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Considering Panama for Retirement

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SherryAbroad
  6/13/2017 19:18 EST

Hi everyone, I am new to this fourm. I am considering Pannama as a retirement location. I live in the United States and want to move some where with a much slower pace and need your help and expertise. I do not want to live in a big city.

I am a single women . I am considering visiting Panama for a couple of weeks and have lots of questions as follows:

Would I be able to get a good feel for the mountains and beach areas in this amount of time?

Should I come in the fall/winter or would the spring/summer be better.

Where should I visit?

Where should I stay?

How can I meet other expats while I am there.

How do I get to know the local people?

Is it safe enough for a single women to live there?

As you can see I have a lots of questions. I have just started my research on this but tend to think that I can get more reliable information from people that actually live there. I will have a retirement that should allow me to live comfortabley.

Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

Sherry

ranadelnorte
  6/14/2017 02:58 EST

Hello and welcome to the forum! You have some exciting retirement plans. Congratulations on doing some due diligence before making a move.

Almost all your questions have been asked (and answered) on the forum. Please consider using the search function.

Here are some comments on a few of your questions:
-Panama has 2 seasons: wet and dry. The wet season lasts from May-early December. It is good to get an idea of what the rainy season is like, as it drives some people crazy.
-A two-week visit is enough to get a flavour of either mountains or beaches. You'll have to return multiple times and/or stay longer if you want more in-depth knowledge.
-Meeting North Americans in those areas is easy. Panamanians are welcoming and open, but if you don't speak Spanish at an advanced intermediate level it will be difficult to become friendly with them IMO.

Good luck!

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Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in PanamaKovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama

Kovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded.
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SherryAbroad
  6/14/2017 04:10 EST

ranadelnorte, thanks so much for your reply. I have just started reading the fourm and have already found many interesting things. I will continue to read and try to answer some of my questions. I realize there is no better way to find out than to visit the country. Unfortunately I am not retired just yet so time is limited. This is my 5 year plan so I do have some time to investigate all I can about living there and educate myself. I am with you...I need to learn Spanish, another item on my list to start doing. Again, thank you for your input, it is greatly appreciated.

Sherry

Hugemeister
  6/14/2017 08:13 EST

Lol. Now that you identify yourself a single woman prepared to be 'white knighted' by the usual suspects.....

Prepare for a long thread....

SherryAbroad
  6/14/2017 12:08 EST

Hugemeister, thanks for the warning I will keep a look out for "White Knights" and keep my distance.

profman2
  6/14/2017 13:35 EST

Sherry,

My wife and I will be moving down there next year (about this time). We traveled a lot of Panama in our trips and would suggest to be sure any town south of Chitre on the Azura penninsula, we do like Pedasi and be very sure to go to Boquete above David out towards the Costa Rican border. many other wonderful smaller towns as we would never live in or real near Panama City. We just are not big city people.

Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in PanamaKovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama
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Kovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded.

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in PanamaKovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama

Kovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded.
Connect

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

profman2
  6/14/2017 13:37 EST

As mush as I have found help in some of these threads , the search function here is very painful. There really should be a "sticky note" function for very valuable real information. One comment here can bring 50 comments in return, most of which hold little information and value. Search makes you still sort through often hundreds of posts with there responses to get anything accurate.

augieman
  6/14/2017 20:19 EST

Hint: use only one word in search box.
Works.

Panamaholmes
  6/15/2017 09:00 EST

Just a couple of observations from someone relatively new to the forum. When new people come here and ask questions they almost invariably receive from someone (and often multiple someones) a "this question already has been answered, search the forum" response to their question. Those responses typically fall into two categories: (1) here is a helpful response to your question but you should also check the forum for additional helpful information from others on the same topic and (2) don't waste my time with your silly question that you could have answered yourself if you bothered to use the search function. The category 2 responses seem inconsistent, at least to me, with the purpose of a forum, which I understand is supposed to provide a place for a group discussion. And, some of the category 1 responses could be misinterpreted as category 2 responses. Just an observation. And, to be clear, I would put all of the responses in this thread into category 1, which is why I thought this was a useful thread to make the observation.

isand2017
  6/15/2017 09:55 EST

There is no such thing as a silly or stupid question. If the question bothers you...dont answer it. Be humble. Tact is the ability to get your point across without insulting.

