Best Places In The World To Retire

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One of the best reasons to retire in Portugal is the safety. Where I live here in Portugal, I can go to the café or to the supermarket around the corner and I don’t have to lock my front door. The neighbors know each other and if anything happens, everybody watches for each other. In contrast, in England, everybody keeps to themselves. They don’t trust anybody because of the crime. We don’t have that here in Portugal because you know your neighbors. In England, you...

One of the best reasons to retire in Portugal is the safety. Where I live here in Portugal, I can go to the café or to the supermarket around the corner and I don’t have to lock my front door. The neighbors know each other and if anything happens, everybody watches for each other. In contrast, in England, everybody keeps to themselves. They don’t trust anybody because of the crime. We don’t have that here in Portugal because you know your neighbors. In England, you can live on the same street and not know your neighbor next door. 
 
Another good reason to retire in Portugal is the lower cost of living. My daughter lives in England but she comes here four times a year and she is constantly amazed by the prices here in Portugal. It’s very cheap.
 
The quality and taste of food in Portugal is another factor for retiring here. Food here has a flavor. We have very good cuisine. The fish is unbelievable. Meat is very good as well. You only need to You just haves to know where to buy your food. Once you know that, you will have food that is very tasty. 
 
Healthcare in Portugal is good. I would recommend the private health system here in Portugal because of the good quality and fast service. Relative to the US, healthcare I Portugal is extremely inexpensive and it’s possible to get insurance for a couple in good health, without pre-existing conditions for around €60 to €100 (US $65 or £44 to US $109 or £73) a month. If you have insurance and you go to see a doctor, it would cost €30 to €40 (US $33 or £22 to $44 or £29).
 
The weather is great in Portugal. During December, we have sunshine and the temperature is 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit). That is winter, so it’s great. We are not on the Mediterranean but we are by the Atlantic Ocean so we have mild temperatures. We don’t get snow or frost. In the winter, the temperature goes down to about 10 to 20 degrees Celsius (50 to 68 Fahrenheit).
 
The lifestyle here in Portugal is very nice as well. People are very friendly. There are a lot of outdoor activities so you don’t spend too much time at home. You can definitely keep yourself busy by going to the beach, golfing, horseback riding, playing water sports, etc.  
 
So to me, those are the best reasons to retire in Portugal; the safety, everything being cheaper here, the food, healthcare, great weather, and the wine. What else do you want in life?

There are several private banks in Nicaragua but most of them require the account holder to be a legal resident of Nicaragua.  Please check this issue with your preferred bank.  Some banks will allow a non-resident to open an account if it is "planilla" account, meaning, you hold a job in Nicaragua and your company deposits your salary into your account using this service.

 

Once you have decided on a bank, you have to bring 2 forms of...

There are several private banks in Nicaragua but most of them require the account holder to be a legal resident of Nicaragua.  Please check this issue with your preferred bank.  Some banks will allow a non-resident to open an account if it is "planilla" account, meaning, you hold a job in Nicaragua and your company deposits your salary into your account using this service.

 

Once you have decided on a bank, you have to bring 2 forms of personal identification (for example valid passport, residency card, driver's license) and reference letters (usually 2) that can be personal or commercial.  You will  have to fill out a customer profile format and sign a contract as well as the signature registry cards.  You may also have to provide a tax statement or credit report from your home country.  These requirements may vary slightly from bank to bank.

 

Remember to always have 2 copies of all the documents as well as the originals.

I loved living in Placencia. I became a mom in this village. My kids grew up here with absolutely no stress. They got everything they wanted, which is very good. I moved out of Placencia because my kids needed to go to school and the quality of education in Placencia is too low. I found that we needed something more than what the schools in Placencia offer. But if you are going to Placencia for retirement, it’s a great place to be because you will have no stress. The bars,...

I loved living in Placencia. I became a mom in this village. My kids grew up here with absolutely no stress. They got everything they wanted, which is very good. I moved out of Placencia because my kids needed to go to school and the quality of education in Placencia is too low. I found that we needed something more than what the schools in Placencia offer. But if you are going to Placencia for retirement, it’s a great place to be because you will have no stress. The bars, restaurants, and the beaches in Placencia are very nice.
 
