Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! Things To Do in La Fortuna Two Volcanoes Tour Ride A Bike El Salto (Rope Swing) La Fortuna Waterfall Other Things To Do Where To Stay In La Fortuna What To Eat In La Fortuna La Fortuna was my first stop in Costa Rica. I had come from San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua, crossing the border by foot and taking a bus to La Fortuna. The bus actually dropped me off in Tanque, about 7 kilometers (4 miles) east of La Fortuna. The bus driver told me to wait for another bus that would take me to La Fortuna. A light drizzle fell and I waited in the bus shelter along with two other guys. Some of my first impressions of Costa Rica were here in this bus shelter. Maybe it was the warm drizzle, but the sleepy town of Tanque felt cozy and clean. Everything seemed to be more developed, the cars were nice, the people were chill. No one was whistling at me, there were no borrachos sleeping on the sidewalks, they actually had sidewalks. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved Nicaragua and Guatemala, in some ways more than Costa Rica. Costa Rica is kind of Americanized. I mean, there’s a Smashburger and Cinnabon at the airport, and you hear English everywhere. I like to call it the Disneyland of Central America. But there’s a reason so many tourists come here. It’s a beautiful country, with great Continue Reading
Crossing the Peñas Blancas Border from Nicaragua into Costa Rica
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 Continue Reading