Gmancopecito
  6/15/2017 17:23 EST

Welcome to Panama!!!

Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in PanamaKovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama
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Kovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded.

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in PanamaKovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama

Kovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded.
Connect

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

jonoyakker
  6/16/2017 03:44 EST

Sherry, from your question, it sounds like you want to visit both mountain AND beach areas. If so, 2 weeks is not enough time to visit all the possible areas. There are 3 mountain towns that have amenities and expat communities. As for beach areas with the same qualifications, there are also at least 3. And they are all spread out. IMO, you want at allow a minumum 2 days in each area. 2 days times 6 areas is 12 days. Add 4 or 5 travel days = 2 1/2 weeks at the very minimum. 3 weeks would be more realistic and 4 weeks would be best. You want a slower pace? I think you will find that applies to visiting and traveling here as well : ) If you could only manage 2 week trips, one could be Coronado/Cocle beaches, El Valle, and Pedasi. The second trip could be Volcan, Boquete, and Bocas. On that second trip, I would research flying directly in and out of David. As for safety issues for single women, I have heard of almost nothing in my 4 1/2 years here,

Vstrahl
  6/22/2017 09:14 EST

Hi, I too am a single woman looking to do the same. I'm planning a trip toward the end of the year. Perhaps we should compare notes. my email is [email protected].
I hope to hear from you. Val

chrisduffy0728
  6/22/2017 10:20 EST

The best thing I did was take Jackie Lange's relocation tour. www.PanamaRelocationTours.com. You learn the good, the bad and the ugly. For me, the good won out!

Chris Duffy

SAY
  6/22/2017 17:01 EST

Two weeks is enough time to let you know if you want to live here and enjoy the culture. It may not be enough time to determine where you want to live (although it was for me and several others I know). You have to start somewhere. I think the first question to answer is: Do I like Panama>

Yes, it is safe for a single woman to live here. Many, Many do so.

Personally, I thank Panama for making it possible for me to retire. Without it, I would still be slaving away trying to pay the bills instead of relaxing and going to the beach park everyday.

CPAQueen
  6/23/2017 09:32 EST

Based on my research, Panama was a great place to retire 10 years ago, but is now overpriced & real estate prices inflated. Its still a good deal if you're moving from the coasts or NY; otherwise you wont see much savings in real estate. Actually after adding all the legal costs & what items you have to sell & replace once you get there, it'll cost you more. Boquete's a. great place, if you've got lots of money. Do your research & dont believe everything you read about how cheap it is in Panama, especially from folks promoting Panama (they lie). Columbia & Ecudor still have some good prices on real estate.

cinparadise
  6/23/2017 10:12 EST

I just read this on another expat site:


U.S. Department of State Colombia Travel Warning

Colombia Travel Warning

Last Updated: June 16, 2017

The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risk of travel to Colombia. U.S. citizens should exercise caution, as violence linked to domestic insurgency, narco-trafficking, crime, and kidnapping occur in some rural and urban areas. This replaces the previous travel warning dated April 5, 2016.

Organized political and criminal armed groups are active throughout much of the country and their methods include the use of explosives and bomb threats in public spaces. Violence associated with the armed groups occurs in rural areas as well as Colombia's major cities, including in the capital. These groups are heavily involved in the drug trade, extortion, kidnapping, and robbery. On November 30, 2016, the Colombian government approved a peace accord with the largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The peace agreement is in the process of being implemented and does not include other active armed groups.

Violent crime is a threat throughout Colombia. Kidnapping remains a threat, although U.S. citizens are not specifically targeted. Violent political groups and other criminal organizations occasionally kidnap and hold civilians, including foreigners, for ransom.

