Some Facts and History

• Only 32km south of the Costa Rican border.
• The national currency is the Balboa, which is equivalent to the American dollar. There are not balboa bills, only coins, that are equal to American coins in size and value. The American dollar is also a legal currency.
• Four major islands: Colon island, Bastimentos, Popa island and Cristobal island.
• During the 17th century the bocas archipelago became a safe haven for pirates. The pirates were able to build and repair ships freely due to the absence of Spaniards in the Bocas del Toro. The abundance of food and wood from the rainforests made this an ideal location.

Getting There

There are several ways you can reach Bocas del Toro from Costa Rica. We chose the 8 hour, bus/water taxi route explained below, but Sansa, Nature Air, and Air Panama have daily 2 hour flights from San Jose for about $60 USD per person each way.

The Trip

We began our journey in the Terminal del Caribe bus station located at Aventia 13 Calle Central in San Jose, Costa Rica. Buses leave for the border town of Sixaola at 6am, 10am and 12pm, but the trip takes about six hours so I’d suggest taking an early bus like we did.

The tickets cost about $10 per person.

The border town of Sixaola on the southeastern edge of Costa Rica is little more than a bus stop and a border crossing. From where the bus drops you off you’ll need to walk back westward, toward the main road, about 200 meters before climbing a rather steep path up to the Costa Rican side of the border. The immigration office is tucked away on the West side of the road before you begin to cross the bridge to Panama.

TRAVELS TIP: When crossing back into Costa Rica, the immigration official will likely want to see proof that you will be leaving Costa Rica within your alloted VISA and may therefore ask for a copy or the original of your plane ticket out of the country. If you do not have this, you may be forced to buy a bus ticket on the spot, or they may simply not let you into the country.

The border crossing itself is not for the weak hearted. It’s an old railroad bridge spanning the river Sixaola that is now covered with a patchwork of boards that allow people, and 18 wheelers, to cross. Be prepared to squish yourself up against the rusting railing as a semi or a bus passes you only inches away. A few pictures of the bridge are below.

The Panamanian side of the border has a completely different feel with its serious looking, submachine gun toting soldiers. You’ll have to enter the far office to get your passport stamped and pay your entrance fee of $5 USD. They don’t normally have a lot of change so don’t hand them a big bill. At that time you will receive a separate sheet of paper, this is your VISA so do not lose this!! You’ll need to take your passport and VISA back outside to the walk up immigration booth where they will stamp your VISA and send you on your way.

There are multiple ways to get to Bocas del Toro from here, but we chose to take a communal taxi with five other tourists to the water taxis operated by Bocas Marine & Tours at Changuinola. The taxi was $10 USD per person and the water taxi was $6 per person. Each leg of the trip took about an hour. The water taxi is a fun ride through old canals and mangrove swamps, but I’d suggest bringing something to sit on as parts of the trip are rough and the fiberglass benches are hard. You may also want to bring a long sleeved shirt or light coat as it can get a bit chilly when the boat is at full speed.

TRAVELS TIP: There are two kinds of taxis in Panama, official taxis and pirate taxis. The latter used to be illegal but the problem got so bad that the Panamanian government decided to handle the situation in an odd way. They now issue separate licenses to the pirate taxis which allow them to charge you whatever they want, so BE CAREFUL. You may get seriously ripped off. Official taxis will have the emblem on the side and so are easy to spot.

The water taxis arrive on the far end of town and unfortunately for us our hotel was on the complete opposite end. Taxis here are very cheap though, costing no more than a dollar or two to traverse most of the island.

The atmosphere is laid back and Rastafarian to be sure, but you’ll more than likely be politely accosted as you walk down the street with people offering you fliers for various bars or trying to sell you marijuana. I didn’t get a good shot of the main street because it was quite long, but a partial shot from a small soda is below.

The first night we stayed at La Veranda. The room was pleasant but the three of us all felt that it was a little overpriced at $55 USD for a pretty basic room. A/C was an extra $6.50 per night and there was no TV, however there was a mini fridge. Also, they have a “no shoes” policy on the second floor. We aren’t sure why exactly but we suspected it was because the managers apartment was below us and our shoes would be loud on the wooden floor.

