Greetings folks. Are any of you currently living in Manizales or very nearby. If yes please contact me on my personal line. Thank You................. Sin Fin!
I will be there the first of June! Going to live there at least a year so my daughter can complete a full grade at school. Moving from Tampa, FL.
Will move there summer 2017. Can't wait! In Texas now.
When I head for Colombia, Manizales seems like a great place to start...... great area. The supposed 1 bedroom apartment under the Mirador Finca Morrogacho Hostel was a ruse. Someone went onto their official website and took Photos to make the ad more realistic. be careful if using Craigslist, it's ripe with all kinds of apartment/house scammers. I am going to have to put my move to Colombia on hold until my parents, who are very old, leave the planet for a better place. I'm going to move to a Mexican beach town for now and then Colombia later. I don't have the funds to get back quickly from Colombia. Mexico no problem. Depending on my folks situation, I may be getting down there about the same time as you guys. I may see you all in the future.... That would be nice.................... Sin-Fin. (If anyone needs info on Guatemala, I've been here for over two years).
Yeah SinFin, I have spent 2 weeks in Cali, almost 2 weeks in Medellin, but my 4 days in Manizales were my favorite. Cali was nice, but too hot and industrial feeling for me. They are trying to make green areas, (nice downtown park) but not quite there yet. South side of Cali is better. In Medellin, the Poblado area was nice as well. More American comforts, great climate, and felt very safe. But more $$ and traffic was horrible everywhere. Medellin has no more room to grow "out" (surrounded by mountains) so they are growing "up" at an alarming rate. Good for investment but not where I wanted to live. I am not the type that likes to sit on my porch and smell exhaust fumes and hear constant vehicle horns. Manizales was much more balanced. Downtown was easy to get to and traffic was steady, but not impossible. Not as much American presence, but I'm sure I will meet some. Slightly warmer than Medellin, but not stifling like Cali. We found a nice house on the side of a mountain with 2 acres only 15 minutes out of town ($55,000usd) where all you can hear is the breeze...ahhh! See you there! ***
Manizales warmer than Medellin?
Even at its altitude it was a few degrees warmer when we were there in November. If you go down the mountain at all in Manizales, it starts to warm up significantly.
Moving to Villamaria, Manizales on December 1st. I can hardly wait, Manizales is a beautiful city. Currently staying in Bogota, personally I hate it. In many ways it's too similar to the states, let's not even mention the pollution 😵. Manizales on the other hand is excellent, I wish I would have come straight out here. Purchased a Finca in Villamaria, beautiful views and an even more beautiful river. Nice secure area surrounded by great neighbors. The people are so warm and inviting, but it would be nice to meet other expats.
Hi! Are you still in Manizales? I'd like to move there in Sept.Looking for a furnished 1 bd-rm apt or studio apt depending on the prices.Could you tell me what a place like that would cost in a middle-class area,not fancy,in the suburbs? I'm American and speak Spanish very fluently,Thanks,Frank
You should expect to pay at least $600,000 per month for a decent furnished apartastudio.
Remember that very few get advertised, you need to get out there and talk to the doorkeepers and watchmen.
Then there is the old question of references and deposits...
Hello there, good to hear you are making a stand in manizales!I came down five years ago and bought a farm outside of the city in a village called Neira. I still have it and would like to sell it. I live back in the US now, I am trying to link up with a realtor or someone who could help me move it.
I lived on the farm with my family for about seven months. I'm too young to retire so I had to come back to the US at work. Any ideas? Thanks, Greg
Hey Sinfin. Are you living in Manizales now?
I'm living in Armenia. Explored Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and Cuba over the last year and a half.
From Armenia I can explore Colombia at my leisure. No more hotels and flight reservations. I looked at the advice given on these forums about not making solid plans until you have traveled and explored your options for at least a year. What a gold nugget that was. Life's good here now. There is nowhere in the world I would rather be.
And thank you to the Colombian people I have met for making my retirement an unexpected bonus.
Next a slow tour of the National Parks and Inca sites with a few fishing trips to Amazonas.
CanadaDoug wrote:I looked at the advice given on these forums about not making solid plans until you have traveled and explored your options for at least a year. What a gold nugget that was.
Dear Doug,
About avoiding "solid plans" for one year, what did that mean to you? No month-long hotel reservations? No property purchase? No one-year visas?
cccmedia
Hey cccmedia
Talking about don't make plans to live anywhere until you have checked the area out for a while. Never stayed in a hotel for a month while I am traveling. Stayed on the go pretty much. Rented an apartment in San Jose, Costa Rica for 3 months but did that to avoid hotel costs and cook my own food. I'm a health nut and very aware of the poisonous crap food agenda. When I rented that apartment I had no plans to settle down there and told my landlady I would be there for only 3 months.
I also rented an apartment in Rivas, Nicaragua for a 3 months. While in Nicaragua I definitely recommend peeps to check out San Juan del Sur for a real beach treat. And Gigante beach. And Ometepe Island. So awsome I will make that my short holiday destination to return to for a short respite. These rental acommodations where superior to staying in a hotel. I could prepare my own healthy food and not so expensive.
Up to that point never intended to stay. Wasn't interested in getting a more favorable visa because I had not found my final destination.
As for the property purchase, been there, done that. Not interested in owning or "investing". I can rent in Canada or in Latin America for far less money than owning....and less headaches too. I have found it pretty easy to find rental accomodations.
Long term visas not really needed in Nic, Costa Rica and Panama. Just do a border crossing every three months. Nic is especially easy. No restrictions like Colombia's 6 month max in any year. Met quite a few expats who were perpetual tourists in Nic and CR.
As for my month and a half visit to Cuba. Don't go there. Oppressive, underhanded, mean, ignorant and very very disrespectful to foreigners....at all levels. The only positives I took away from Cuba a is at least I got a hint of what it was like living in the dark ages.
When I am down your way....I want to see the church....I will let you know early. Maybe we can meet and you can let me know some things to do in the area?
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