U.S. government officials and their families are generally permitted to travel to major cities only by air. They may not use inter- or intra-city bus transportation or travel by road outside urban areas at night. During daylight, they are permitted to use only the following routes:

Main highways between Bogota and Bucaramanga, and between Bogota and Ibague.
Highways between Manizales, Pereira, and Armenia and within the “coffee country” departments of Caldas, Risaralda, and Quindío.
Highway 90 from Cartagena, through Barranquilla to Santa Marta.

All other travel by U.S. government personnel and their families requires a security review and specific authorization.

If you do travel to Colombia, review your personal security plans, remain alert to your surroundings, and learn more about staying safe on our Country Specific Information page for Colombia. U.S. citizens who travel abroad should always have contingency plans for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist.

For further information:

See the State Department's travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information for Colombia.

Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.

Contact the U.S. Embassy in Colombia, located at Calle 24 Bis No. 48-50 Bogota, D.C., Colombia, at (+57-1) 275-2000, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is (+57-1) 275-2701.

Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

isand2017
  6/23/2017 11:16 EST

Do you lived in Panama? I live in a big city in Texas. The city I work for skyrockets my HMO cost upon retirement to $898 a month for me and my wife. That's the cheap plan! My surburban property taxes are $5500 a year. My HOA fees are $1000 per year. You can compare Cost of Living in Panama vs amywhere iat Numbeo.com. Good Luck.

sealodgeg9
  6/23/2017 12:31 EST

Hi Sherry,
You might find some helpful information on our blog. We live in Boquete.
http://latitudeadjustmentblog.com/2017/06/05/the-panama-visa-process-our-experience/

Feel free to ask any questions.
Good luck!

jonoyakker
  6/24/2017 04:55 EST

I love people who post here with advice but have never lived here. Too much time on one's hands I guess. Do you realize that your comments did not address her specific questions?

sealodgeg9
  6/24/2017 08:46 EST

Joyo,
Whom are you addressing your comments to?

PanamaJackie
  6/24/2017 11:08 EST

HI Sherry

There are a lot of single women living in Panama. You'll love living in Panama. Here are some answers to your questions:

Would I be able to get a good feel for the mountains and beach areas in this amount of time?

If you have a good plan, you can get a good feel for Panama in a few weeks. With a PanamaRelocationTours.com you'll see a lot of the country including beach and mountain towns. You'll meet expats, even singles, in each area. Usually, one area will pull at your heart strings so we encourage you to go back to that area to spend another 5-7 days.

Should I come in the fall/winter or would the spring/summer be better.

There is no fall or winter in Panama. There is the dry season, mid-December to mid-April. And the rainy season is the rest of the year. The dry season, obviously is more dry and windy. The most rain is usually in November. June - September are usually the best weather - no winds and a little rain in the evenings.

Where should I visit?

Where to visit depends on your budget. Some places are a lot more expensive than others.

Where should I stay?

Depends on your budget. With a relocation tour, we make all the arrangements for you. It's an all-inclusive tour so your hotels and meals are included.

How can I meet other expats while I am there.

Every town where there are expats, usually has an expat hang-out or two. But you'll be missing the experience is you focus only on meeting expats.

How do I get to know the local people?

Talk to the locals and expats everywhere you go. A relocation tour makes it much easier to meet locals because we make arrangements in advance for them to meet us for lunch and dinner every day. You'll have instant contacts in each area we visit.

Is it safe enough for a single women to live there?

Absolutely, it is safe for single women to live in Panama in most areas. You need to exercise the same common sense that you use now. Many areas have special groups for singles or single women and have regular get-togethers.