On the way to the La Veranda we were a bit lost and the owner of Casa Amarilla shouted down from his balcony with assistance. He also helped us find the bank and informed us of when the best bus left from Sixaola for our return trip. We checked out his hotel that night and stayed there for the remaining days. I highly recommend Casa Amarilla. Each room has A/C, a mini-fridge, cable TV, WiFi, hot water shower and a digital combination safe. Also each room entrance is covered by its own security camera. At $50 per night it can’t be beat.

As we discovered, there isn’t much to do in the town of Bocas except eat, sleep and party. It is mainly the jumping off point for other excursions. There is a decent small beach about a kilometer from town (pictured below) but if you want to experience the true beauty of the area, you’ll need to leave the Island of Bocas.

The day before we left my girlfriend and I decided to take a water taxi to Playa Wizard on the nearby island of Bastimentos. The taxi cost $8 per person and that includes drop off and pick up at a scheduled time. I’d suggest just paying the operator half the money before and half after you get back just to make sure you aren’t marooned.

Here we are pulling into the drop off point.

Playa Wizard was one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. Partly because of the clear, warm, blue water and the pristine white sand that runs right up to tropical forest, but also because besides the two of us, there were a total of four other people on over 2 kilometers of beach.

The sun is intense so bring lots of water and a snack or two as the taxis usually don’t return for 4 to 6 hours. Also beware the rip tide on this beach, because of the sea floor and the cove it is very strong and pulls you in many different directions.

We tried several restaurants on Bocas but didn’t have much luck until the last night, when we ate dinner at The Pirate. The prices were average for the island at $6-$10 per plate, but the Mediterranean style dishes were excellent.

Our ride back to San Jose was the same as our ride out to Bocas with the total travel time being around 8 hours. Be sure to purchase your water taxi ticket well in advance as the boats fill up quickly and only the two earliest will get you to Sixaola in time for the express bus back to San Jose.

Budget

This was one of my more expensive excursions from San Jose. Including the bus tickets ($20), taxis ($20), water taxis ($22), border crossings ($5), three nights hotel ($135) and food ($80), the total for 4 days and 3 nights in Bocas del Toro came to about $282.00 USD.

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Some History and Facts

• One of the most touristed destinations in Nicaragua
• Gateway to many of the country’s best beaches
• Built up with the budget tourist in mind
• Close to the turtle watching at La Flor Wildlife Reserve
• Overcrowded and expensive during Christmas and Semana Santa
• In 1846, at the beginning of the California Gold Rush, Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt established a transit route to facilitate the trip between New York and California.  Transferring from Vanderbilt’s Transit Company steamboats to smaller river- and lake-based steamboats, and covering part of the distance on foot, by mule, or by stagecoach, travelers crossed the isthmus between San Juan del Sur and San Juan del Norte in approximately twenty hours.  This innovation cut travel time between East and West Coasts from six months to less than one.
• On November 23, 1856 the port hosted the battle between William Walker’s schooner “Granada” and the Costa Rican brigantine “Once de Abril”, and finally on May 5, 1857 San Juan was the scene of Walker’s final retreat on the “St. Mary” after his surrender in Rivas.

Getting There

Since I was coming from San Jose, Costa Rica, I chose to travel via TicaBus. TicaBus is a great service for traveling within central America. They are cheap ($14 USD for a ticket from San Jose, Costa Rica to Managua, Nicaragua), the buses are comfortable and air conditioned, they make very few stops and they all but hold your hand at the border crossings. However, it is best to purchase your tickets a week or so in advance just to insure you can travel when you want.

The Trip

TRAVELERS TIP: Both the US Dollar and the Nicaraguan Cordoba use the “$” as their currency symbol, when in doubt always ask if the price is in Dollars or Cordobas!

As I mentioned in my Isla de Ometepe post, the town of Rivas makes a convenient overnight spot and TicaBus will drop you off there, but you HAVE TO TELL THE DRIVER TO STOP when you enter Rivas or he will drive right through. They also have a ticket office in town and a pickup point so you can easily depart from Rivas. Rivas is not a tourist destination in any sense, but I did find a nice hotel there, Hotel Cacique Nicarao. It has a plush sitting area in the front with an internet station, a nice little restaurant and clean rooms with hot water and air conditioning. Rooms were $45 USD including breakfast.

