www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I'm going to go to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca for a few days and I would like to go down to Bocas de Toros for a day and fly back to SJ.

Is the $28.00 exit tax required for a short trip to Bocas, then flying back to SJ for a couple of days and then do I have pay it again when I leave for the US?

The last time I made a land border crossing was at the Sixaola - Guabito border crossing on the Caribbean side of CR was in 2007, and at that time, there was no exit fee. In 2013, the Tico government implemented an exit fee for land border crossings: http://costarica.usembassy.gov/service/ ... s-exit-tax

I do not know how rigorously this requirement is enforced now at the Sixaola River bridge.

The $29 (not $28) fee is always charged for international flights out of CR. The only way to waive it is if your incoming flight is less than 12 hours before your outgoing flight. I don't know if they charged exit tax for land crossings.

For example, if you land in CR at 9pm, and your flight out of CR is 7am the next morning, you don't have to pay the exit tax since it's only 10 hours from incoming to outgoing flight.

I had the airport exit tax waived once when I was enroute to Medellin via SJO. I had an 8 hour layover. I left the airport and spent a few hours with an amiga who lives in Heredia. The COPA counter agent told me about the exit tax exemption for passengers in transit. If you are flying both ways to Panama, you will need to pay the airport exit tax. If you were just passing through San Jose on your way to Panama, and your layover was within the 12-hour window, you would qualify for the exemption.

"The new tax came into effect on December 2, 2013, and consists of a $5 exit tax and a $2 luggage search fee, regardless of whether the traveler has luggage or not. "

Hahahahahahaha and regardless if they search your luggage or not.

I guess it will be a $7.00 exit tax going down to Boca.
Thanks, Guys.

I guess I'd better pack light also, Nature Air has a 15 lb checked baggage limit on their loco fare.

You can pay the exit tax at Bancredito close to parque centrale, i buy it there before i go to panama through paso canoas because the line can be very long to buy it at the border.

tax is for airport only.

I've crossed to panama several times on land, no fee.

You are wrong.

Baqueta, you have a fun trip planned, I did this route in 2007 with a Nica in tow! Took the bus to Puerto Viejo and stayed two nights. A little down the road from PV is the hamlet Manzanillo, which is my favorite beach on the Carribean side. Postcard perfect golden sands and coconut palms with crystal clear waters. There is a very good seafood restaurant there as well.

From PV we took the local bus to Sixaola. It was local alright with many many stops, but it gives a nice glimpse of local life at this remote end of Costa Rica. Sixaola itself is not very pretty, but you will only be there long enough to conclude the formalities to exit Costa Rica. Walking across the bridge that spans the Sixaola River is a trip. You'll want to take some pics.

After enterimg Panama we took a taxi to the boat launch in the defunct banana plantation in Changuinola and took the ride to Bocas by boat. Very cool.

In Bocas we stayed at Hotel Las Olas. We went in August. Bocas was the hottest, most humid place I've ever been, but we had a great time. Isla Bastimente has a great beach called Red Frog Beach. Those little red frogs are easy to spot along the path. There are local bars throughout the outer islands that are cool to explore by water taxi too. Good restaurants in Bocas as well.

As fun as the trip was getting there it was also a relief to get back to SJ Pavas airport in an hour by Airplane so good call there too. Have fun!

_________________
Why settle for just one woman when you can enjoy them all?

I haven't been to PV for 3 years, I was hitting Samara and the southern Nicoya Peninsula. I decided that with chica in tow, I would bus down spend 2 nights in PV (Costa de Papito, the climb up to Cashew Hill gets tiresome) one night via shared van and taxis, in Bocas @ Hotel Olas, and check out what I can in a day, and back to PV for one night and bus it back to SJ. I hope the rains let up and route 32 is open.