looking at a possible retirement destination in Panama

Hello knute,

Welcome to Expat.com. 

I created a thread from your post from the in 'new members topic' which would provide your query with more visibity.

Thank you,
Gavind.
Expat.com Team.

Hi Knute,

I too have picked Panama as a top contender of which country I will retire to.  Panama has a lot of incentives for retirees.. There is a lady that wrote about her experience of moving to Boquete and I was very impressed as the ease compared to other countries.  I am a Canadian, and I was thinking of Cuba, but that soon passed as I tried to investigate and the all the red tape one has to go around and around and then it can only be for 6 months..  I will have to off saving for 3 more years until I am 65 and qualify for my Canadian Pensions.  I don't want to wait 3 more years, as winters seem to be getting colder, longer and just plain miserable..so I thought if I can find a place cheap enough, I could go now.. as soon as I sell some property..

I have done lots of research on Boquete, it seems perfect.  The climate/temperature mid 70's all year, fresh mountain water.. of the 20K population 3K are expats.  That says a lot to me that so many are moving there.  Some other areas could be very hot.   I read a Blog by a woman named Holly.. I'm sure it was on this site of her and her husbands move to Boguete.. and she mentioned all the incentives to retirees to move there.. 50% off airfare, no property tax for 20 years, 50%off hotels, drugs, and there was something about 50% off first container of goods sent down.  I plan on moving light, but some things that are hard to purchase there I will send.   

I like you did not want to go into a gated community.. In fact of was thinking of purchasing something but I will rent until I know the lay of the land, make sure I like it.  The expat community there is very close...they started a theatre group, built a new library, have several clubs etc.  So it sounds like one need not be lonely.. I don't speak Spanish either, but they have Spanish lessons at local schools. 

I know people who went to Equador, but are in a gated community.  They love it there..and would never move back to the North American climate and weather.  I am not worried about crime.. I figure here in Canada it is getting pretty bad.  In Boquete they said is some house break ins, therefore most people have bars on windows and doors.. I could live with that.

Anyway I am trying to connect with other who are planning on expatriating in not so distant future.. it gives me courage to think others are brave enough to do it, especially being single.  When I tell folks here, they think I am nuts.. but I want to enjoy my retirement years.. I think there are several single people amongst the expats in Boquote.  I have watched Youtube videos done by people living there. camera's on their helmets as they moped around. Groups who have moved. 

If you would like to share info.. how, where to's, who to contact,  that sort of thing please stay in touch.. would love to share.

Livineasy4life

If I wanted to live with bars on my windows,I would move to Detroit.

We visited Panama for a month in January to investigate conditions for possible retirement, spending the bulk of our time in Boquete. We also spent a few days in Bocas del Toro on the Carribean side and made two day-trips to the Pacific beaches south of David, about 1.5 hours from Boquete.  We both agreed that the steaming hot temps on the tropical coasts were nice to visit but for us, unliveable. The sun is so hot you cannot get out and enjoy it. You need to stay under shade most of the time, and air-conditioning would be a must.

Boquete climate, on the other hand, was like the middle porridge in Goldilocks - a bit of cool, lots of warmth, never too hot to enjoy being outside. None of the energy-sapping tropical heat, and just enough of a light rainfall now and then to keep things fresh.  You can choose to live in town, in the country nearby, or in a gated community. We felt as secure as we do at home in small-town Canada, and more so than in many US locations.  The people there< both native and ex_pat (or "immigrant"?) were open and friendly in a relaxed and accepting way. Almost everyone greets you with a smile or a nod.

There doesn't seem to be an abundance of rental housing stock.

We just moved to Boquete.
You can check out our Blog:

thepazeras.wordpress.com

Cheers,
John & Susan

What "fees"?