From Rivas it is a simple matter to get to San Juan Del Sur. The easiest way is by taxi which should cost about $5 USD and take about 20 minutes. There are also buses that leave every 30 minutes between 6am and 6pm, costing $0.75 for the 45 minute ride.

TRAVELERS TIP: Most of Southwestern Nicaragua loses power daily and San Juan Del Sur is no exception. Most hotels have generators but they do not power the air conditioners, so be prepared for a few sticky hours in the afternoon or during the night.

We spent our first night at Hotel Joxi and only our first night. It has the feel of a place that used to be very nice and popular, but has slowly slipped into disrepair due to the huge expansion of tourism and many newer hotels springing up. It did have one saving grace, it was dirt cheap at $15 USD for the night.

The rest of the time we stayed at different Hotel, which was perfect, and which neither of us seem to have a picture of nor can we remember its name or find it online! However I will be heading back there soon and will update this post when I have the information. We had one of two balcony suites that looked out over the beach that was just across the road. Air conditioning, mini refrigerator, comfortable wicker furniture and a friendly and helpful staff made this hotel a bargain at only $40 USD a night.

…and the view from our room….

There are a lot of great places in and around San Juan Del Sur and I wish I had time to cover them all.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Big Wave Daves, is an expat institution with great comfort food and an excellent place for breakfast. Just be prepared, as the portions are huge as evidenced from the picture of my breakfast sandwich below. Prices are average for the area with meals costing between $4 and $8 USD.

El Timon Restaurant, situated right on the shore has a great view of the ocean and a pleasant atmosphere. The prices are a little higher here than other restaurants in the area but the food is well worth it. I had the pesto and my friend had a seafood pasta, pictured below, both were excellent and cost about $6-8 each.

You can also see El Timon on the far right hand side of the picture below along with Iguana bar to its immediate left which is another of my favorite places. Great atmosphere, good location and decent food make it a fun place to relax and socialize after a long day of surfing or lounging in the sun. Prices are reasonable with the average drink costing between $2 and $4 USD. The hotel we were staying at is the square pink building on the left of the picture.

On our third day in San Juan Del Sur we decided to explore Playa Madera which lies a short distance to the north. I rented a surf board for $10 at one of the many shops located in San Juan Del Sur and spent $20 to hire a Taxi for the day to take us there and back.

The beach was excellent and offered spots for both surfing and swimming, but watch the rip tide and be careful of the rock shelves on the south side of the beach. They look pleasant enough in low tide, but they can become very dangerous if you get caught on them when the tide begins to come in. There is also a small surf shack located on the beach where you can get simple meals and even rent a hammock for the night. A few pictures of the beach are below.

That was pretty much our stay. There is a lot to see and do in the area and I’ll be going back soon, so I’ll have another post with more fun spots and cool hangouts!

I’ll leave you with a nice sunset over the San Juan Del Sur beach.

Budget:

Overall the trip was very reasonable. Including the hotel for one night in Rivas ($45), the TicaBus tickets ($28), taxis ($30), food and drinks ($150), surfboard rental ($10), four nights hotel in San Juan Del Sur ($160) and Costa Rica/Nicaragua and Nicaragua/Costa Rica border crossings ($20), the total was only about $450.00 USD for 5 nights/ 7 days.

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Some History and Facts

• Ometepe is the largest lake island in the world
• Last major eruption of Concepcion was in late 2005
• Consists of two large volcanos, Concepcion (active, 1610m) and Maderas (inactive, 1394m).

Getting There

If you have a fair distance to travel before heading to the island, as we did coming in from San Jose, I recommend the town of Rivas as an overnight before heading to the island. From Rivas you can catch a $5 USD, 10 minute taxi to the dock at San Jorge. From there you have several options. The easiest is the one hour, 17km boat ride to Moyogalpa. The lanchas cost about $2 USD per person, but you’ll likely be sitting on the deck like we were in the picture below.