My typical day in Placencia was not like everyone else’s because I was still working to attract tourists and retirees. It would be hard for me to live in Placencia without a job because it is too relaxed. You can swim in the sea, walk your dog, talk to the neighbors, run to a club, go to a bar, drink rum, etc.
 
In the winter, days are shorter so we wake up early and go to bed early. Many people who are retired at 3 PM you go to a bar, at 4 PM go back home, then have a nice dinner, and by 8 or 9 PM, they will be asleep. Placencia is an extremely relaxed place, so if you are a person who likes that then you will like Placencia.  But if you need a little more excitement, then Placencia might not be the place for you. I say the same thing to my clients. I try to find out what they like.
 
A funny example was when one my clients, a gentleman, said he wanted to feel the sea, and he had a green thumb. As soon as he told me that, I told him that a better place for him would be Corozal or San Ignacio because in Placencia, you are going to have a stroke over trying to grow tomatoes or any plants because it is very salty in Placencia and the soil is purely sand. Placencia is just a little above sea level. If you take a shovel and start digging, it wouldn’t take long for you to see water.
 
What it's like to live in Placencia really depends on what a person does. If you are a painter, go to Placencia. If you like to relax and meet a lot of expats, go to Placencia. Shopping is still dicey. You just have to drive 3 hours to get to Belize City or you can go to Mexico but if you feel you need these types of businesses around you, well, they do not exist in Placencia. Placencia is composed of a lot of houses, bars, and restaurants. That, and the beautiful scenery and lifestyle is what we have to offer to tourists and residents. If you are going to live in Placencia long term as a resident (as opposed to just being a tourist), you won't go on a tour every day.
 

Marbella is located in the heart of Panama City, Panama. In class, it doesn't get better than this.

 

You`re surrounded by the banking district, tons of classy restaurants, and there's plenty of bars as well. You`re a few blocks away from the ¨Cinta Costera¨ which is considered Panama`s Miami spot. So the price to rent or of a mortgage is worth every penny. An apartment with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a maid room along with bathroom can cost you...

Marbella is located in the heart of Panama City, Panama. In class, it doesn't get better than this.

 

You`re surrounded by the banking district, tons of classy restaurants, and there's plenty of bars as well. You`re a few blocks away from the ¨Cinta Costera¨ which is considered Panama`s Miami spot. So the price to rent or of a mortgage is worth every penny. An apartment with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a maid room along with bathroom can cost you approximately  $2,000 USD a month.  Of course it can be a lot higher depending on the luxuries the apartment offers. To buy a place in Marbella ranges from $250,000 USD and higher.

 

Marbella, Panama, is a great place to live.  I strongly recommend it to anyone who wishes to live close to the best of everything.
 

I moved to Panama from California with my two cats. We opted to have them travel in cargo because we knew that they were going to be very unhappy no matter where they were and didn't want to cause all the passengers on the plane to have a miserable flight.

 

There were a lot of hoops to jump through before our move.  The airlines has a detailed list of their requirements as does the country you are moving to. I found that most of the requirements came...

I moved to Panama from California with my two cats. We opted to have them travel in cargo because we knew that they were going to be very unhappy no matter where they were and didn't want to cause all the passengers on the plane to have a miserable flight.

 

There were a lot of hoops to jump through before our move.  The airlines has a detailed list of their requirements as does the country you are moving to. I found that most of the requirements came from the airlines.  They really want to make sure they are transporting healthy animals and that you don't end up with a deceased pet at the other end of your journey.  To be honest, I was more traumatized to leave them at the cargo gate then they were.

 

In Panama City we found a man who runs a business called Golden Frog Pet Relocation. He was right there when we arrived and took care of everything very smoothly.  Our cats, though very unhappy during the journey, have adjusted and are back to their normal selves.  I was very worried about them because they are older cats, 13, but they don't seem to have suffered any permanent damage.  I suspect the only complaint you may hear them utter now that we are settled here in Bouquete, is that they'd love to get outside to hunt some of those delicious looking birds they can only stock through the window.