It is also possible to make this journey on
your own via the Costa Rican bus company
www.mepecr.com
The journey takes about six hours (to calculate broadly) for around $15.
The border is to be crossed on foot. Once you have obtained your exit stamp from Costa Rica and the entry one into Panama, you can board a Panamanian shuttle ($10) in the direction of Almirante.
www.mepecr.com
If you're traveling from David or elsewhere, head to Almirante port to catch the water taxi to Bocas. Almirante is the small port town closest to downtown Bocas that connects the mainland to the archipelago.
Here are the two companies offering this trip for the sum of approximately $5:
Transporte MarÃtimo Valencia
Pana Bocas Express (formerly Taxi 25)
1. After 6:30 pm, it is sometimes possible to find a private boat that will bring you to Bocas. Calculate around $80 - $100 for two people. If you can share the boat with other people, it will be cheaper. You have to negotiate the price with the captain. PS: For your safety, make sure the boat has lights to navigate at night.
2. You can rent a hotel room. We advise you not to wander around the streets of Almirante at night.
In any case, contact us!
We sometimes have captains available!
Be careful not to confuse the water taxi, a passenger transport, with the ferry, which carries cars and goods.