Hy
could you see about Volcán área...is a nice place at the mountains.
lk

We checked it out. Seriously lacking in charm IMO, stretched out along the highways as it is with no central "heart".

check out "altos del maria" it's great

Hi.....Your timetable looks to be a little sooner than I...But there are many times when I think I should speed it up myself. Being single I too was curious about the make-up of the ex-pat community. I hope to keep the place I built here on Fidalgo Island ( outside Anacortes ) and lease it out . I have this old fashioned notion of leaving something to give my kid a leg up...remember when people didn't have "Reverse Mortgages"?. I'd like to become a member of the community as long as I do have my refuge to go back too where I can play guitar on a deck. A deck with some kinda view is important....and its doesn't look hard to find there from what I see. America is just getting too weird for me now..I don't trust my own government., and its not looking to improve. The 1% have already told us its either a Clinton or another ( Gawd I can't believe it ) Bush. Both choices keep the status quo going as it is, making wars for business and screwing the middle class......ooops...Boy I musta seen a soap box to hop on..But its not a good feeling to feel ashamed of your own country and somedays I think I should escape sooner than later. Most of my retirement income will be a social sec. check...I too plan to learn Spanish and some while still up hear...a friend has a copy of Rosetta Stone for that. I'd like to keep contact with future ex-pat friends..will just make the transition all the less foreboding - right ?

I'm feeling the same way about the U.S. and I NEVER thought I would EVER say that. I have always been so proud of my country, but all the people want to do is argue and fight, the Congress wants to do nothing, and the President's loyalties are questionable. People are no longer neighborly, you can't even go to Walmart without being accosted, molested, or shot. It literally brings me to tears anymore, to see how illegals  and politicians have destroyed this wonderful nation. They didn't come for a better life, they came to tear down what our forefathers and veterans gave their lives to build. I hope to travel to Panama soon and, hopefully, it will live up to all the positive comments on the blogs I have read. I know nowhere is "perfect", but it sure sounds better than what the U.S. is offering right now.

I agree.

Pass on Coronado- not particularly cheap, spread out and the beach is not easy to access. You can live in coastal FL or any state on the gulf coast for around the same cost.  Visited there and Panama City which I liked - but we are talking retirement here so in the city- there was no savings evident

please provide full details ...

you got mail

@ Guayacan - you never replied

Thanks Steve!
Good luck with your move.
If you have any questions let us know.

Cheers

Hello all

I remind you all please that, for all adverts concerning sales or rentals you have may, to drop the latter in the required section of the site : Housing in Panama

Thank you

Kenjee

For anyone thinking about Boquete, follow the community forum  www.boquete.ning.com/forum

You will see info from expats on Boquete and David.  Some info is quite interesting.

True. Bars on the windows in El Paso were required in order to get home owners insurance by most carriers in the 90s

Hi. I am a Venezuelan living in Venezuela. I am one of the few who do not want to leave my country, but I may be forced to. I would like to know if Boquete or any other similar area is close to sumermarkets, drugstores, etc, and also hospitals or private clinics, since my mother is quite old now.
I would also appreciate any advice about other areas, like middle class, professional, reasonable safe. Not necessarily elegant or fancy.

Boquete has one large supermarket and a number of smaller ones. It is a 40 minute drive down a 4 lane hey to David a major city with everything you need or want.

Thank you. And what about David? Is it too hot there? From what I am reading,  I am thinking that Boquete is becoming too conspicuous for thieves because they know Americans live there.

Too hot for me in David . . .  but I think the worry over thieves is overblown. You need to take sensible precautions everywhere, especially where there is an obvious wealth disparity. The more local you present the less likely to be targetted by thieves of opportunity. Then again, do you really have that much that you will be devastated to lose it?

I am hoping to find something attractive half way between David and Boquete. Better temps, less costly, but also less pretty.

hi, i would check out el limon, quite small community, 20 min. from major super mercados, medical clinic 10 min. away and 40 min, from panama city. and beautiful views.

check out Altos del Maria.  gated????  well, sorta.

What is the climate in El Limon?

Thinking in your direction! Looking and wanting! Boquete seems perfect to me. Need to find more info. I agree with renting first. How do you find expat communities? Please share. Thanks!

Deana

Deana - what I do, is I browse through Panama with Google Maps, zooming in and around areas I might be interested in. The names of the communities appear at the right level of zoom. Then I google the community, using terms like "climate" or "retire" to find discussions relevant to the subject. Then you can go on sites like this one a ask a question directly about the specific community. Having been there once I already know that the coastal areas are too hot for me, so I tend to focus on more highland areas. For example, I read up a fair bit on the community of Santa Fe - but was turned off by several blogs describing torturous biting insects. That was a surprise because there seemed to be no such thing in Boquete (which absence was a perfect delight).

BTW - the coastal areas are hot and when I say hot, I don't mean warm.  I mean the kind of hot you stay indoors for.Forget about long invigorating walks! [where are the smilies?}