Best Places In The World To Retire

My property tax for my half-acre property that had a purchase price of US $230,000 came to $420 for the year.  If I were to have purchased the same property in the US, my property taxes would have been multiple thousands of dollars.

 

My property tax was not on a special deal, but rather is the norm in Mexico. One of the huge elements that attracted me to the property I purchased was to be able to have a property while I had a limited retired income...

My property tax for my half-acre property that had a purchase price of US $230,000 came to $420 for the year.  If I were to have purchased the same property in the US, my property taxes would have been multiple thousands of dollars.

 

My property tax was not on a special deal, but rather is the norm in Mexico. One of the huge elements that attracted me to the property I purchased was to be able to have a property while I had a limited retired income upon which I would not be paying exorbitant taxes as you would in the US, that I could more easily enjoy as I’m approaching “adulthood.”

 

(The malecon, the boardwalk on Lake Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)

I am happy to have simplified my life in Nicaragua and downgraded to a very basic phone.  I use a prepaid Claro cell phone that cost some US $20 - $25 for the device itself.  While I don't use the phone often, I add maybe $5 / week (adding credit is simple - it can be done at many ATMs, shops, street side stands, grocery stores, etc).  Better yet, every couple days you will be notified by Claro that by...

I am happy to have simplified my life in Nicaragua and downgraded to a very basic phone.  I use a prepaid Claro cell phone that cost some US $20 - $25 for the device itself.  While I don't use the phone often, I add maybe $5 / week (adding credit is simple - it can be done at many ATMs, shops, street side stands, grocery stores, etc).  Better yet, every couple days you will be notified by Claro that by recharging on certain days your credit will be tripled, quadrupled or even quintupled.

 

I often use my phone to call back to the States at just $0.15 / minute, I'm not sure what local calls cost, but even less it seems.  I don't use data, but I understand there are some very reasonable plans with unlimited data / calls / messages.  Certainly more reasonable than the $120 / month I was paying in the States.  Hope this helps!

Americans and other expats in the Algarve are treated like kings.

 

From the economic perspective from the time of the discovery of the New World, Portugal has always been outward facing nation. This is reflected in the way that it receives foreign people. Most people who come to or go to Portugal immediately say that they are made to feel so very welcome.

 

As far as how Americans in particular in the Algarve are treated,...

Americans and other expats in the Algarve are treated like kings.

 

From the economic perspective from the time of the discovery of the New World, Portugal has always been outward facing nation. This is reflected in the way that it receives foreign people. Most people who come to or go to Portugal immediately say that they are made to feel so very welcome.

 

As far as how Americans in particular in the Algarve are treated, it’s tough to tell because there are not that many residing here full-time. Generally, Americans are very interesting folk in that sense that Americans are very inquisitive. They love to understand the historical background of the region and they’re very interested in the details. So they pay attention and show interest in a lot of the traditional aspects of the country; the tiles, the road, the balconies, what happened to the river course and what it was used for in the past, whether a castle was inhabited or not—all these kinds of small details typically interest Americans. This attitude helps aid the integration because local people in particular like to talk about their little place in the world. So when they see someone with mutual interest, of course, they like to talk. The first way to break down the barrier is to engage with someone even if there is a slight language barrier.

 

So what you find is that Americans in particular integrate very well in the Algarve because typically Americans come with a very inquisitive mind. The Americans who travel here love Portugal and love the Algarve. They really do love it. I wouldn’t be overstating it by using the word “love.” It’s kind of a love affair that starts with a statement such as, “This is a place that I should’ve been in or I want to be in.” We often get that reaction from Americans.

 

(The George Pub  memorializes fallen British solideris with poppies in Lisboa, Portugal)

Our physical move to Panama was transporting eight suitcases, so physically, our move was not that complicated.  However, we had never been to Panama before we moved; we had only researched it.  So, psychologically, coming to a completely new place you’ve never even seen before with just luggage, not knowing what you’re going to get into, not knowing anything about the country other than what you’ve read, is more of a challenge.  Everything I had read...

Our physical move to Panama was transporting eight suitcases, so physically, our move was not that complicated.  However, we had never been to Panama before we moved; we had only researched it.  So, psychologically, coming to a completely new place you’ve never even seen before with just luggage, not knowing what you’re going to get into, not knowing anything about the country other than what you’ve read, is more of a challenge.  Everything I had read told me that I would love Panama and that I would fit in.

 

Without a car and at our age, I think some people would consider moving to Panama to be a big, major life event, but for us, it felt smooth as silk; it just fit.  

 

We landed in Panama City, and got some medicine for what was then my chronic bronchitis without having to see a doctor and without a prescription.  We then rented a car and drove towards Boquete, which is where we believed we wanted to live.

 

We got to David and missed the turnoff to Boquete because it was at night, we weren’t familiar with the area, and street and highway signage is not one of the strong points of Panama.   We wound up in Volcan, at night.  (Volcan is a much smaller town than Boquete that is only about 10 - 15 miles or so away as the crow flies, but you have to drive a long way to get from Volcan to Boquete, because of the circuitous route on the roads up in the mountains.)  There weren’t many places open, but we found a little lodge that they were remodeling.  They had some room, though, so they let us stay there for the night.  It was beautiful.

 

When we got to Panama, I was on my third round of antibiotics to treat the chronic bronchitis I had contracted in the States.  I didn’t feel good.  But the longer we were in Panama in general and in the mountains of Chiriquí Province (Boquete and Volcan are in Chiriquí Province), the better I felt. I haven’t had bronchitis since we arrived.  I feel so much better because the quality of the air is better here; you can feel it.  It’s like taking a brick off your chest.  You can breathe.

 

There is religious freedom in Belize. In every way, there is total freedom. Nobody goes against anybody else on account of his or her religion. 

 

95% of the people here are Catholic, which is virtually everyone, except for the Mennonites. The Mennonites have their own church and some people belong to that. I belong to the Church of England, so I am Protestant.  There are also Muslims and Hindus here in...

There is religious freedom in Belize. In every way, there is total freedom. Nobody goes against anybody else on account of his or her religion. 

 

95% of the people here are Catholic, which is virtually everyone, except for the Mennonites. The Mennonites have their own church and some people belong to that. I belong to the Church of England, so I am Protestant.  There are also Muslims and Hindus here in Belize, and it is not a problem. 

 

(Pictured: inside of a church in Belize.)