In this series of posts, we answer common questions about traveling to Costa Rica. Today we’re talking about ways to travel from La Fortuna, Costa Rica (Arenal area) to the Nicaragua border. We’ll discuss the public bus, private bus line, and a private shuttle option.
Question
“Hi, I need to go to Nicaragua from Costa Rica. I’ll be staying in La Fortuna beforehand. Should I go to Liberia first and then take a bus from there to Nicaragua (I’m going to Granada). Or should I go to San Jose and then take Tica Bus. But for that, will I have to go to San Jose a day before as all the buses travel early in morning? Please give suggestions.”
Answers
Public Bus
Taking the public bus from La Fortuna to Nicaragua is one option. You would first go from La Fortuna to El Tanque (just east of La Fortuna), then catch the bus that goes to the Peñas Blancas border crossing with Nicaragua. In total, it would be about 6.5 hours with two bus changes. You can see the details of the schedule here: https://www.thebusschedule.com/cr/index.php
On that website, just put in La Fortuna, San Carlos to Peñas Blancas. Also change the date and starting time to 0:00 so you can see the whole schedule. You’ll need to figure out the buses in Nicaragua from there.
Private Bus
Using a private bus like Tica Bus could be easier. Although the Tica Bus starts in San Jose, it also stops for pickups along the way in places like Canas, Liberia, or even at the border at Penas Blancas. Canas or Liberia aren’t too far from La Fortuna so you should be able to take the public bus there.
With Tica Bus, you can put in your starting point as San Jose, then select the pick-up point you want in Costa Rica (Liberia, for example). Put the destination as Managua, Nicaragua, but then choose Granada as your drop off point. Then the bus will bring you right there.
Private Shuttle
Another option is to take a private shuttle from La Fortuna to Penas Blancas. This is, of course, a lot more expensive, but cuts the travel time down to only about 3.5-4 hours.
Likewise, you could take a shuttle from La Fortuna to Liberia then catch the Tica Bus from there like we mentioned above.
Looking for more information to help you plan? Check out these posts:
Shuttles in Costa Rica: How They Work and When to Use Them – Private and shared shuttle vans are a popular way to get around Costa Rica. Learn about what to expect with this post.
Transportation Options in Costa Rica: Car, Shuttle, Uber & More – Thinking about taking taxis or using your Uber app in Costa Rica? This article will guide you.
Using ATMs and Credit Cards in Costa Rica – Learn the best ways to get out money and pay for things during your trip.