Hello Everone! I am new to the forum. My husband and I will be retiring in a year and are in search of a good place to move. We are in our upper 60's.
We are coming down from Florida (with our grown children for vacation...they won't be moving down) the last two weeks of July to look around. We are not gated community types, all inclusive vacation resort types or cruise boat for vacation types. We have been to Costa Rica and Panama where we drove around for a few weeks staying in last minute places and always felt comfortable and safe there. We don't speak Spanish although our son speaks a small amount for this trip. We plan to learn Spanish.
The internet is full of horror stories about renting cars and driving there. We haven't had a problem other places. Also , there is so much on the travel sites about driving out into the country and seeing things and doing activities but almost ALWAYS says that the activities people pick you up from your all inclusive resort and bring you to the activities. We don't want a resort. So...QUESTIONS: Is it SAFE (as in people won't rob us or something seeing a bunch of gringos driving around) to rent a car and drive around? Is it TOO dangerous (as in physically/crash dangerous) to drive there? Can we drive to the interior and see the beauty of the country safely? Where is the best diving? We love living and eating among the locals........is this safe to do? Can we just drive to attractions and do them ourselves without staying at a resort?
My extensive search on the internet, esp Trip Advisor, has made me leery about even visiting. People paint a pretty scary picture of the locals unless you are in a resort. That's why I am asking for an honest assessment from you folks that live there. There is a big difference in living there and visiting in a resort.
So...is this the type of place, like Costa Rica or Panama, that the locals are kind and don't bother you? I would love your perspective and some feedback on my questions as I want to book flights and set up some BnB's now instead of waiting.
I thank you ahead of time for your time and insight. You all seem are so kind to help others sift through truth from fiction.
SooC