Every day, Gretchen and Jon awake to the intense blue of the Pacific Ocean. It glistens outside their massive bayside windows. They take their coffee on the balcony, where they enjoy the cool breeze and soft morning sunlight.
Recent changes in Panama immigration law had some potential expats worried. It looked as if a Forestry Investor Visa would come only with a hefty six-figure outlay for a large tract of land.
Where in Panama can you find high-speed Internet, big malls and shops, and excellent hospitals? One answer is Panama City…but that’s not your only option.
The bargain-beautiful Panama we’ve been writing about for years is alive and well…especially in Las Tablas. This little colonial town differs from hot retirement destinations like Panama City, Boquete, or Bocas del Toro. It’s in an area surrounded by farms and ranches, and that makes the climate, the landscapes, and the people unique.
With altitudes from 1,200 to 3,400 feet, Sora is a settlement in the mountains of Chame in Panama, first populated centuries ago by the tribes of the Caribs. Its location is unbeatable. Unlike the popular retirement destination of Boquete, Sora is just 60 miles—about an hour-and-a-half by car—from Panama City. It’s also 45 minutes from some of Panama’s best Pacific beaches, known as the “dry arch” beaches because they get less rain than the rest of the country. The area is verdant with mountain views that rival those in Boquete—a town that has become a success-story since expats began flocking there some years ago. This is one of the reasons we think property prices will appreciate here.
Last week, I received a note from a reader who was searching for a second home in Latin America: “…of course I’ve eliminated Panama from my list,” he writes, “since everyone knows it’s become too expensive. I had my sights set on Panama for years, but from what I hear, I don’t think I can afford it anymore.”
Jon and Gretchen Nickel’s story starts with International Living. Jon says Panama’s retiree benefits (the pensionado program) caught his eye, as did the climate, dollar-based economy, and coastal areas. “We knew we wanted warm weather and a place close to the water,” Jon says, adding that the cost of living was also a primary consideration.
A motorcycle-loving, rock-n-rolling free spirit...and honorary Ecuadorian. That about sums up Mike Sager, an expat whose tale began some 10 years ago, in his hometown of Huntington Beach, California. It was from here that Mike embarked on a quest—to forge a new life far from the masses that had crowded once-verdant Orange County.
Scott Taylor grew up in Carlsbad, California, and lived there his entire life. It’s a great place to live—just outside San Diego, the “city of perfect weather”—the kind of place you just don’t leave. But Scott is leaving this idyllic town in search of an ideal of his own…he is moving to Panama. “I have long dreamt of the quality, inexpensive lifestyle of the tropics. Great food, beautiful beaches, friendly people, and the kind of low-cost living that can no longer be found in California,” Scott tells me.
You can cut your monthly cost of living by 35%, 50%, or even more in Latin America. Find out where you can get the best savings.