Best Places In The World To Retire

Expats are treated very well in Cayo with no racial tension anywhere in Belize. In the States if a big black man came up to me I might be afraid but here I don't even notice they are black.  All I see is that big smile.  This country is multi-cultural and everybody lives harmoniously because we all respect and appreciate each other’s religion and culture. We enjoy each other’s foods and customs enriching each other's lives.  By providing jobs for the locals...

Expats are treated very well in Cayo with no racial tension anywhere in Belize. In the States if a big black man came up to me I might be afraid but here I don't even notice they are black.  All I see is that big smile.  This country is multi-cultural and everybody lives harmoniously because we all respect and appreciate each other’s religion and culture. We enjoy each other’s foods and customs enriching each other's lives.  By providing jobs for the locals we create a symbiotic relationship.  

 

Expats form great friendships with the local Belizeans. For me, I tend to socialize and be more comfortable with Belizeans who are from my own socio-economic group.  Not all Belizeans are poor working class.  Some are educated business people, fun loving and some are quite wealthy.

 

(Pictured: children in San Ignacio, Cayo District, Belize.)

Making a list of the worst places to retire is a different process than listing the best places because the best are all about you. We can think about this by looking at people's jobs, for example.  One guy is an artist, and the other is a lawyer. Each could say that their job is the best job for them. They're not going to be able to interchange jobs very easily, for the most part. That's why picking a country is so intertwined with your personality, your goals, and your...

Making a list of the worst places to retire is a different process than listing the best places because the best are all about you. We can think about this by looking at people's jobs, for example.  One guy is an artist, and the other is a lawyer. Each could say that their job is the best job for them. They're not going to be able to interchange jobs very easily, for the most part. That's why picking a country is so intertwined with your personality, your goals, and your budget.

 

The country I put on my list as one of the worst places to retire is Russia because it's expensive to live there, it's cold, and they a lot of laws and rules. Legislation could change and everybody would have to leave. Lately, there are a lot of Russians who want to leave their country and go somewhere else for a better cost of living and a better climate. 

 

Other worst places to retire would include be anywhere that is prohibitively expensive, really cold or otherwise have a bad climate, a drought like some places in Africa, somewhere where it's going to be uncomfortable and also places that are not safe. There are a few places that are probably obvious that you wouldn't want to go, which would include anywhere where there's a war, or there's terrorist or militants or is politically unstable. Those would not be ideal places to settle down. These would include a lot countries in Africa or the Middle East. For example, I've never been to the UAE but I'm always reading articles about foreigners getting arrested for doing things like posting a photo on Facebook or doing something that we normally classify as nothing to be concerned about. I would personally not want to go to a place where I would be afraid that by living my daily life I would somehow break one of their laws. I wouldn't want to go to a place where there is a lot of oppression of women, for example.

 

I would think like you're pretty good choosing almost anywhere in the Americas, but you're going to want to stay away from the places with the highest crime rate, such as Honduras and Guatemala. I know people love Guatemala. There are so many beautiful things about it but it's not the safest place to go compared to the other options that you have. In Mexico, for example, there's a clear division of cities that are safer to go to than others.

 

You want to consider the cost of living, the climate, and safety. You should probably be more cautious in choosing most of the countries in the Middle East, many of the countries in Africa and probably not countries like Honduras that have a high murder rate.  Try to avoid places like that. For the most part, anywhere else is going to be okay as long as it's set within your criteria for your ideal life and your budget.  

 

(With the Poker Stars on the Isle of Man, Kristen Wilson travels the world, pictured.)

Yes, there is diving, scuba and snorkeling in Portugal.

 

We have this little Portuguese island about an hour flight from the mainland called Azores that was selected last year by National Geographic as being among the top five richest sea wildlife areas to dive in the world. 

 

On the mainland of Portugal, there’s a wonderful place called Sesimbra about 40 to 50 minutes southeast of Lisbon.  Sesimbra is a protected...

Yes, there is diving, scuba and snorkeling in Portugal.

 

We have this little Portuguese island about an hour flight from the mainland called Azores that was selected last year by National Geographic as being among the top five richest sea wildlife areas to dive in the world. 

