Toucans and macaws glide around the lush jungle canopy and scores of monkeys parade through the overhanging branches. Neon-green and electric-blue butterflies of preposterous sizes flit across gurgling streams, while waterfalls drop into deep pools. Welcome to one of my favorites among Ecuador’s secret spots…a place hidden in the east of the country, where indigenous shamans still perform timeless rituals and a small number of adventurous expats have found new lives surrounded by nature.

Splashing my feet in the salty waves, I gaze out at the blue horizon. The late-afternoon air is pleasantly warm—in the low 80s F—and before me stretches the blue Caribbean. Behind me is the seaside bar where I’ve had a late lunch, the chatter of voices reaching me where I stand in the sand. But—unusual for my beach trips—the chatter is mostly in English.

Mexico is set to become a developed country. Right now, this “investors’ darling” is entering the end game of decades of change, which will culminate in a fast-paced “convergence” with its powerhouse neighbor to the north. The idea of convergence is a simple one. Over time, forces will reduce great disparities.

Puerto Rico’s Stunning New Tax Advantages U.S. citizens and permanent residents have only limited opportunities for going abroad to reduce their taxes.

The fine-wine market offers the potential for solid and sustained growth, but choosing the right investment vehicle can be difficult. There’s a mystique around wine investing, an aura of impenetrability often reinforced by insiders eager to whet the appetites of novice investors.

Growing up in a small farming community in Nebraska, I had always been interested in growing food,” says Ron Miller. “And when I was older, I saw a display of how food would be grown in the future and fish would be farmed. That inspired a vision of what it would be like to grow veggies and raise tilapia fish.”

Though the inn is small, just nine rooms, Mieke and Bill like to be onsite as much as possible, helping guests organize tours and transport and answering all kinds of questions about Panama. “We absolutely love this part of Panama City,” says Mieke of the Balboa area. Located in the capital’s Ancón district, this area is a world away from the city skyscrapers.

Costa Rica is one country that may truly have it all: A year-round tropical climate, modern cities, Caribbean beaches, Pacific coastline, rainforests, lush valleys, and majestic mountains. With its slower pace of living, warm, welcoming climate, healthy, fresh foods and reputation as one of the “greenest, cleanest” countries in the world with little pollution…it’s no wonder Costa Ricans are considered the “happiest people on the planet.”