There are also larger Ferries that can transport cars for a fee of $17 USD. However they run less frequently and require 72 hours notice if you are transporting a vehicle.

The Trip

The view of the island from the lancha was impressive and the crossing itself rather pleasant, but be aware that the exhaust vent from the engine on most lanchas is right there on the deck so if you sit downwind of it you will be breathing in engine exhaust for an hour.

We arrived in Moyogalpa and waded through the usual throng of locals trying to sell us everything from hotel rooms to tours and made our way the 100 yards or so up to Hotel Ometepe ($30/night). Compared to other accommodations on the island this was rather nice, however, the grounds were in serious disrepair with the pool empty and several of the surrounding out buildings missing entire walls. The rooms themselves were comfortable with fans, air conditioning, and fairly decent bathrooms. The staff was helpful and friendly.

The town of Moyogalpa itself is quiet and contains no real attractions. It reminded us of a town that was built on the hope of future tourism that has yet to materialize. It is replete however with tour companies offering all kinds of useful services. We wanted to hike up Volcan Concepcion but there was a minor eruption only a few weeks prior and the tour guides said they would only take us up half way, so we booked a guide for the hike up Volcan Maderas ($10/person, transportation included).

Several guide books say that this hike is doable by almost anyone, I however disagree. Because you have to get to the top and back down during the daylight hours, the pace is strong and steady. At several points you are doing more rock climbing than trail hiking and near the top be prepared to sludge through knee deep mud while trying to ascend slopes of 45 to 60 degrees.

TRAVELERS TIP: Bring a lot of water, more than you think you would need and some high energy snacks. We each consumed 4 Liters on the climb and made a dash for more when we finally made it back.

About an hour into the hike there is a rest point with benches right before you enter the canopy of the cloud forest. This point offers the money shot of Volcan Conception as evidenced below.

The payoff for your climb is a steep decent into a the lush crater with a cool, albeit very muddy, lagoon for you to cool off in if you so choose.

The next day we took a shuttle down to the Estacion Biologica San Ramon and did the 4 hour hike (2.5 up and 1.5 down) to the San Ramon Waterfall ($2 USD per person). The hike itself is rather pleasant or maybe it just seemed that way after Volcan Madaras the day before. Once we found the start of the trail, which is just an unsigned gate near the Estacion that leads into a car path between two fields, we were off. We didn’t make it far however because there were several cows lazily eating the grass between the two fences. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem but both of the cows were with calves and quite aggressively charged us when we attempted to pass them. Since the space we were confined to was only about 20 feet wide, we had to climb over the fence and pass the animals by walking 50 yards or so in one of the fields before hopping back over onto the path again.

The path becomes increasingly steep and narrow as you approach the Fall and the rock covered trail can be wet and slippery so be careful. The 56 meter high Fall is almost surreal and well worth the hike. I highly suggest going early in the morning as we were the only ones there for almost two hours. The only thing that kind of ruins the experience is the collection of concrete structures that were built to channel the water down to the Estacion and the rest of Ometepe.

Once our solitude was broken by some arriving hikers we decided to head back down. Sure enough the cows were there to meet us but this time they were in a much wider part of the trail so we were able to pass them with only receiving a few warning stomps and threatening huffs.

Budget

The total cost of this trip was extremely cheap at around $70 per person for 3 days and 2 nights. That included transportation to and from the island, two nights hotel, taxis, entry fees, guide fees and food. I recommend this trip for the hiker who isn’t afraid to semi-rough it for a few days. I will definitely be returning to climb Volcan Concepcion.

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Some History and Facts:

• 1,624 meters (5,328 feet)
• Approximately 4,000 years old
• Dormant until July 29, 1968 when an eruption claimed the lives of over 100 people and has been constantly active ever since.
• Last major eruption: 1998
• You can get close to but cannot actually hike on the volcano (unfortunately).

Getting There:

Whether you are coming from Liberia or San Jose, Arenal is a bit of a hike, but well worth it.

