Nicaragua Ferries to and from Costa Rica

Although there are several possible ways to enter and leave Nicaragua by boat, only one is truly feasible for the average traveler -- taking the ferry which runs several times daily along the Rio Frio between San Carlos and Los Chiles in Costa Rica. The trip costs $10, and while the trip is not a tourist cruise by any means, the ferry ride makes for a very pleasant, scenic two hour journey.

Immigration offices are located in the towns of Los Chiles and San Carlos and are where all border formalities must be conducted. Be aware that although the border is open, you cannot get your passport stamped on weekends.

The two other ways of entering Nicaragua by boat are rather unrealistic for all but the most adventurous and wealthy travelers since the trips are complicated and expensive. The first is in the far southeast of the country where some of the higher priced fishing lodges can organize river trips between San Juan de Nicaragua (formerly known as San Juan del Norte and, before that, Greytown) in Nicaragua and Barra in Costa Rica.

Nicaragua Ferries to and from El Savlador

The other, more adventuresome means of travelling to or from Nicaragua is through El Salvador.  In the far northwest of the Nicaragua, you can hire a small boat to make the four hour, sometimes treacherous, journey across the Gulf of Fonseca, between Potosí and La Union in El Salvador.