Best Places In The World To Retire

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Recently Answered Questions

What's it like to live in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico? How’s the lifestyle?

Percy Pinklebutt - Percy Pinklebutt Enteprises

Embroidery classes offered at the Lake Chapala Society, Ajijic, Mexico – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The word I would use to describe what it’s like to live in the Chapala area is “quiet.” I have my business and I spend most of my time here. I grew up in Chapala so my friends are here. Guadalajara is an hour away and has everything you find in any large city, great opera, theaters, art shows, and international standard shopping and restaurants.

Overall, living on the lake is very quiet. There are many varied and well-run clubs. The...

What's the crime rate against Americans and other expats in Bocas Del Toro, Panama?

Tyson Merrill - Island Property Management S.A.

Very minimal amount of crime in Bocas del Toro. Mostly petty theft during the low seasons when work is scarce. Mostly occurs on beaches with nearby jungle by juveniles, who target small electronics or cash. I feel much safer in Bocas del Toro than I do in my hometown of Houston, Texas.

Can I receive my Social Security checks or benefits abroad, as an expat, outside the US and if so, how?

Sieg Pedde - Helix Courier Limited

Here is my answer.

Are there rivers, lakes and waterfalls in or around Granada, Nicaragua?

Janice Gallagher - Granada Property Services

Granada, Nicaragua is located on the edge of Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America, the ninth largest in the Americas and the 19th largest in the world. There are also several other smaller lakes in the area such as Laguna de Apoyo which is located in the center of an extinct volcanic crater and Lake Managua which is about 45 minutes away in the capitol of Nicaragua.

There are no rivers running through or near Granada.

What are the best places in Belize to live and retire?

Rubi Young - Altamira Residences

Tony's Inn and Resort on the beach in Corozal, Belize – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

There are many nice places in Belize to live and retire. The first one on my list would be Corozal, which is in the northern part of Belize. Corozal is small but it’s very nice. We have shops, markets, and nice parks where children can go to and play. People in Corozal are very kind and friendly. You can retire at Consejo in Corozal, where you can find houses right in front of the beach. They have beautiful shores. The price of the houses in Consejo would depend on the quality...

Many expats who are in Corozal live in Consejo.The Altamira Residences, which is in a very nice location, is also located in Corozal. Altamira Residences has a new project coming in. It is a gated community composed of fourteen houses with CCTV security. There is also a plan to build a restaurant with a pool where everyone could hang out and party. Apartments are also part of the plan in Altamira Residences.

Another nice place to live is Orange Walk. It is similar to Corozal because they also have nice shops, markets, parks, etc. You could also find Lamanai in Orange Walk, which is a Mayan ruin site. Orange Walk is also on the sea but it is very small. They have a small boulevard.

Belize also has several islands. The biggest and most popular island is Ambergris Caye, which is close to the Corozal District. You can take a plane or a boat from Corozal to Ambergris Caye.

Next to Orange Walk is Belize City. You will find the zoo in Belize City. There are more stores and shops in Belize City because it is a bigger place. You will see more Garifuna people in Belize City. Majority of the people in Belize City are Garifuna, unlike in other places such as Corozal and Orange Walk, where you will see more mixed people such as the Spanish, and others. Belize City has by far has the largest population of any area in Belize.

We also have San Ignacio in the Cayo District. San Ignacio has the second largest population in Belize. You will also find a lot of expats and tourists there. There are several Mayan ruins there such has the Xunantunich and the Nim Li Punit. There are also a lot of activities that you can do in San Ignacio like cave tubing. They have different caves, one of which is the Rio Frio Caves. It is a very touristy place.

The next place in Stann Creek, where you will find the town of Dangriga. Orange farms and banana farms are located in Dangriga. These oranges and bananas are export products of Belize. Hopkins and Placencia are also located in Stann Creek. Placencia has a lot of high-end and relatively expensive areas and a lot of expats. Placencia is a peninsula attached to the mainland.

The next district of Belize is Toledo. Toledo is the last district in the south, close to the Guatemalan border. Not many people live in Toledo.

(Tony's Inn and Resort on the beach in Corozal, Belize, pictured.)

How are women and girls treated in Portugal?

Luis Teixeira da Silva - Algarve Senior Living

Women of two generations, Portugal – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

I think a woman would be better placed to respond to how women and girls are treated in Portugal, but I suppose I can provide a perspective. Women are generally respected in Portugal and having lived abroad for so many years and observing Portugal, I see a fondness for matriarchs that is perhaps not present in many Western countries. A particular concern for those visiting the country is whether women are safe – in a sense related to a sense of how women may be perceived – when visiting Portugal. I would have to say that it is one of the safest countries with which I have been associated, and in particular women can freely walk at night without substantially greater fear than men.

Women have historically had very traditional roles in Portuguese culture, namely those associated with providing a core stability of the family unit. This has unfortunately meant that tasks such as cooking, raising children, and matters relating to managing a household, are automatically associated with the mother and therefore changing this has been difficult. However, my perception is that the biggest catalyst for change is the workplace. Despite the balance still being far in favour of males in senior positions, there are many talented women who have proved their worth by choosing careers where the glass ceiling is less in evidence. Medical careers, including nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and medicine, pharmacy, life sciences and to a certain extent teaching, have propelled women into more senior roles in business, R&D and education, for example. This has not happened in engineering, politics or construction, which continue to be male-dominated. I would say however, that women are no more likely to be treated poorly in the workplace than are men, and ironically my perception is that supervision by the opposite sex often results in better people management in Portugal than being managed by someone of one’s own sex.

Of course, I am happy to admit that I may have it all wrong as regards how women are truly perceived in the workplace… what I can say is that most traditional corporate environments in Portugal still expect men to work long hours whenever necessary and place much less emphasis on the importance of a male family role than, for example, many Anglo-Saxonic countries.

(Women of two generations, Portugal, pictured.)

Recently Posted Expat Stories

An Expat Christmas In Panama

Christmas In Panama – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

This has been our second Christmas living in Panama… and whilst I cannot deny that spending Christmas day on the beach and by a gorgeous pool in glorious sunshine is a huge plus point, for us and many people we know there is that severe lack of ‘chrismassy feeling’

That is not because Christmas is not celebrated here… Christmas decorations have been up everywhere, stores have dedicated floors of Christmas paraphernalia and the shops are crammed...

Our Amazing Tortolito Tale

I hate to be a copy-cat but I have a bird story too. My wife (Eneida) has a small house she rents and one day she returned to our condo, after working in the garden of her house, with a small cardboard box. “Guess what this is”, she said. She opened the lid and there, nestled in some paper towel was a tiny, almost necked baby bird. Its eyes weren’t even open yet and she explained it fell out of a nest in a bush she was trimming and she didn’t know what else to do with it,...

Are Americans Leaving Panama?

Presented with permission from Bob Adams, of Retirement Wave.

Are Americans leaving Panama?

From time to time, I have received messages from various RW Members over the last six years asking, "Why are expats leaving Panama?" or they ask, "Why are Americans leaving Panama?" Some get a little colorful and say that American retirees are "fleeing" Panama! The same thing happens once in awhile when I meet Members face-to-face here in Panama. I ask them, why do you ask? They...