Buses leave from San Jose to La Fortuna (the town at the base) roughly every 2 hours between 6am and 5:30pm from the Atlantio del Norte bus station at Avenida 9 and Calle 12. The cost is about $4 USD one way. The trip takes about 4.5 hours and only makes one rest stop, where you can get off for 15 min, so unless you have a good bladder I’d suggest watching what you drink before and during the trip.

Nature Air flies to La Fortuna daily from the Tobias Bolanos International Airport in Pavas. The flight takes about 35 min and costs about $70 each way.

The Trip

Unfortunately we only had two nights in the area, so we had to keep it short and sweet. We definitely packed in quite a bit though considering we only had one full day.

We stayed at a mid-range hotel called the La Cangreja Lodge. It is located 8km from the town of La Fortuna which is something you need to keep in mind if you are not driving. Once at the hotel you will need to call a taxi from La Fortuna which will cost you about $8 USD before it even gets there. When the sky is clear you will have a wonderful view of the volcano. The lava is currently flowing in the direction of La Cangreja so you will be entertained at night if the weather cooperates and the night is clear. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly. The price was approximately $75 per night for both of us.

Here are a few pictures of the Hotel so you can get a feel for it.

We were not fortunate enough to have a clear night and see any lava flows from the hotel.

We set off on foot the day after we arrived to see what we could see. We were searching for a restaurant that was “supposedly” right down the road. After several kilometers in the 90F tropical heat, we finally ducked into the only place that looked like it would have food. It turned out to be the Lost Iguana Resort, one of the most upscale places in the area.

We were quite a sweaty site once we finished walking up the 2km driveway that took us up about 200 vertical meters. Despite our appearance we were greeted graciously and seated at a table in the restaurant which had a perfect view of the volcano. I snapped this picture from the railing beside our table.

After an incredible meal (and a serious dent in our budget) we were beginning our walk back down when we were stopped by the owner of the Resort. We recounted our misadventure and he offered to give us a nice, air-conditioned ride back to our hotel. We thankfully accepted!

After a quick shower we called up a taxi and rode up to the Arenal Hanging Bridges. This is a wondering short hike through the rain forest that takes you over 15 suspension bridges, some well over 100 meters above the ground! The cost is a reasonable $22 USD, but more if you want a guided tour. I tend to avoid anything that will put me into a group because I like to move at my own pace and look at what I want to look at, not what someone else tells me I should look at.

After the bridges we took the taxi back to our hotel and walked about 5km over to the hot springs. Depending on what you are looking for, Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort may or may not be what you want. If you want to be pampered and experience the water from the springs in a controlled and sterilized environment, and pay for it, then Tabacon is your place. Mabel and I however like to experience nature in its natural state, so Tabacon was not for us. We simply walked about 200 feet farther down the road where a small trail on the right hand side leads you directly to the hot river from which the Tabacon and other concrete pools are filled.

Here you can wade around in the hot water not only for free, but also in my opinion a much more beautiful setting. A picture from the river is below…..and yes, that is me.

We couldn’t explore too much of the river however as we needed to get back to La Fortuna to see the La Fortuna Waterfall! We asked one of the local tourist information centers how to get there and they informed us it was only 3km out of town, so we decided to walk. It turned out to be more than 6km away and the last 3 of those 6 were almost straight up, so I suggest taking a taxi from La Fortuna which shouldn’t cost more than a few dollars.

TRAVELERS TIP: Always try and use local currency in Costa Rica, while USD are accepted in many places, you are likely to pay more for items and services!

The waterfall is a MUST SEE in my option, but the climb down and back up from the base of the Fall is treacherous and should not be attempted by the elderly or otherwise infirmed. You can see the waterfall from a lookout however if you are unable to make the climb down.

Swimming is allowed in and around the Fall, but be careful and don’t get too close to the Fall or quite frankly you will likely die. The Fall is approximately 125 meters tall and will pull you under quickly. Here is a picture from the base, unfortunately there was no way to get the whole Fall in one picture.

Budget:

Starting from San Jose the trip cost approximately $200 per person. That included bus tickets to and from La Fortuna, taxis during our stay, 2 nights hotel, food, and entry fees for the Bridges and Waterfall. For the price it is tough to beat!

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