Panama – Colombia border crossing
What do you need?
》Passport
》Reservation at a hotel (recommended)
》Extra Dollars to Exchange to Colombian Pesos
》Check the website of your goverment about the Covid-19 situation in Colombia
Panama and Colombia are connected by land, but it is not possible to cross the border by land. There are 2 options to travel from Panama to Colombia or visa versa. You can travel by plane or by (sailing) boat from Panama to Colombia.
The first option is pretty straightforward. The only thing you need besides your passport when you enter Colombia is proof when you leave the country again. If you have a plane ticket you can use it for that. Not sure when to leave Colombia? Then you can purchase a so-called Onward ticket (Google onward ticket). That costs about €12 and is a fake plane ticket, which is accepted everywhere. As soon as you arrive at the airport in Colombia, wherever you are, it is recommended to withdraw some cash at the airport immediately. This makes it easier to travel directly by taxi or public transport.
Traveling by sea to Colombia from Panama is a very common option. Not only is it common, it’s also the coolest border crossing you’re likely to experience. You will first travel for a few days via the tropical San Blas islands of Panama, before you will make the crossing over the open sea to Colombia. You arrive in Cartagena and can continue your journey from there. The crew of the boat will take care of the entire border crossing for you, from obtaining the exit stamp to entering with an entrance stamp. For this you only need a Covid-19 vaccination certificate, an exit ticket is not necessary.
Border crossing Ecuador – Colombia
What do you need?
》Passport
》Reservation at a hotel (recommended)
》Extra Dollars to Exchange to Colombian Pesos
》Check the website of your goverment about the Covid-19 situation in Colombia
If you travel from Ecuador to Colombia, you can cross the Puente International border north of Nueva Loja. A more common border between Ecuador and Colombia is the border crossing at Tulcán, called Rumichaca. The border consists of a yellow bridge and is easy and very clear.
You get to the border by taking a taxi to the border. This ride takes about 20 minutes and costs a few dollars. Negotiate a price in advance. Most importantly, get your exit stamp at the Ecuador migration office first. Let the taxi driver drop you off there.
After that, you will cross the yellow bridge and go to the Colombia migration office. Check Colombia’s current entry requirements, but you probably won’t need more than the above. For pictures of the border crossing (but then from Colombia to Ecuador) you can check out the highlights of Ecuador on our instagram.
Once you have your entry stamp, you can continue your journey. There are often many yellow taxis waiting to take you to the center of Ipiales. This takes 10 minutes and costs about 10,000 pesos/$2.50, again agree a price in advance.
There are also people at the border to exchange money. In Colombia, payment is made with Colombian Pesos (4,000 pesos is roughly equivalent to $1). It is advisable to look up the current exchange rate in advance so that you know how many dollars you can exchange for pesos. In general, people at the border keep a reasonable exchange rate.
Always good to keep in mind:
》Always keep all your things with you, even if people say you can put them somewhere.
》Never buy anything from someone who has no official papers or uniform. Everything that is really necessary is done in the official buildings.
》Never buy anything from someone who has no official papers or uniform. Everything that is really necessary is done in the official buildings.
From Ipiales you can continue to Pasto and then continue to Cali, Salento or the Tatacoa desert. You can also spend a day in Ipiales to visit Santuario de las Lajas, about 20 minutes from Ipiales. A beautiful structure, built over the Quebrada de el Morro river. Want to know more about Ipiales? Then read on here.
