Panama Insider Articles Archives

In 2018 Panama is expected to outperform all other Central American countries as well as many in South America.

Along with a better climate, I was looking for a place that offered a slower pace of life, and allowed me to do volunteer work. All those requirements were met in Bocas del Toro.

My wife, Johanne, and I woke on a lovely morning with blue skies and a warm breeze. With freshly brewed Panamanian coffee poured, we sat outside by the pool and plotted our activities for the day.

“Living here made me a much better person, where I’m challenged by those around me to be the person I was meant to be,” says Maryland native Linda Sherman of her new home of Boquete, Panama.

In 2005, when our friend told my wife and me that he had purchased beachfront property in Panama, I thought he was crazy. After several months of research, I decided that not only was he a genius, but I joined him as his next-door neighbor in the beach community of La Barqueta.

magine a life lived outdoors…surrounded by lush green rainforest and breathing brisk mountain air. With sunny mornings, afternoon showers, and clear skies again at sunset. Temperatures never fall below 65 F and rarely climb above 85 F. Five-minute walks to a park-side café that serves some of the best coffee in the world for $1.55 a cup.

Harry Brouard retired early, moving from his home in New Jersey to Florida. But moving to Florida wasn’t quite enough, he felt that he still needed more.

“Bird heaven.” It’s often the first phrase that comes to mind when I’m in the El Valle region, just two hours by car from Panama City.

It’s late afternoon, and the surfers are making their way on to the shore. I’ve been working and enjoying the view from under a restaurant’s thatched roof. The light turns to gold and the sand a burnished bronze. Time to put the laptop away. Moments later I’m sipping a cold ale and downing today’s catch—tuna, served raw over a sesame salad.

Colorful birds swoop in and out of the trees of the rainforest landscape. Combined with a blue sky, it makes a soothing palette—perfect for days that flow like honey, slow and sweet. We sit on the large terrace, sipping wine and chatting about life in small, sleepy El Valle, Panama.