Fees
Travellers report paying US$13 per person to enter Nicaragua by land and a smaller fee to leave, in dollars and in cash. Carry small bills.
Peñas Blancas (Costa Rica)
The busiest crossing, on the Pan-American Highway south of Rivas. Sources give the hours as 6:00–22:00 Monday to Saturday and until 20:00 on Sunday. On the Nicaraguan side, chicken buses run to Rivas about every 20 minutes; on the Costa Rican side, buses continue to Liberia and San José.
El Guasaule (Honduras)
On the road north from Chinandega, with buses from Chinandega's Mercado Bisne about every 25 minutes. Long queues of trucks are common; travellers on foot or in a car pass them.
El Espino and Las Manos (Honduras)
Two quieter crossings in the north: El Espino beyond Somoto, with buses from Somoto that stop at the Somoto Canyon, and Las Manos beyond Ocotal, used mostly by locals, with waits reported from half an hour to two hours.
Crossing with a driver
Blink drives to and from these borders from anywhere in the country. Ask on WhatsApp for a price.