PanamaJackie
  6/24/2017 11:11 EST

be careful about towns south of Chitre in the Azuero. Los Santos province is known for having serious water problems... like NO water for weeks at a time.

isand2017
  6/24/2017 12:21 EST

Thanks CDuffy, for providing the info regarding PanamaRelcoationTours.com. I 'm scheduled to take the tour this year. I was in Panama in 2015 on my own personal sight-seeing tour/vacation. I visited PC, Coronado, Gorgona, and Santa Clara. Any advice for the tour?

profman2
  6/24/2017 14:54 EST

Only from my wife's and my trips there, I would highly recommend the Azuero Pennisula basically anywhere south of Chitre, where we loved Pedasi. And definitely the area around Boquete and surrounding towns. We still have a lot of exploring to do ourselves but these were great places.

sealodgeg9
  6/24/2017 16:13 EST

$2400 is a lot of money for that tour...unless you are the type of person that needs your hand held.
Don't get me wrong they do a good job. You can easily find out a lot of information on your own with your boots on the ground, hooking up with bloggers that live here, researching on line etc. It's not difficult and you will get a great sense of the lay of the land. Of course a little bit of Spanish will be helpful.

isand2017
  6/25/2017 12:58 EST

Thanks for the reply Sealodge 9,
It's an expensive tour...but is there another one out there that's cheaper - that will put us up in a hotel over night in each of the cities listed, provide a bus tour of each, and an in country flight, 3 meals a day, plus information and legal advice? Please advise.

CarribeanQueen
  6/25/2017 14:09 EST

I recommend anyone exploring the idea of moving to Panama to go stay there for 4-6 months before spending lots of money moving there. I stayed 4 months (was planning on staying 6 months). Boguete is a very nice place with great weather. If you dont know Spanish, it can be very trying. Yard & house keepers are cheap but most will rob you blind, since most Panamians think all foreigners are rich. You get screwed on a daily basis by the locals when negotiating prices, if you dont know Spanish. There are different prices for expats as compared to locals. Also local jueviniles can commit murder & get sent home to their parents - with no detention time. I was much more appreciative of Texas's culture after living in Panama. I still have property in Panama & love to go there for vacation. There's a reason why 50% of expats return to their home country after 2 years from moving to Panama. Just use lots of common sense & have fun exploring & beware of sharks trying to get your money!

chrisduffy0728
  6/25/2017 16:01 EST

Take notes on your impressions of each area you visit while it is fresh in your mind. It all blurs together when you leave. Enjoy! I am going to Panama City July 3-14 to apply for my residency visa. I am using the attorney I met on the tour. She has been helpful and easy to deal with. I regret not taking advantage of the opportunity to open a bank account in Boquete. I didn't know I would like the country enough to move there next year but I did. My advice is to open the account. You can always close it if Panama isn't for you. You will have to submit some information and documents before you leave the US.

Chris

sealodgeg9
  6/25/2017 16:14 EST

Not that I am aware of.
We rented an SUV in PC and hit almost the same cities and more back in 2010. We spent 14 days doing hard research on our own to get a feel for the areas that interested us the most. Mostly the highlands. The coastal areas are too hot for us and we do not like 24/7 living in air condition.
We pre booked most of our own hotels, and connected with some bloggers that gave us very good advice. We drove back to PC and flew home.

Best parts:
Being on our own, the adventure of exploring.
Having to practice our Spanish
Going at our own pace
driving across this beautiful country from the ocean to the mountains
We did not look at it as a vacation but as a fact finding mission
Not influenced by a group tour
Figuring out things on our own
Experiencing the Panamanian people first hand

Negative parts:
Wished we could of spent 3 weeks

That was our experience. If memory serves me correct our biggest cost was the SUV around $500. That included insurance. Not counting our airfare into and out of Panama we spent around $2500. That includes the cost of the SUV.
Was it difficult? Not at all.

We stopped in Insurance offices,real estate, and lawyer's offices to get a feel for actual cost of, home rentals, car insurance, medical cost, and Visa. Everything we experienced was very similar to results you can get searching on the internet.

If you are not a planner perhaps the set tour thing is for you. But a word of advice, this is a totally different place from the US and the more you figure out on your own, the quicker you will embrace this beautiful country.
Good luck!

isand2017
  6/26/2017 01:18 EST

Thanks chrisduffy for the good advice!

isand2017
  6/26/2017 01:25 EST

Thank you for the advice.

golric
  6/26/2017 11:28 EST

@Caribbean Queen

I agree with you about first staying in the country 6 months before spending money in lawyers, moving companies et all.

