Cynthia Collette moved to Ecuador in 2012 from Minneapolis, Minnesota with five duffle bags and $700. Her monthly income at that time was just $600 a month. Today, she says, “My base income has gone up a bit…to about $725 a month. In the U.S., there’s no way I know of to live on that amount, even extremely frugally.”
If you have time to visit only one world-class, historic city in the coming year, make it Mexico City. Called the “Big Apple” of Latin America and hailed as a “Renaissance city” by nearly every travel publication worth its margarita salt,...
A legendary Latin lover once gave some advice to a younger man. “You cannot make love to every beautiful woman you meet,” he said, “but oh, my son, at least you might try.” I was thinking about this…about love affairs…as I gazed across the rooftops of Casco Viejo, Panama’s historic quarter.
The English-speaking country of Belize has a lot going for it. For a tiny country, it packs a big wallop when it comes to charm and scenery. For the would-be expat—especially if you're looking for real value—there are many areas deserving of your attention.
I am so excited to be returning to Quito this June….I can’t wait, in fact. Ecuador is my very favorite country on the planet. (While I am no longer living in Ecuador full time because of family obligation, I hope to do so again some day in the future.)
It’s time to start planning that trip to Latin America. Whether you’re looking to check out the region’s many retirement hot-spots or just enjoy a laidback, low-cost vacation, there’s no better time than now to travel south of the border.
If you seek the real Mexico—the beating heart that energizes and drives the rest of the country, especially when it comes to fashion, art, music, literature, and (yes, oh yes) food—go directly to Mexico City. Some call it a renaissance city. And I’d have to agree; it’s a city that’s constantly reinventing itself while continually sharpening its edge.
If you retire overseas, owning a home back in North America can be a huge asset. If you want to live abroad only part-time (as a snowbird, for instance), it gives you somewhere to stay when the weather back home improves. Or you may simply want a place to return to on occasional trips. Better yet, that place back home can generate a respectable income if you rent it out while you’re gone, whether you’re away for good or just for a few months each year. This can be a great way to earn some cash on the side—funds that can go even further if you’re living in a low-cost country like Panama or Ecuador.
For many visitors, Baños’s thermal baths are miracle enough. You’ll find several places to soak away to your heart’s content here, in pools of varying degrees of delicious heat. The most popular public baths are right in town at the base of the 260-foot waterfall called Cascada de la Virgen, where Nuestra Señora allegedly once appeared. A shrine there is dedicated to her and her healing waters.
When Gary and Kathryn Kelly, both in their 50s, moved to Ecuador from Sargent, Texas, in 2011, they expected this would be where they spent their retirement years. In Texas, Gary had owned a property tax management company and Kathryn worked as his executive assistant. In Ecuador, they hoped to laze away the days on the beach in front of their home…