The Best of Beach and City in Miraflores, Peru
I am back in Miraflores—my magical, happy place—500 yards from the Pacific Ocean. Miraflores, which means “Look at Flowers,” is one of 43 districts in Lima, the Garden City of Peru...
What Makes Panama One Of The World’s Greatest Retirement Destinations?
Morning is the best time to visit Ancón Hill, the highest point in Panama City. Soaring skyscrapers overlook the glittering Pacific, while beneath you lies the appealing colonial quarter.
All around you is lush greenery, orchids, and birdsong. On the way up to your vantage point, you’ll have passed the old residences of U.S. military officers once tasked with controlling the Panama Canal.
I climbed Ancón Hill a few years back, when I spent three months embedded among the expat communities of Panama. (See a photo I took from the top here.) Making friends was easy. Getting around was easy. In fact, everything was pretty easy. That’s Panama.
I tried out city living and hung around with IL Panama Editor Jessica Ramesch, who wrote this month’s feature story on Panama’s best retirement havens.
I beach bummed in Coronado, Bocas del Toro, and the town of Pedasí—my personal favorite when it comes to the country’s beach destinations. Along with a rich Spanish heritage and near-deserted beaches, Pedasí offers some of the best sports fishing anywhere. Days trolling for tuna in a 20-foot panga were followed by beers in Smiley’s, where the welcoming expats hang out. (If fishing is your thing, check out my friend Scott Hed talking about bucket-list fishing in Latin America.)
Mountains run the length of Panama and the cooler spring-like temperatures make towns like Boquete and Volcán, in Chiriquí province, and the hamlet of Santa Fe, in Veraguas province, popular spots with expats. I liked the amenities Boquete offered, with lots of social activities, clubs, and groups. I found Santa Fe to be Eden-like, full of hummingbirds and tropical flora.
Beyond the laidback lifestyles and the best retirement program in the world, right now you’ll also find opportunities to invest wisely and profit well in real estate. Long before I visited Panama, another friend, real estate guru Ronan McMahon, was there as the real estate market was kicking up a gear. That was 2004, and now Ronan has again uncovered opportunity…as he reveals here.
Eoin Bassett, International Executive Editor
Authentic, Affordable Living in Oaxaca, Mexico’s Southern Jewel
As the sun drops low, the cool evening breeze carries the rich sounds of a brass band from across the broad, historic square. Small, hand-pushed...
Panama’s Best: Tropical Beaches, Mountain Towns, and City Convenience: Part One
The summer sun is shining bright, and the sky is a deep, cornflower blue. I take my time walking along the Bay of Panama, enjoying the ocean breeze...
Panama’s Best: Tropical Beaches, Mountain Towns, and City Convenience: Part Two
On Panama’s Pacific coast, the Coronado region is home to a string of little towns and beaches. Here, the once-sleepy beach town of Coronado is the region’s bustling, convenient hub...
Is It Time to Buy in Panama City Again?
Way back in 2004, Panama City was a must-buy for me. The real estate market was just kicking up a gear. It was entering a new wave of development...
Three Off-the-Radar Investments to Consider
Some of the best opportunities to profit are in places you've probably never thought of. For the past 25 years, I've been exploring and analyzing global...
Stress-Free Business on the Beach in Panama
Healthy and happy, Thomas Hardin inhales the salty sea breeze of Playa La Barqueta, Panama, and smiles. "I've never regretted one day of living in Panama,” Tom says...
A Dual Career in Coastal Portugal
Michael J. Day zeroed in on Portugal as his overseas retreat because it offered him much of what he loved about living on the U.S. West Coast. “It has hiking...
Marlin, Sailfish, Tarpon: Bucket-List Fishing in Latin America
As I’m an avid sport fisherman, our new home base in Granada, Nicaragua, has provided a very nice added benefit. With the lower cost of living and proximity to some great fishing, my wife Nicki and I have more opportunities to expand our fishing horizons...
Three Days to Transform Your Retirement
In all sorts of beautiful, welcoming, good-weather communities dotting the globe from Latin America to Southeast Asia to Europe…you can spend less but live better. We’d like to show you how…at International Living’s Fast Track Your Retirement...