in order. And of course the officer.
I was processed pretty swiftly.
And bare in mind we are leaving yet they still want to know irrelevant details such as marital status.
Hell, their database is obviously not linked as the details should be on the system. But no. They seem to like making things more complicated than needed in Nicaragua.
After 1 hour, I am stamped out:
Nicaraguan immigration is known to be slow. It depends on the people in front of you having their paperwork in order. And of course the officer.
I was processed pretty swiftly.
And bare in mind we are leaving yet they still want to know irrelevant details such as marital status.
Hell, their database is obviously not linked as the details should be on the system. But no. They seem to like making things more complicated than needed in Nicaragua.
After 1 hour, I am stamped out:
You get your bags scanned. Walk through No Man's Land to the Costa Rican border. Right before the border, you give the customs declaration form to the officer there in the little hut seen here.
Walk across the border.
You get stamped in pretty quickly. The officers speak great English and are polite.
So it's August 2022.
There was no need to provide proof of onward travel and NO requirement to show proof of vaccination against Covid.
I can't confirm if this requirement has been dropped or not. It's just I wasn't asked.
You get 90 days.
You get stamped in pretty quickly. The officers speak great English and are polite.
So it's August 2022.
There was no need to provide proof of onward travel and NO requirement to show proof of vaccination against Covid.
I can't confirm if this requirement has been dropped or not. It's just I wasn't asked.
You get 90 days.
Go to the customs desk where they ask if you have any fruits and then you are free to go. 5 minutes if that.
Welcome to Costa Rica.
Welcome to Costa Rica.
2. Las Tablillas to Quesada:
The township of LOS CHILES is 6km away. The only transport available seemed to be big buses that were going all the way to San José and my newfound friend told me I needed to get off at Quesada and then get another bus to La Fortuna, which is exactly what I did. So the bus left the border at 11:10 am and arrived in Quesada at 2:15 pm. 3550 CRC (Colones)
3: Quesada to La Fortuna:
Luckily I didn't have to wait too long. The next bus left at 2:30 pm and I arrived in la Fortuna at 3:55 pm. It cost me 1675 CRC.
Changing Money:
There are no ATMs at the border!!
You can change leftover Córdobas at the San Carlos bus terminal. Just keep back 60 for the fare. I changed 180 C$ here.
You can also change money, shortly before the border. The minivan stops!
And again once you exit the Nicaraguan immigration. I changed 20 USD here to. I got 650 Colones to the dollar.
So that was the border crossing experience as of the end of August 2022
Here is the money used in Costa Rica. The plastic bills, which are great in humid countries, 20,000 10,000 (plastic version coming in October 2022 apparently), 5,000, 2,000 and 1,000. And the coins, 500, 100, 50, 25, 10 and 5 Colones. The 500s and 100s are a bit clunky, like the old 1 penny in UK pre 1971.
Banco Nacional in Costa Rica offer free ATM withdrawals
You can change leftover Córdobas at the San Carlos bus terminal. Just keep back 60 for the fare. I changed 180 C$ here.
You can also change money, shortly before the border. The minivan stops!
And again once you exit the Nicaraguan immigration. I changed 20 USD here to. I got 650 Colones to the dollar.
So that was the border crossing experience as of the end of August 2022
Here is the money used in Costa Rica. The plastic bills, which are great in humid countries, 20,000 10,000 (plastic version coming in October 2022 apparently), 5,000, 2,000 and 1,000. And the coins, 500, 100, 50, 25, 10 and 5 Colones. The 500s and 100s are a bit clunky, like the old 1 penny in UK pre 1971.
Banco Nacional in Costa Rica offer free ATM withdrawals
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