Wide roads that curve the length of the tiny island, crisscrossing here and there, stretch out in front of you. Drive in any direction and you’ll see low, whitewashed homes stark against the charcoal grey of the volcanic ash.
Colette Holmes and her husband, Nick, weren’t initially planning to move from Los Angeles to the Pacific beach town of Tamarindo, Costa Rica. “We came because Nick was a baseball coach,” Colette explains. “It was just a seasonal job. But after spending a little time here, we decided that we wanted to make a life in Costa Rica. We wanted a different life—a bit slower, a bit simpler.” Today, life is a lot different than the stress of the restaurant trade Colette used to work in. Instead of being assaulted by noise and rushing servers, she spends her days in more serene surroundings among Costa Rica’s exotic, colorful flowers.
Picture waking up to the sound of the Pacific Ocean crashing against the rocks outside, the sun bursting through your windows, warming your skin, and the fresh, clean, salt air filling your lungs as you step onto your balcony to survey the scene below.
I can't give you one good reason why Americans and Canadians are coming in droves to Ecuador...because there are dozens of very good reasons. There are so many that I can't list them all here...but based on a recent trip there, I can tell you what some of the best reasons to live in Ecuador are.
Out of all the countries International Living writes about, one in particular shines. It’s topped our Global Retirement Index—our pick of the 22 best countries to retire in the world—five years in a row...has a temperate climate year-round...offers a higher quality of life at an affordable price (cost of living can be as low as $900 a month)...and has a city, town or village to suit every taste or budget.
It’s not difficult to see why so many expats are drawn to El Valle, Panama, a mountain town built in the crater of an extinct volcano.
This is the Caribbean as it should be—clean, white-sand beaches; the freshest fruits and seafood; colorful wildlife; and smiling, laid-back locals.
The market opens daily, but Sunday is when it’s at its busiest with buses bringing tourists to check out the bargains on offer. But after the last vacationer leaves at 5 p.m., the town returns to its usual state: quiet, easy and relaxed.
Imagine, for a moment, waking up to the sun bursting through a canopy of leaves... the song of tropical birds the only sound piercing the stillness of the morning air....
This is the Caribbean as it should be—clean, white-sand beaches; the freshest fruits and seafood; colorful wildlife; and smiling, laid-back locals.