Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
depart every 10 minutes. Buses depart five times daily for Panama City (US$17, eight
hours), stopping along the way. Express buses depart twice daily, in the morning and late
evening.
The 24-hour taxi stand is near the first bus terminal. Rates to David (US$40 to US$50
per party) vary depending on the number of passengers and the hour.
If you are entering Costa Rica, you may be required to show a ticket out of the country,
although this is rarely requested.
SIXAOLA/GUABITO
This crossing (open 8am to 5pm daily) is on the Caribbean coast. Sixaola is the last town
on the Costa Rican side; Guabito is its Panamanian counterpart. There are no hotels or
banks in Guabito, but stores accept Costa Rican colones or US dollars. Colones are not
accepted south of Guabito.
National bus services on either side run until around 7pm. Frequent minibuses travel
from Guabito to Changuinola (US$1, 30 minutes), 17km away, during daylight hours. The
minibuses leave from the southern side of the elevated entrance road, just past the im-
migration office. Taxis (US$3 per person) also serve Changuinola.
Changuinola has hotels, several banks, some decent restaurants and an airstrip
serving David and Panama City. Travel on to Almirante for transportation to Bocas del
Toro.
RÍO SERENO
Tourists are a novelty in this little town at the eastern terminus of the scenic Concep-
ción-Volcán road. Arriving by bus, it's hard to determine where one country ends and the
other begins. The Río Sereno crossing is open from 8am to 5pm daily.
The immigration office is near a police communications tower - look for the orange-
and-black 'Migracion' sign.
Banco Nacional de Panamá has an ATM, cashes traveler's checks and provides cash
advances against major credit cards. Foreign currency cannot be exchanged here.
Along the main road, a bus terminal sits two blocks northeast of the bank. Buses depart
to David (US$6.50), hourly, 40km away, via Volcán, with the first bus departing at 5am
and the last at 5pm. You can also try a taxi to David (US$70).
Bus
At all three border crossings, you can take a local bus up to the border on either side,
cross over, board another local bus and continue on your way. Be aware that the last
buses leave the border crossings at Guabito and Río Sereno at 7pm and 5pm, respect-
ively; the last bus leaves Paso Canoas for Panama City at 9:30pm.
Two companies,
Panaline
( 227-8648;
www.viajeros.com/panaline
) and
Tica Bus
(
262-2084;
www.ticabus.com
) , operate daily
directo
(direct) buses between San José
