This route comes to you from an awesome intrepid traveller from Canada. Have a read through her advice:
Be sure to read more about the buses on each page for San Juan del Sur, Peñas Blancas, Liberia for Cañas schedule, Tilaran, La Fortuna
“San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua to La Fortuna, Costa Rica route info (way easier than it sounds). We left San Juan del Sur at around 7:30am in a collective (50C) and asked him to drop us off at the crossroads. From there we grabbed a chicken bus to the border (20C). From the Peñas Blancas border, we had missed the direct bus to La Fortuna (leaves at 6:30am or 2pm), so we made our own route. (Editors note: another traveller has told us there is no direct bus at 2pm, but one that goes to San Carlos at 2:30pm and wont get you all the way to La Fortuna, the better option to do is to go from Peñas Blancas to Cañas and then on to Tilaran -> La Fortuna).
Here is another from a helpful gal named Vianney: (Feb 2018)
– From San Juan del sur I caught a bus at 8:45 a.m to Rivas, 40 cordobas if you have a bag. 45min
– Rivas bus 10 a.m to Penas Blancas, 30 cordobas if you have a bag. 1 hour.
– At the Nicaragua boarder I caught a Ticabus to Canas for 8$, he left at 12:00 from the Costa Rica immigration.
I arrived at 13:45 in Canas.
– Then i walked to the bus terminal, 15min, i caught a bus at 2 p.m for Tilaran. 600 colones, 45min.
– Tilaran to Fortuna, bus at 3:30 p.m (the last one !!) 2765 colones, i arrived at la Fortuna at 5:15 p.m
So be sure to catch the last bus !!
You have to leave before 2:30 p.m from Canas or you’ll miss the last bus in Tilaran.
Cheers. Vianney. 39 countries.
Another traveller wrote this about Cañas to La Fortuna:
“We took the first bus to Liberia leaving around 9am ($3), from Liberia straight on to the bus to Cañas ($3), from Cañas straight on the bus to Tilaran at 12pm (~$1.50), from Tilaran straight on the bus to La Fortuna at 12:30pm ($4) and arrive around 2pm. (We missed the direct connection in Tilaran because we were getting food, so we got the next one at 3:30 and arrived around 5).”
If you have done this route and have any extra information to add, scroll down to the comment section below and add your 2 cents!
See more advice below in the comments!
On Sundays there is NO 3.30pm BUS from Tilaran to La Fortuna!
We just did this July 2023. No worries.
Left SJDS at 7am.
Went via La Virgen and arrived at the border around 8:45am. Payed our $4 exit and taxes.
Lots of queues and waiting, make sure you have proof of onward travel for the Costa Rican officials.
Managed to get the bus leaving Peñas Blancas at around 10:15. This bus took the longest, and we arrived in Liberia at around 12:15.
We were told by an official here that if we don’t want to risk missing the 3:30pm bus from Tilaran we could also get a bus to Upala and then an onward bus to El Tanque.
Left Liberia at 12:30 and made it to Cañas very quick by 1:30.
Had some food, quickly got the bus to Tilaran and arrived there for 2:30pm where we relaxed and waited for the very comfortable 3:30pm bus to La Fortuna.
Finally arrived around 5:50pm.
Very easy day and no dramas, got overcharged for the buses but wasn’t so bad, maybe $15 overall.
-I started at 9 a.m. with the chickenbus from San Juan del Sur to La Virgen (40 cordobas). I got out at the intersection at 9.35 a.m. and waited at the bus shelter between the two roads leading to San Juan del Sur.
-At 9.40 a.m. I took the chicken bus to the border (20 cordobas) where I arrived at 10.00 a.m.
-I crossed the border on foot (you have to pay the 3 US$-departure tax in dollars, they dont accept cordobas; there is an ATM on the Costa Rican side). At 10.45 a.m. I was at the bus stop opposite the immigration.
-At 11.15 a.m. I took the bus to Cañas (around 3.500 colobes), where I arrived at 1.20 a.m.
I took a taxi for 2 US$ to the bus station (could have walked on foot). The station was in Ave. 7 between Calle Central and Calle 1. I think this was not the main bus stop but a lot of people got on the bus there.
-From Cañas I took the bus at 2.10 p.m. to Tilaran (600 colones).
-I arrived in Tilaran at 2.40 p.m. At 3.30 p.m. I took the bus to La Fortuna (3480 colonies) where I arrived at 5.45 p.m.
Hi there! Thanks for setting this site up, it’s so helpful. I traveled from La Fortuna to San Juan Del Sur today, here’s an up to date itinerary. Cheers!
14/6/19
Left La Fortuna travelling to El Tanque, Taxi was 4000 colones. A bus leaves the main bus station at 6.30 and arrives 6.40 (850 colones). The bus to Penas Blancas arrived at 7.10 (left at 7.15), there’s a small bus stop on the road heading towards San Rafael. It’s a public bus, and costs 4500 colones. It’s a little cramped but fine, there’s no AC so try and sit on the left/aisle. It’s 2 hrs to Upala, 15 min break at a rest stop with toilets and food court.
9.30 on to Penas Blancas, arrived at 13.00 (we were delayed for 30 mins by roadworks).
Took around 45 mins to get through immigration with a $9 exit fee from Costa Rica and a $13 entry fee to Nicaragua (bring correct change).
Its a $2 bus to la virgin and then change on to another $2 bus to San Juan. So around 8 hours door to door.
I want to share with you my day :
(sorry for my bad english)
– From San Juan del sur i caught a bus at 8:45 a.m to Rivas, 40 cordobas if you have a bag. 45min
– Rivas bus 10 a.m to Penas Blancas, 30 cordobas if you have a bag. 1 hour.
– At the Nicaragua boarder i caught a Ticabus to Canas for 8$, he left at 12:00 from the Costa Rica immigration.
I arrived at 13:45 in Canas.
– Then i walked to the bus terminal, 15min, i caught a bus at 2 p.m for Tilaran. 600 colones, 45min.
– Tilaran to Fortuna, bus at 3:30 p.m (the last one !!) 2765 colones, i arrived at la Fortuna at 5:15 p.m
So be sure to catch the last bus !!
You have to leave before 2:30 p.m from Canas or you’ll miss the last bus in Tilaran.
Cheers. Vianney. 39 countries.
Well the direct bus to La Fortuna at 2pm isn’t really true. It’s actually a 2:30 bus to San Carlos and has many, many stops along a terrible road. The closest it comes is Tanque and it arrived around 8pm. From there you can catch a taxi or wait for another bus to come by.
Thanks for the info, Scott! I will make a note above. Sorry to hear you had a long day, pretty classic Costa Rica bus travel in the past!
Just did this route and it was went smoothly. the buses are fairly nice and everyone we came across was helpful. we know enough Spanish to get by and it was easy enough to verify with people which bus was to where and at what time. we got finished going through the boarder at around 10am and so we also caught the 3:30pm bus from Tilaran to La Fortuna (we didn’t see this bus listed online anywhere except for here). Overall it was a good day of travel and wasn’t as daunting as I thought it was going to be!
Thanks, Josh, great to hear the trip went so smooth. If you do any other trips we would love to hear about them and if you want to write something about how to get from La Fortuna to xxxx, then I’d be stoked to put it in the routes section to help others.