Puerto Viejo to Bocas

Puerto Viejo to Bocas via Bus

Tickets may be purchased at the MEPE bus terminal on the waterfront on then end of town nearest the bridge to Playa Negro for the Colone equivalent of $3 which on 14 November 2011 was 1,470.

The bus stops in Bribri after 20 minutes and continues to Sixaola, arriving about an hour and 15 minutes after leaving Puerto Viejo.

With one's back to the bus terminal follow the road to the right to the end, make a quick jog to the left and ascend the stairs. Maybe thirty yards to the left is a blue building on the right where a declaration is to be obtained, completed and returned with one's passport which should be promptly stamped without fee.

Exiting the building, make a right and cross the bridge. If your flight out is via San Jose you must present a bus ticket back to San Jose. If one does not have one there is a little blue box visible on the right, with one's back to the bridge at which one can be obtained for $14 for a ride from Changuinola, Panama back to San Jose from one of the surliest women to man a booth. I know of many who have bought these tickets, which are good for a year, but no one who has actually taken a bus from Changuinola. It's probably best just to have a forged flight confirmation out of Panama City in hand.

Proceed to immigration, the first window past customs. No forms are necessary other than your flight confirmation or bus ticket to show that you actually intend to leave Panama. Eventually you will get your passport stamped by a clerk who may just decide to stop working in the middle of anybody's processing.

Next stop is next door where an entry stamp is obtained without ceremony for $3.

By this time you will probably have been besieged by people running the cooperativa's and have been offered a shared ride in a van for $10 to Almirante.

Arriving in Almirante you will pass my preferred water taxi operator, turn around and walk back the 30 meters to the purple Bocas Marine Tours building, pay your $5 and promptly on the next half hour you will find your boat departing for Bocas for a twenty to twenty five minute ride.

Welcome to paradise!