I also agree with you that prices for expats are different than prices for Panamanians. Even when buying small things like upholstery material. I tried to buy same material as a person next to us. I heard the price given to her which was not the same price given to us. I mentioned to the sales lady and she gave us same price. It is very important to know Spanish. Life in the city is not cheap. It was 10 years ago but it is not anymore I am a city person so no intention of moving to the interior.

As for cleaning lady, yard person etc make sure they have references from people you know and trust. Do not allow anyone inside your home without proper ID. Always make a copy of Cedulas when hiring a local and keep with you. Also make them sign a receipt everytime you pay them. This will be useful if they decide to take you to the Labor offices. As an expat (perception is you have money) you have 95% chance you will not win the case.

Panama is a beautiful country but it is not for everybody. You need to have an open mind and not not expect it will be the same as your native country. The garbage is my main issue with this country and of course the big holes in the roads especially in the city.

panamajames
  6/26/2017 14:23 EST

Taxi drivers without meters will tend to try and get as much as they can. The regular price from our place to downtown is $3. A fellow from New York was charged $10 because he didn't know better. It is not only taxi drivers. Everyone selling products may try and get in the game of selling to expats at higher than regular prices. It's a learning experience. Learn the prices for everything, or you will learn the hard way.

Hugemeister
  6/26/2017 16:09 EST

I will never use a taxi in Panama again if I have access to Uber or simple bus option.

Taxis tend to be cavalier and reckless. They drive Wasatch too fast for conditions, gouge and overcharge as a matter of fact. They are in my mind simply unsafe, untrustworthy and unreliable.

Consider Uber as an option particularly if in P.C.

Hugemeister
  6/26/2017 16:11 EST

"The garbage is my main issue with this country...."

THIS!

panamajames
  6/26/2017 17:42 EST

I have seen cars where all the windows are open and garbage is spewing from each window. It's terrible. Honking my horn doesn't seem to have any effect. We are starting to have crews however, with garbage bags going down the highways and roadways and picking up trash, and tying up bags by the roadways for garbage pickup. Some are volunteer expat crews, some are Panamanian crews of kids sent from the schools, and others might even be detentions from the court systems here. It does seem to be working.........Hope it continues.

gloriaserafin
  7/8/2017 23:33 EST

I am responding as a single woman who has traveled much of the country and has lived in Panama, own a car there and will return when I am well recovered from my broken femur (repaired quite well in PC with surgeon trained in Virginia for far less than US prices).

I like to buy one of the paperback guidebooks and travel by bus to see the country. You can find hotels, hostels in various $ ranges and get to know different areas -boots on the ground. It is dark by 6:30 and I don't stray far in the nighttime, but be an early riser and ask questions. See how you deal with the nature of locals, the power outages, the water shortages, the manana mentality. Rent a car when you must, plan the areas to visit, buy food to see the stores, but try various types of eateries as well. I have found that this is a great way to meet "the people" local and expat.

I carry just what I need in a backpack, get rained on when I can't reach my umbrella in time and experience the heat and the coolness of different areas. Discover how warm or off-putting folks can be toward your way of being. And when you have found a good fit, live there for 6 months to a year before you make a decision to buy anything - even then proceed with caution. You are in a foreign country. They do not and cannot think like you think. Move to another area if you are so moved - or back home if that suits you.

I've also done this in Costa Rica, the ticos are wonderful and the country is beautiful, but the potholes...and Panama has no shortage of those either. Panama does have a welcoming discount program for retirees, when they want to give it to you.

Make the decision that feels right for you and don't let it matter if it takes a while for it to happen. Bring a letter from your bank and open an account while you are there to get a feel for doing business there, also.

