At the end of October, we have made our plans to visit Panama for the first time (we are looking to retire there and want to see the country and get an idea of where we would like to rent first).
So far we have made plans to stay in Coronado at the Solarium Complex. My sister and my 22 year old nephew will be going along for the ride 
This way if they don't want to trek around with us one day, they can enjoy the condo amenities. We found a two bedroom place through TripAdvisor (hotel rooms alone were $150 a night just for the room), and the owner Georgina has been wonderful and so informative. The link for her condo (I hope I am allowed to post this publicly here. I just read the FAQ's and didn't see it state that I couldn't so here goes AND she gave me the go ahead to do so) is below if anyone is interested:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRent … ml#reviews
We are then going to stay at the Marriott Metromall our last full day/night and next day in PC (we have points so read this as FREE). We are renting a car (hopefully a small SUV) and AmEX states that will cover accidents, etc with the insurance we can carry.
I think that's it for now! We hope to drive out of PC (Oh and renting a Garmin with maps for $10/day) to Coronado the first day. Then travel as far as Pedasi on this trip. Boquete and David will have to wait for the next time (OR when we are renting there we can check on housing prices at that time in that area). We want to get to Sora, El Valle, Gordona, Brisas perhaps (?), Punta Chame, Altos del Maria.....who knows until we get there though! Things take longer in Panama, so we could be hallucinating and may just lounge poolside!
Will keep this site posted on what we find!
October trip to Panama
I am sure you will enjoy your trip to Panama. Actually October is the worse month to travel to Panama. Those are most rainy days in Panama. Most of the days overcast and dark. This is not to discourage you, absolutely the opposite:cool:. You will see the weather as bad as you can get and if you can live with that any other months is much better than October and you will enjoy.
All the best
Flavio
Thanks Flavio! We were actually looking to travel next spring but we wanted to get to Panama faster to see if this is really something we want to do or not. And life got in the way of us going in September. But as Carez posted to Sandydreams, I am hoping when it rains, if it has to be everyday, for it to just occur for some hours a day. Wishful thinking I know. I have been told many things, also. I have been told that July, August and September are the worst months. And that the rain comes down hard and fast and then can disappear just as quickly. But just like you said, we will see it at its worst. And we will know that that will be when we come back to the States And perhaps we can dart away from the rain when we are traveling up and down the coast. Just look for the soggy Americans making there way mindlessly through the rain 
Articles to help you in your expat project in Panama
Where you choose to live in Panama in will probably depend largely on your reason for moving to the country. If ...
The real estate market in Panama has been in good health recently, with new properties being built and existing ...
Panama City, the Panamanian capital city, has a large variety of housing options for all tastes. Take the time to ...
It is advisable to seek customs information through the official channels before travelling to Panama. Because ...
Getting married in Panama is relatively easy, even if you are not a resident of the country. The minimum age is ...
Education in Panama is compulsory for children from 6 years. In general, children attend pre-primary school as ...
