Best Places In The World To Retire

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Recently Answered Questions

How are the homes in Mexico different than in the US or Canada?

Karen Herrtwich - S&S Auto

Modern home with pool, Mexico – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Most homes in Mexico are made of concrete. Most homes in the US and Canada are built with wood and drywall. Salitre (bubbling in the concrete) can be a problem here – this is typical with the majority of homes here.

However, the builders in Mexico can pretty much form anything you want with concrete. I've showed them a picture in a magazine of a fireplace design I wanted, and that is the fireplace design I got.

In...

What are the best places to live in the world?

The best places in the world to live are those in which you can seamlessly adapt to the culture, weather, people, can ultimately feel happy and can as quickly as possible call it home sweet home. Panama is a great exploratory ground and I highly recommend viewing as much of the country as possible.

Is Panama a good place for preppers to have their bugout location? Is Panama a good place for survivalists?

Roger J. Pentecost - Boquete Valley of Flowers Condos

Panama could be an excellent place for a survivalist, because if you leave everyone else alone, everyone will leave you alone here. You can keep your children at home and educate them. You could find many pieces of land, which are very private, and put on them what you need to exist, in the sense of water, wells, solar power, wind power; and you can grow your own food.

If you pick the right place with the things that you will need to survive,...

Is Portugal Safe? What is the crime rate in Portugal?

Carol Bartlett Ribeiro - Carol Bartlett Ribeiro, Property Consultant

A village in Baganca, Portugal – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

We do have crime in Portugal, but it’s not violent crime. One of the reasons that there are so many Brazilians and so many South Africans coming to Portugal now is because Portugal is so much safer than their countries.

The crime rate has gone up in Portugal. Do you have houses burgled in Portugal? Yes, we do. But people are not violent. It’s not like in many other countries where they would probably shoot you first and steal from you afterwards. But they do have people breaking in and they have probably youngsters on scooters who rush past you and grab your handbag. But compared to many other countries, the crime rate overall is very low.

There are certain areas of Lisbon that are poor areas and in which the crime rate is quite high. Portugal has to be very careful because of its long coastline makes it a natural transit point for drugs. The influx of drugs that also comes from Morocco also causes crime. Unfortunately, gone are the days when most of the Portuguese could leave their keys in the front door and that’s absolutely fine; you can’t do that today, so you do have to be aware. But every foreigner that I know here says that when they come home late, they don’t feel intimidated and nervous like they would in other places. As far as statistics go, I know that the crime rate has gone up but its not astronomical like a lot of countries.

In England, in London, I’ve never had any incidents there but my mother’s house was burgled and totally wrecked. In Brazil, I was attacked on a Saturday coming back from the supermarket. I’ve never, fortunately, had anything like that happen here in Portugal.

A lot of people ask, “Carol, where would you like to go back to live?” To answer, I think it’s easier to say where wouldn’t you like to live and that would mainly be because of security and I don’t have that feeling at all here in Portugal. And I have to say most of my friends who are foreigners and Portuguese say the same thing. They all feel safe in Portugal.

(A village in Baganca, Portugal, pictured.)

How are the stores and shops in Ambergris Caye? How's the shopping in Ambergris Caye?

Rachel Jensen - Grand Baymen

dock belize – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

There are little touristy shops in Ambergris Caye but I don’t know a lot about them because I don’t shop here, since I have all that I need. I am not a big shopper and I try to live simply. I get by with what I need and get by with what I have, but you can find pretty much what you need on the island.

There aren’t any malls. There are no chain stores, either. Ambergris Caye is a small community and the community wants to support each...

What's the best way to choose a real estate agent in Nicaragua?

Eddy Marin-Ruiz - The Mortgage Store Nicaragua

Being a real estate agent is one of the services that is not being regulated here in Nicaragua, so the process for buying real estate here is very informal. Essentially, anyone can sell real estate.

Personally, if I were looking for a real estate agent, I would tend to favor franchises that I recognize such as Re/Max, Century Twenty One, etc., which we see in Granada, San Juan Del Sur and I believe in Leon. The reason that I would go to them first is because they have a certain...

Recently Posted Expat Stories

Oh Poop!

Riding a bike along the malecon in Lake Chapala – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

I live lakeside in Chapala. In all of Mexico, it’s the most picturesque, comfortable and enlightening place any Mexico-seeking expat could ever hope to find. It’s also quite common (living in paradise) you get drawn into like-minded social media groups.

I try to steer clear of “comment” sections. But a recent conversation erupting on a Ajijic chat site was just too juicy to swipe past. On the surface, it was about a seemly humdrum matter: poop...

Getting in Trouble in Panama

One of the ways I make my living is on the Panama Expat circuit as an advisor or guest speaker. One of my favorite lines is, “If you want to get in trouble, you have to work at it in Panama.” In my almost 19 years here, I have been robbed twice. Each was basically my fault since I didn't follow my own advice.

In every place I live in, I like to walk around a lot to get the local 'feel'. When I first came to Panama City, it was a boring Sunday so...

Unexpected Tango Lessons At The Magnolia Inn In Casco Viejo

We were walking around Casco Viejo in Panama City, Panama, looking for who knows what, having fun exploring, until, absorbed in our adventure, we became lost. I dug in my heels, refused to go any further and insisted that my husband consult the map. As we did, we must have been quarreling loudly, for a voice came from the balcony above, a woman busy with something, talking on her phone, working on the net, maybe combing out her hair, maybe all three, I can’t quite remember, but...