Being at the top of the food chain helps no matter where you retire. If you can afford a more lush travel experience, do what suits you.
The best of luck to you.

sealodgeg9
  7/9/2017 09:24 EST

gloriaserafin

Has great advice. I would hold off on getting the bank account unless you are sure you want to live here.
You can get by with ATM cards and credit cards. Get a Charles Schwab debit card. No ATM fees and no foreign transaction fees.
Make sure you experience both the rainy and dry season.

Vstrahl
  7/9/2017 09:29 EST

Have you purchased healthcare insurance, or do you pay as you go?
thanks,
Val

Seargent
  7/10/2017 12:05 EST

Hello Sherry,
Was just reading your post and was wondering how far have you gone into planing. I also have a 5 yr plan( at least I think I do or is it I hope?) . Am still working like a mule and investing as much as I can on my 401k so I can retire at 57( 2022 is my goal) . Will like to exchange ideas and possibilities with you on f you don't mind as it looks like we have the same time frame for retirement. We may be able to piggy back each other on searches, ideas, plans etc. one advantage I have is that am fluent in Spanish and I travel the world with the military so I have that going for me but the rest is a mistery if you know what I mean. My email is [email protected]
And my name is Joewy ( every one knows best by Searg or seargent )
I hope we can help each other for out.

Later!

sealodgeg9
  7/10/2017 15:57 EST

To Vstrahl,
Yes, we have health insurance.

Lastest info listed here on our blog:

http://latitudeadjustmentblog.com/

jazzyo2k
  7/10/2017 16:14 EST

hI Val,

Good to finally see you out on the site! How was your stay or are you still there? If so, I'm jealous(Smile). Hope you enjoyed your stay as much as I did!

Take care, still available just PM me.

jazzyo2k

Vstrahl
  7/10/2017 16:38 EST

Hi: No, I won't be there until December. ;)

Fcowart
  7/16/2017 10:51 EST

hi dear, we are living in Panama now, it is a beautiful place, if you ca afford 3000$ a month or less it is fine, a lot of Americans here, Coronado beach is save but you can fine some other places, stay in a safe area until you see want you want, the city is toooooo busy, you wont like it, Picasso in Coronado is a good place to meet expats, if you can afford 300$ a month in electricity bill then is ok, you can call me 011-507-67989066 Leonard Cowart, we have a beach house, but going back to the USA soon

panamajames
  7/16/2017 13:39 EST

We live on $2000 a month here in the West. No air conditioning or heating. Utility bills are $40 and under a month. I have a lot of electronic gadgets and 220 dryer and burn lots of electricity. I was thinking of wind and solar but it would take too long to pay for itself. Coronado is an expensive beach community that I would have no interest in. I love the mountains and rain forests........To each his own. When my kids come for a visit, the Pacific ocean beach is an hour away. Pack a lunch and before we know it, we are on a sandy beach and splashing in the waves. Quite a lifestyle to have the best of both worlds. Live in an average temperature of 70 degrees (80 in daytime and 60 overnight) and get to the beach where it is 90 or 95 degrees in an hour. Can't beat the lifestyle.

trippinbilly23
  7/22/2017 15:35 EST

Thanks for the info. We are looking forward to our visit to Panama in October. We plan to retire in 4 years. Panama is on the list of places we are visiting.

Chermi1011
  7/22/2017 15:42 EST

@PanamaJames

You must be living where we're moving to... we love the mountains and the rainforest areas above David. Can hardly wait to get there in September!

panamajames
  7/23/2017 11:14 EST

Yes we love the mountains and rainforests near David. It is a most perfect lifestyle retirement choice that we made. But we still do a world of travel looking for a better place. Just haven't found one yet. We first set foot here in 2004 but we keep looking for something better. So that is a good indication that we may have found the best place ever.

aquaticsquirrel
  7/23/2017 12:32 EST

David looks too hot to me. I'm planning to move to Boguete. And what about Ecuador? Have you checked out that country yet?

