Boquete is the premier expat and retiree destination in the highlands of Panama. The name applies to both the small hamlet resting in an ancient volcanic formation and to the larger surrounding district, home to about 25,000 residents. It’s located in Chiriquí Province in western Panama, not far from the border with Costa Rica, on the eastern-facing side of Volcan Baru, Panama's highest peak (11,400 feet) and only volcano.
When I think of country living in Panama, I think of Volcán in Chiriquí Province. It’s one of my favorite places in Panama and offers the ideal blend of rural lifestyle in a small-town setting. Barú Volcano, which gives the town its name, looms to the east and Cerro Punta, where most of Panama’s produce is grown, rises to the north. The town rests at about 4,600 feet in a sloping valley facing toward the Costa Rica border. The open sky is clear blue this time of year. Blooming bougainvillea bushes of bright magenta and deep purple add a splash of color amid the pine trees.
With the coming of fall, my family and friends in the States find themselves thinking of the long, cold winter approaching. It's not just the ice and snow they have to cope with, but the enormous heating bills, and not being able to enjoy the outdoors. But not me...living in Panama I don't ever have a heating bill and I haven't seen snow in years. The great outdoors is my playground all year round here in the Chiriqui province of western Panama. And that includes being able to go to the beach anytime I want.
"I have always wanted to live abroad. In my family of four I'm the most adventurous one, yet I was the only one who had not made an international move," Karen Walter says. "David in Panama's Chiriqui Province is exactly what I was looking for." "After 10 years I had grown tired of Arizona, and the time was right to end my career in social work and fostering challenged children," she says. "I was fed up with the bureaucracy of the child welfare system, and I didn't expect that to improve.
The road leading to the town of Santa Fe de Veraguas climbs gently and steadily up the slopes of the Continental Divide, winding past cattle ranches, jungled hillsides and gurgling rivers. The bright blue roof of the Catholic church in the middle of town is one of the first sights you see. This church marks the center of town. Around it you'll find a soccer pitch, a shaded plaza with benches and a gazebo, and small stores and businesses along the main street.
The drive from my hometown of David west to the town of Volcan in Chiriquí Province is one of my favorite scenic routes in all of Panama. I pass cattle pastures, dairy farms, horse stables, and chicken farms framed by rolling green hills. At certain vantage points I look out over the landscape and can see all the way to the Pacific coast. Colorful flowers and a surprising variety of trees and foliage decorate the roadway as I wind my way up the slope of the mountain.
Cost of living is one of the major concerns for many retirees considering a move overseas. It’s one of the reasons my husband and I chose to settle in David, the capital of Chiriqui Province in western Panama. Life here is not only pleasant, relaxed, and fun, but super affordable. We average about $1,500 a month for our living expenses. Here is a typical monthly budget for myself and my husband:
If you’ve been researching places around the world to retire, you may have noticed that Panama keeps showing up in lists of top spots. And with good reason. I’ve been living in Chiriquí Province in western Panama for the past six years. So I can tell you, there are plenty of reasons why Panama keeps taking those high honors.
There are plenty of reasons to retire to Panama, and several reasons I love being a retiree in Chiriqui Province. What are they? Well, there’s the weather and the natural surroundings, the variety of fun things to do, and to top it all off, the low cost of living. In the city of David, where I live, a couple can live very comfortably on just $1,500 a month—including rent. The quality of life you get for that amount is hard to beat.
If you fancy the rural lifestyle—unbothered by traffic and hurry—but with all of the conveniences of a city close by, there’s a location in Panama that should be on your radar. In the highlands of the Veraguas Province in west-central Panama, you’ll find Santa Fe. It’s a small town that offers all the beauty and comfort of the rainforest, fresh produce from the fertile volcanic soils, and an easygoing lifestyle of bygone days in the States. Nearby, in the lowlands, you’ll find the city of Santiago—and all the convenience and variety of a small city. That includes plenty of shopping and all the options for entertainment and indulgence you could crave. Though only about an hour apart by road, these two are worlds apart in character.