Red-roofed waterfront buildings across the water at Bocas del Toro, Panama

Costa Rica / Puerto Viejo / To Bocas del Toro

Crossing to Panama

Puerto Viejo toBocas del Toro

A border town, a bridge you walk across, a minibus and a boat. Straightforward, but give it a full morning.

Sixaola–Guabitothe crossing+1 hourPanama time
The short answer

Book the shuttle unless you like borders

The crossing itself is easy on a normal day. What makes it slow is the number of small connections: bus, walk, bus, boat. A shuttle collapses all of that into one booking.

Sixaola–Guabitothe crossing point
US$8Costa Rica exit tax, per person
+1 hourPanama runs ahead of Costa Rica
A full morningstart at first light

Border fees, hours and requirements change and are enforced unevenly. Carry more cash than you think you need.

The route

Puerto Viejo → Sixaola → Almirante → Bocas

Four hops, whether you book them together or make them yourself.

  1. Puerto Viejo to Sixaola

    MEPE bus

    Take an early bus. Check the current timetable at the stop or a MEPE ticket office.

  2. Walk the bridge

    Costa Rican exit, then Panamanian entry

    The Sixaola–Guabito post is small and low-key. Pay the Costa Rican exit tax first.

  3. Guabito to Almirante

    Local bus or shared taxi

    On the Panama side. Panama runs one hour ahead of Costa Rica: set your watch at the bridge.

  4. Almirante to Bocas Town

    Water taxi

    From the Almirante dock, across the lagoon to Isla Colón.

Two ways

Shuttle, or all on your own

Every leg of the journey is a local service. It works either way.

Easiest

Shared shuttle

  • Operators like Caribe Shuttle run this, with pickups along the coast and a drop in Bocas Town
  • The driver takes you to Sixaola, staff point you through the border, and a second vehicle carries on for the boat
  • You still pay the border taxes yourself, in cash
  • Book online a day or two ahead, on the operator’s own site
Cheapest

Doing it yourself

  • Every leg is a local service: MEPE bus, border walk, bus or taxi, water taxi
  • It costs a fraction of the shuttle, but the connections are yours to make and a missed one can cost you hours
  • Start at first light: the border slows over lunch and on Sundays, and you want margin before the last afternoon boats

One booking, door to island

Shuttle availability for Puerto Viejo to Bocas del Toro can be checked here.

Check shuttle availability

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A pizza on a terrace above the sea at Carenero, Bocas del Toro
A white house on stilts over the water at sunset in Bocas del Toro, Panama
A watermelon smoothie held over the water near Almirante, Panama
A painted shopfront on a street in Bocas Town
A traditional wooden house with moored boats beside a canal in Bocas del Toro, Panama
At the border

What to have ready and on you

The Sixaola–Guabito post is small and low-key, but Panama can ask for more than a stamp.

  • Costa Rica exit tax. US$8 per person. Pay in advance online at the Banco de Costa Rica site with any Visa or Mastercard, or at the BCR window at the Sixaola post. Bring your passport. The payment stays valid until your exit is recorded.
  • Cash. Carry small bills: you still pay the border taxes yourself, and some fees can come up at the post.
  • Panama may ask for more than a stamp. Panamanian immigration can ask for proof of onward travel out of Panama and proof that you can fund your stay. It is not always checked, but have the answers ready before you are at the window.
  • Check the official rules. Entry requirements change and are enforced unevenly. Check with Panama’s immigration service for your passport before you travel.
Keep exploring

Where to next?

OverviewThe Puerto Viejo guideTown, beaches and the lay of the land StayWhere to stayAreas and three hotels DoThings to doExperiences on the coast ArriveSan José to Puerto ViejoShuttle, bus or car PlanWhen to goRain, lulls, months KnowIs Puerto Viejo safe?Theft, currents, health

Sources. Tico Times, Costa Rica land border exit tax (10 August 2026). Times, fares and entry requirements are not listed here because they change: confirm with the operator, MEPE and Panama’s immigration service before you travel.