panamajames
  7/23/2017 13:17 EST

I checked out Ecuador recently and although Cuenca is my third most favorite place in the world, it is still number 3 in my books. Everyone has their individual likes and dislikes. You have to pinpoint yours.

sealodgeg9
  7/23/2017 13:20 EST

Check out the Ecuador forum. Great info there.

ranadelnorte
  7/23/2017 14:47 EST

To compare Ecuador to Panama: Ecuador's economic growth rate is puny by comparison to Panama's. The economy is heavily dependent on oil exports. Oil prices are very depressed these days. It is less developed, poorer, and there is a greater difference between the haves and the have nots than in Panama. There is less political stability, and greater exchange rate risks. I have no experience in how easy or expensive it is to acquire permanent residency there.

Cuenca is in an earthquake zone, and it is far away from everything. Despite the great natural beauty of the country, and interesting culture and history, I wouldn't pick Ecuador to live out my golden years, based on having lived and worked in Quito.

kimbattlincoln
  7/23/2017 16:51 EST

We took a car and explored the majority of Ecuador. We were told to stay off the beach after six pm, one hotel manager insisted we be escorted downtown for dinner due to high crime, there were armed guards at all the nice restaurants in Quito and they had to let you in. Plus my husband got mugged for his camera. We met a group of 12 young adults and they said only two of their group were returning with their cell phones and cameras due to muggings. A couple of them were told to lie in a ditch at gunpoint while they were robbed. Yes, Cuenca is awesome. A nice Boquete-type city in the midst of a country that has tremendous poverty. But at 65, do I want to live in a city where I cannot leave to explore due to fear of crime? No, not me, not mi esposo.

kimbattlincoln
  7/23/2017 16:52 EST

We took a car and explored the majority of Ecuador. We were told to stay off the beach after six pm, one hotel manager insisted we be escorted downtown for dinner due to high crime, there were armed guards at all the nice restaurants in Quito and they had to let you in. Plus my husband got mugged for his camera. We met a group of 12 young adults and they said only two of their group were returning with their cell phones and cameras due to muggings. A couple of them were told to lie in a ditch at gunpoint while they were robbed. Yes, Cuenca is awesome. A nice Boquete-type city in the midst of a country that has tremendous poverty. But at 65, do I want to live in a city where I cannot leave to explore due to fear of crime? No, not me, not mi esposo.

bluewind
  7/23/2017 18:22 EST

There in lies the problem. I have visited several Latin American countries and loved it. Met many nice people. Had a good time. Beautiful countries. But at 67 years old, the idea of having to be careful where I go or have to be home by a certain time due to safety just doesn't appeal to me as a retired person.
Someone from Nicaragua posted me a while ago and told me that if you are retired and especially single, CA is not a good move unless you have family or friends there. Makes sense.
Western Europe seems a better fit for a retirement destination. No offense to CA, but it is what it is.

SunsetSteve
  7/23/2017 20:08 EST

Except what is "CA"?

SAY
  7/24/2017 09:11 EST

So, Bluewind,

If you don't live here and don't intend to be here, what is the point of being on this Panama forum?

Gmancopecito
  7/24/2017 09:17 EST

Amen. You are a smart person!!! God bless you.

Gmancopecito
  7/24/2017 09:19 EST

Very smart!! Stay where you are
Safe!

augieman
  7/24/2017 10:05 EST

Where is CA.
I live in CA .lifornia
You could do worse.........

Panama2017
  7/24/2017 10:12 EST

Let's assume that CA is Central America.

SunsetSteve
  7/24/2017 13:59 EST

D'oh!

panamajames
  7/24/2017 16:35 EST

CA is short form for Canada, California, and Central America. Take your pick.

JonCates
  7/24/2017 20:58 EST

P J. IS ALIVE!! HA MO
PEEPS N. CALI. THAN. CANADA
SO. CA. IS. CALI!!!

volcan357
  7/24/2017 22:12 EST

If you wish to retire to a Spanish speaking country in tropical America there are a number of choices. I would consider Ecuador, Colombia, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic in addition to Panama. Maybe even Costa Rica although it has gotten too expensive in my opinion. And many Americans retire to Mexico like they always have been the violence there scares me a bit. Anyhow there are lots of choices and even within Panama itself there are various choices. Renting small apartments through airbnb for several weeks at a time in different locations helps give you give an idea of how it might be to live in different locations. I think dealing with Latin American style red tape is pretty similar no matter what country you choose. At least that has been my experience.