 

On the mainland of Portugal, there’s a wonderful place called Sesimbra about 40 to 50 minutes southeast of Lisbon.  Sesimbra is a protected land that is surrounded by really beautiful green mountains. No building or construction is allowed over there and fishing is allowed only 4 or 5 miles off the coast. So that means the area in between the land and about give miles to sea is the perfect diving place for snorkeling, diving, and everything else.

 

We also have diving schools here in Cascais and Estoril in the Lisbon area, but the waters are a bit darker than in Sesimbra.  The reason for that is because under the ocean when there are rocks the sea becomes darker and when there’s sand the sea becomes lighter. There’s a huge sandbank in Sesimbra, so therefore, the water is much more clear.

 

I’m 37 years old and I’ve lived always in front of the sea and I’ve been surfing since I was 10 or 11 years old. When I was young, I never felt the need to use a wetsuit, but as the years have been passing, I started to feel the water getting colder. Of course it’s not the water getting colder, it’s just me getting older. So in the winter, I use a 4/3-millimeter wetsuit for surfing or snorkeling or for when I go spear fishing. I use a 4/3-millimeter in winter and a 2/2-millimeter in the summer.  

 

(Diving off Sesimbra, Portugal, pictured.)

Here in San Juan del Sur, we have a chiropractor and a physiotherapist who are American-trained but there are no American-trained general practitioners in San Juan del Sur that I know of. There are only Cuban and Nicaraguan-trained doctors in San Juan del Sur. 

 

Healthcare in Nicaragua is a little different than healthcare in Canada or the United States. There are two healthcare systems here in Nicaragua: one is public and is free for...

Here in San Juan del Sur, we have a chiropractor and a physiotherapist who are American-trained but there are no American-trained general practitioners in San Juan del Sur that I know of. There are only Cuban and Nicaraguan-trained doctors in San Juan del Sur. 

 

Healthcare in Nicaragua is a little different than healthcare in Canada or the United States. There are two healthcare systems here in Nicaragua: one is public and is free for everyone, and the other one is private. With the public healthcare system, I can go to the local health center and it will cost me nothing to meet with the doctor to have any care that’s needed. For example, if I have an injury or if I need to get anything stitched up, that’s all free and not an issue. The facilities in the public healthcare system aren’t going to be as clean or as nice as what you’d be used to in North America, though. 

  

If I had something a little more major that I wanted to get checked out, there are larger hospitals in Granada and Managua. The larger hospitals in Managua are probably better than most hospitals in North America, and they offer incredible service and low costs. As an expat in Nicaragua, I’m not at all concerned about not having adequate healthcare here. I’m from Canada so I’ve always had free healthcare. 

 

A couple of months ago, I went down to the pharmacy here in San Juan del Sur that’s owned by a doctor because I’d had a sore throat for a few days. I walked in and said, “Hey, Francisco. What is this?” I open my mouth, he looks in and says, “That’s strep throat.” He asked his wife to get me some antibiotics and five minutes and $3 later I’m back on the streets with what I need to cover a strep throat. It’s just so easy most times. 

 

That’s what everyone can expect here in San Juan del Sur. We’ve helped just about a hundred families in the last two years move to San Juan del Sur, and we would always introduce them to the doctor and to the pharmacy. 

  

Almost every drug is over-the-counter here in San Juan del Sur. The few things that are prescription are usually heavy pain killers, but the doctor is there and he can meet with you in his clinic to get you fully checked out for $10.  If it’s something simple like when I’m showing him a rash, he’ll just let me know what cream I need or what medicine I need to take. He’s always there for that. 

  

Here in San Juan del Sur, I usually walk into a doctor’s clinic and walk out in two minutes and I have what I need. It’s phenomenal. In Canada, on the other hand, I might have to wait a week to make an appointment to go see my family doctor. If I had strep throat, it’s going to be so bad in a week that I’d probably have to go wait in the Emergency Room for a few hours to see a doctor. Although it’s not going to cost me anything in Canada, it’s going to cost me a day of my time. Here in San Juan del Sur, it’s going to cost me about two minutes of my time and almost nothing for medication. 

 

(Pharmacist at Farmacia El Rosario, Granada, Nicaragua, pictured.)