The Best Secret Wineries on Spain’s Costa Brava
I lived for 20 years in California’s Anderson Valley, where I owned an olive oil company and rubbed shoulders with many vintners in the area. I know good wine when I taste it.
Where to Find the Comforts and Warmth of Small-Town Living
In the U.S., small towns are dying. Once lively streets where people stopped to talk while picking up groceries or making deliveries are gradually fading into history. But the ache for that sense of community is as strong as ever—for neighbors you know, for a gentler existence based on strong ties and personal relationships.
In this issue we introduce you to the folks who have discovered that all the warmth of small-town life is out there waiting…overseas.
Growing up in west Georgia, Tony Boatright had a Huckleberry Finn fantasy of floating down the Chattahoochee River to the ocean and finding a tropical paradise. Now, 40 years later, Tony’s finally found it in Penonomé, Panama. “It’s just like where I grew up, the church is the focal point for festivals, store owners live above their businesses, and it’s got a small-town atmosphere.”
Judith Laroue made her home close to the beach in a small Nicaraguan town . “It’s easy to meet other expats and develop friendships quickly. I can walk everywhere I want to and it keeps me healthy.”
In Costa Rica’s Central Valley, 60-year-old Robert Reed enjoys hiking in the cloud forest near the house he rents for $300 a month. He eats many of his meals at the local restaurant run by Walter. The place is called Cero Estrés (Zero Stress) which just about sums up life in the town. “I’m happier than I’ve been since I was a kid.”
About a year ago I was talking with our Ecuador correspondents, Wendy Dechambeau and Jim Santos. It occurred to us that Ecuador’s small towns were drawing expats in droves for all the obvious reasons: low costs, a healthy lifestyle, and good weather. But that there was something else, too. These small towns had what was being lost in the U.S. A strong sense of community, warm greetings, mom-and-pop stores, farmers’ markets…and thus our “best small towns in Ecuador” project was born. The guys have been scouting the country for 12 months or so…and here they reveal their findings.
—Eoin Basset, International Executive Editor
Retire Rich on $1,680 a Month—or Less
No matter what your budget, in the best-value destinations around the world, your dollars really stretch. And that means you have great options for improving your lifestyle while shoring up your retirement…
Rent in Europe and Learn a New Language This Summer
When it comes to learning a language, the best way is to immerse yourself among native speakers. And what better way to do that than go right to the source? This summer you could rent a place in Europe to learn Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian…even Gaelic.
The Easy Retirement Upgrade: Move Overseas
Over the past couple of years, something remarkable—and unsettling—has happened to the middle class in the U.S. A Pew Research Center analysis of government data shows that, after nearly 40 years as the majority economic class in the U.S., the middle class in 2015 became smaller than the economic classes above it and below it.
Download Your March 2017 PDF Here
Did you know you can download and read your entire March issue as a PDF? Simply click on the link below and discover the secrets to retiring and investing overseas.