Terrymcq
  7/25/2017 16:12 EST

Very good idea, I hope admin is seeing this and can incorporate logical simplification.

tracy7211
  9/13/2017 19:22 EST

Hi Panamajames,

I am very interested in checking out the mountain and rain forest areas. I am also not interested in living in PC. But I am worried about how reliable water, electricity, internet and cable TV are and availability? Can you please give me any information about this in your area. Also can you recommend great areas to live (city, communities). Thank you so much.

panamajames
  9/14/2017 02:54 EST

Let me tell you a little bit about Boquete. I first arrived here in 2004 and we could get a half a meg of internet, 512k, for the same price that we now get 100 meg for. Big improvement. We have Cable TV for our rental apartments with the top tier package and the most English channels. I also put those Internet Protocol Boxes in the apartments as well, so that people can surf using the big screen and a keyboard and mouse. I don't personally have a Cable TV box because when I want to watch some TV, I have my computer hooked up to my big screen and I tune in to something of interest. Water dropped out once a week and sometimes for a day in the old days. We smartened up and bought 2 big water storage tanks, kept our milk jugs for toilet water, saved rainwater, and got some Vodka bottles thanks to a heavy drinking neighbor or ours, and used them for filtered water storage. If the water goes out now, we never know about it. We are prepared for any water problem that might occur. Very few water outages lately. In the last year, Boquete has been digging up the roads and putting in sewers and a water treatment plant, so it will be soon just like anywhere USA. Probably better. The power blips out once or twice a week for usually 5 minutes or so. We have UPS's hooked up to all our important electronics for protection and to keep the power on when we have blips. We used to have some big blackouts for a day or more in the early days. Not anymore. They must have some better equipment. We still keep a collection of matches, candles, flashlights and emergency light boxes that will light up your room when the power is out. Some people get generators, but a few power outages now and again for short periods, is not a big enough problem for us to worry about. I get to read by candlelight once or twice a week and it's nice. I actually look forward to it. Got a book that is taking forever to get through. As for other places in the mountains and rainforests, I would recommend Volcan. Just like Boquete but perhaps more rural and farm like. They have a hospital and all we have is a polyclinica, at least so far. I like their Romeros better than our Romeros grocery story, but we just got a new Super Baru grocery store and it is very impressive. There is a new convention center slated for Boquete and lots of communities in all price ranges and expats or locals or both are living there. We have a Tuesday market 9 to noon every week and I will be that if we have 2000 expats in our district, that most of them visit it and socialize. We are 3500 to 4500 feet in Boquete and Volcan so the temperatures are averaging 70 with highs of 80 and lows of 60 overnight year round. It's not swimming weather but we are an hour away from dipping our toes in the ocean and the typical 95 degree weather ocean side. The air is clean and pure of pollution. You can drink the water from the rainforest streams. I have always been a hiker, so it is really a beautiful place to spend time in the mountains and because we get rain for 7 months of the year in the afternoon, it stays very green most of the time, and the flowers and trees love it. More birds than I have ever seen. No homeless people. Boquete and Volcan are the bread baskets of Panama so lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Some people say that it is cold, but I have bananas, limes, lemons and oranges growing in my backyard, so it's not cold, but it might be considered fresh. I have never seen my breath in the mornings, ever, since I left North America, so to me, the weather is perfect. I love to visit Volcan but Boquete is home for me. El Valle at about 1500 feet is considered mountainous as well, and cooler than Panama City. Those are the big three, Boquete, Volcan and El Valle......There are a few other places that are hilly but nothing significant.......thanks for asking..........Y'all come and visit us sometime........

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