Another Central American eco-powerhouse, its rainforests, beaches, canal, and castaway islets are complemented by Panama City, the most dynamic urb in Central America, offering a UNESCO World Heritage colonial quarter, casinos, nightlife, and more.
Unplugged paradise: the San Blas archipelago
Panama of course has no shortage of islands, ravishing beaches, and secluded paradises. But this archipelago of around 365 islands and cays (barely 50 of them inhabited) spread over some 300 square kilometres (100 sq. miles) off the country's Caribbean coast, is a particular standout for its pristine environment. That's in large part because they're part of the province of Guna Yala, autonomously ruled by the Guna people who predate the invasion of this region by the Spanish in 1513 - meaning…
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We are looking for place to spend Jan.-Feb. Expat community or typically local environment. Ideally, a property we can take care of in exchange for reduced rent, but all offers welcome.
So, I reviewed how they rated stuff. In my opinion. they weigh things wrong.. They give a lot of weight to "special benefits" for retirees. One of the reasons Panama scored so high, was what they call a "really great" pensionado program. That my friends is over rated. In four years there asa pensionado, the only thing I ever used my discount for was airfares within the country (it does not apply to intl flites) and hotels. The hotel discounts were somehow not so attractive, I got better rates just booking through hotels.com!
The catagory of purchasing a home...hmmm...in Thailand a foreigner CANNOT own property. You can own a condo, but not land. In Panama, yes you can buy and build, but be careful Real estate scams are numerous, especially on Island properties!
In short, I do not think internationalliving does much international living!
Unless you are lucky, retirement comes with age. The need for good healthcare also comes with age. Outside of Panama city, healthcare is a non-starter. And Panama City is noisy, expensive, and there is a lot of crime.
I am going to cjeck out this internationalliving.com site and see what their criteria is
. I am searching for the best retirement spot myself. I just spent two months in Thailand, and in all the criteria I can name, it is much better than Panama. I notice Chilke is on the list. It would be on mine as well. I lived there for five years.
Here are the top ten, with numerical scores on a scale of 100:
Ecuador - 81
Panama - 80
Mexico - 79
France - 78
Italy - 78
Uruguay - 77
Malta - 76
Chile - 76
Spain - 75
Costa Rica - 75
Would you retire to Panama?