Best Places In The World To Retire

In my experience (and second-hand observations from guests) the police in Quintana Roo are more "on the take" than those in the state of Yucatan. Yucatan police are more professional. After reading the comments above, I agree; accept the ticket (especially if you were in the wrong), go to the station and settle up.

 

Best to drive very defensively and with lots of attention to both side view mirrors. If you are stopped, be polite. I was stopped by the army at...

In my experience (and second-hand observations from guests) the police in Quintana Roo are more "on the take" than those in the state of Yucatan. Yucatan police are more professional. After reading the comments above, I agree; accept the ticket (especially if you were in the wrong), go to the station and settle up.

 

Best to drive very defensively and with lots of attention to both side view mirrors. If you are stopped, be polite. I was stopped by the army at the border of Quintana Roo and Yucatan on the cuota. A young officer came up to the car (down the road I could see a small cannon on a half-track pointed at my car) and I asked what I had done wrong...

 

"Don't worry. I just want to practice my English" After a short and friendly discourse, I continued my trip.

 

(Town of Solferino in Quintana Roo, Mexico, pictured.)

Generally, in the San Francisco area of Panama City, there are lots of Panamanians.

 

Since it’s kind of an expensive place, the high-end Panamanians are the ones who live there.

 

There are also a lot of foreigners everywhere in the San Francisco area, primarily from Venezuela and Colombia. 

Generally, in the San Francisco area of Panama City, there are lots of Panamanians.

 

Since it’s kind of an expensive place, the high-end Panamanians are the ones who live there.

 

There are also a lot of foreigners everywhere in the San Francisco area, primarily from Venezuela and Colombia. 

What are the best places in the world to retire? The answer to this question will obviously be different for each individual, so I'll just give you my own answer - make of it what you will.

 

For now, I have chosen to spend my time in beautiful Bocas del Toro on the sunny Caribbean coast of Panama. Take a look at the picture on the right, which shows Starfish Beach, a short bus or boat ride from Bocas Town. That might give you some suggestion as to why you...

What are the best places in the world to retire? The answer to this question will obviously be different for each individual, so I'll just give you my own answer - make of it what you will.

 

For now, I have chosen to spend my time in beautiful Bocas del Toro on the sunny Caribbean coast of Panama. Take a look at the picture on the right, which shows Starfish Beach, a short bus or boat ride from Bocas Town. That might give you some suggestion as to why you might consider Bocas as a possible retirement location.

 

I'm not sure that I can actually classify myself as retired, but I haven't done a stroke of paid work for anybody else for over five years now, and that's how I'd like it to stay. I'm a writer, and I wrote my second book right here in paradise. Now that certainly beats some  writing in some chilly flat in wintry London, fingers gloved to keep them warm.

 

Bocas del Toro offers a cheap alternative to the rat-race, a place where the cost of living can be very low, but the quality of life disproportionately high.

 

The best things about living here?

 

1). The people - both the expat community and the local populace are wonderful people to spend time with. This place seems to draw interesting, and sometimes slightly eccentric people.

 

2). The weather - it can rain quite a bit, which is a good thing if you are off-grid and rely on rainwater collection. But when the sun comes out, which it does often, and there is no wind, the lagoon is so beautiful.

 

3). Wonderful restaurants - away from town, down in the lagoons there are some hidden gems which offer wonderful social scenes, awesome views and great food.

 

4). Dolphins - I live just outside Dolphin Bay, and when out and about in the boat it is rare not to see at least a couple of dolphins. They always brighten your day.

 

5). Swimming and snorkelling - I can do both right from my dock.

 

6). Clothing choice - one of my favourite things is that here the temperature is pretty constant. When you get up in a morning there is no clothing dilemmas:

"Will I take a jacket?"

"What shoes should I wear?" 

You can be pretty sure that shorts, t-shirt and a pair of flip-flops cover all occasions.

 

I could go on, but instead I'll just suggest that you really need to come and take a look at this special place for yourself.

The official currency of Nicaragua is the Cordoba, but US dollars are also widely accepted, as well as credit cards.

The official currency of Nicaragua is the Cordoba, but US dollars are also widely accepted, as well as credit cards.

The cost for a vacation rental in Portugal varies on the size of the property. A villa with three or four bedrooms and with a pool would cost €1,600 (US $1,750 or £1,100) a week in the high season; self-catering. If it’s without a pool it costs about €1,200 (US $1,300 or £865) a week. This is in Cascais, which is the most expensive places in Portugal.
 
The high season in Portugal is from June to August. If you get the same villa without a pool on the...

The cost for a vacation rental in Portugal varies on the size of the property. A villa with three or four bedrooms and with a pool would cost €1,600 (US $1,750 or £1,100) a week in the high season; self-catering. If it’s without a pool it costs about €1,200 (US $1,300 or £865) a week. This is in Cascais, which is the most expensive places in Portugal.
 
The high season in Portugal is from June to August. If you get the same villa without a pool on the low season, it would cost around €1,200 a week. The closer you are to the coast, the more expensive vacation rentals become. If you go to the interior, where it would take about an hour to go to the beach, you would pay for the same type of place around €500 to €600 (US $540 or £360 to $650 or £430) a week.  

 

(Plaza at night, Cascais, Portugal, pictured.)