Visiting Boquillas, Mexico

View of Boquillas Mexico

 

Port of Entry Hours and Passport Requirements

Visiting Mexico through the park's Boquillas Crossing Port of Entry is an option for visitors possessing a valid passport book or passport card. Enhanced Driver's Licenses do not apply.

Normal Operating Hours are as follows:

Winter Schedule
(November - April )
5 days a week: Wednesdays through Sundays
9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Summer Schedule
(May - October )
4 days a week: Fridays through Mondays
9:00 am - 4:00 pm

U.S. currency is accepted in Boquillas though visitors are advised to bring smaller bills or rely on Boquillas vendors to provide change for their purchases. The Rio Grande Village Store and the Rio Grande Village Visitor Center cannot make change for visitors travelling to Boquillas.

• Learn more about visiting a border area.
• For more information about restaurants; camping; lodging; local handicrafts; activities, and history visit Boquillas.org.

 

At the edge of the Rio Grande, you can arrange for a rowboat ride across.

How do I get there?

Park at the Boquillas Crossing parking lot near Boquillas Canyon. After passing through the port of entry visitors are ferried across the Rio Grande on a small rowboat for a modest fee ($5 round-trip). Walking across the river is permitted only at the Boquillas Crossing, but is not recommended if the river level is high.

Once across the river visitors have the option of walking to the village (1/2 mile) or paying an additional fee to ride on a burro, horse, or in a vehicle. Local authorized guides (wearing official ID credentials) are available to assist you.

Visitors are required to check in with Mexican immigration officials upon arrival in Boquillas, and pay a small entrance fee ($7) to the Maderas del Carmen Protected Area that Boquillas is situated in. A small wrist bracelet is your receipt for the entrance fee.

Most visitors spend just a couple of hours in Boquillas. Visitors planning to stay overnight in Mexico will need to apply for a temporary visa. Secure overnight parking at the Boquillas Crossing Port of Entry may be available.

 

What is in Town?

Today, Boquillas del Carmen is a small town with 200 inhabitants. Tourism is the principal industry. In town you will find two restaurants (Jose Falcons & Boquillas Restaurant) with food that is simple, fresh, and good. A bar features pool and other games. Local guides offer walking tours of the small village. Tours to the Boquillas Canyon, hot springs, archaeological sites and caves in the surrounding area by foot, truck, horse/burro, and canoe are also available. Locally produced handicrafts abound. Residents often display wire sculptures, embroidered textiles, walking sticks, and other handcrafted items for sale.

NO FOOD or food products of any kind (tamales, restaurant leftovers, alcohol, vanilla, etc.) can come north through the port of entry.

U.S. currency is accepted in Boquillas. Visitors are advised to bring a supply of smaller bills. Have fun!

 

Maderas del Carmen Protected Area

 

The small town of Boquillas is located within the Maderas del Carmen Flora and Fauna Protection Area. It is designated by the Government of Mexico and administered by the National Comission of Protected National Areas (CONAMP).
Please:

• Register and pay for your access bracelet ($7).
• Ask for and use Authorized Guides only.
• Respect all rules. Keep the area clean.
• Respect private property
• It is illegal to bring firearms into Mexico.
• Do not collect, damage, or purchase plants, animals, rocks, artifacts, or fossils.

Thank you for helping Mexico conserve the biological diversity of this special place.

 

Valid documentation is required to visit Mexico through the park's Boquillas Port of Entry.

Documentation

The Boquillas Port of Entry is operated cooperatively by the National Park Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The facility is staffed by National Park Rangers who can assist travelers with information about visiting the area. Proper documentation is required to cross. U.S. and Canadian citizens can present a valid Passport to cross at this Class B Port of Entry. Travelers from other countries may need additional documentation in addition to their valid passport. To cross at the Port of Entry, travelers will interact with a customs officer through a virtual kiosk and document scanner.

For complete information on other accepted travel documents at the Boquillas Port of Entry, please contact U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Presidio, TX (432-229-3349).

 

It is a short rowboat ride to Mexico

NPS / T. VandenBerg