Best Places In The World To Retire

You can buy good clothes in Chapala and Ajijic but it depends on how much you want to spend. Several expats decide to buy used stuff because they are clever and they don’t really want to spend money on clothes. So they go to Mia’s, which is a bazaar in Ajijic. They have good quality used clothing and they’re selling it at a good price.

 

If you want to buy brand new clothes, they are available in some places here in Chapala and Ajijic but I...

You can buy good clothes in Chapala and Ajijic but it depends on how much you want to spend. Several expats decide to buy used stuff because they are clever and they don’t really want to spend money on clothes. So they go to Mia’s, which is a bazaar in Ajijic. They have good quality used clothing and they’re selling it at a good price.

 

If you want to buy brand new clothes, they are available in some places here in Chapala and Ajijic but I would recommend going to Guadalajara instead, which is about an hour away from Chapala and Ajijic, where they have malls and the prices are lower.

 

(50% off rack at Mia's Boutique of Ajijic, Ajijic Mexico, pictured. )

You can see most species of wildlife all year round in Panama. Bird watching in Panama is one of the best in the world. There are over 975 species of birds found in the country of Panama. In the US and in Canada combined, there are only 900 species of birds. Panama has a land mass similar to South Carolina, yet it has over 975 species of birds. The species of birds that you will find will depend on the time of year, but overall, bird watching is great here in Panama.

You can see most species of wildlife all year round in Panama. Bird watching in Panama is one of the best in the world. There are over 975 species of birds found in the country of Panama. In the US and in Canada combined, there are only 900 species of birds. Panama has a land mass similar to South Carolina, yet it has over 975 species of birds. The species of birds that you will find will depend on the time of year, but overall, bird watching is great here in Panama.

We have monkeys, sloths, and anteaters that can be seen year round. You can easily find them in specific places. You can find monkeys in Lake Gatun. Some of the animals that live in the forests of Panama are deer, wild boar, and the predators such as jaguars, cougars, and other big cats. The forests here are very thick and are not densely populated by humans so these animals avoid the roads and avoid humans. I have spent a lot of time in the jungle and I have seen jaguar tracks only once.

 

Whales and dolphins are another thing. We have a resident year round population of dolphins both on the Caribbean and the Pacific sides, so when we go out looking for them, we have about 75% to 80% success rate of finding them. Panama and Costa Rica are the only two places in the world where humpback whales migrate from both the northern and the southern hemispheres. However, our peak season is in between July and October when the humpback whales from the Southern Hemisphere migrate. We have a 100% success rate in our whale watching tours in the last couple of years. During the rest of the year and the migration of the humpback whales from the Northern Hemisphere, we have very few whales here. We only have about 300 compared to 2,000 during July to October. So when the northern humpback whales are here between December to March, we only have about 10% to 25% success rate in seeing a whale.

 

We also have whale sharks in the Isla Coiba area and sometimes around the Pearl Islands. Isla Coiba is one of the largest islands in the Pacific coast of North, Central, and South America. Is it a huge island, a national park, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the former site of a penitentiary here in Panama, so the island is virtually untouched except for the small area where the prison was, which is why Isla Coiba has such a vibrant variety of wildlife and plants. There are wild scarlet macaws, endemic birds, and even mammals. They have crocodiles, monkeys, nesting sea turtles, etc. The waters around Isla Coiba is very clear and you will see dolphins every day. You can go snorkeling every day and have a great time. They also have whale sharks, harmless whitetip reef sharks, colorful coral, and lots of tropical fish.

 

It is not easy to get to Isla Coiba, and that helps preserve that area. It is a six hour drive from Panama City to Santa Catalina. From Santa Catalina, you can hire a local tour operator or some dive shops that offer scuba diving and snorkel trips as well in the Coiba area. It is another two hours, depending on the speed of your boat, to Isla Coiba coming from Santa Catalina. You can do it on a day trip from Santa Catalina. You can also spend the night out on the ranger’s station there, which is pretty basic. You have to bring your sheets, towel, and your food. You can also go to Isla Coiba from David in Boca Chica and take a boat to Isla Coiba, which is also a two to four hour boat ride, depending on the speed of your boat.

 

Overall, wildlife viewing here in Panama, depending on what you are looking for, is possible every day of the year.  

The best advice I can give about living overseas or retiring abroad is, if you want things to be like the way they are at home, then do not leave home.

 

For example, Panama is a lot different from where I come from and from where most people are from. When you go to Panama, you have to get used to the culture. For instance, the fact that there is not a lot of emphasis on education does not mean that the people of Panama are bad. For instance,throwing...

The best advice I can give about living overseas or retiring abroad is, if you want things to be like the way they are at home, then do not leave home.

 

For example, Panama is a lot different from where I come from and from where most people are from. When you go to Panama, you have to get used to the culture. For instance, the fact that there is not a lot of emphasis on education does not mean that the people of Panama are bad. For instance,throwing trash just out the window is a common practice here because it is not embedded in their education system to do otherwise.

 

From the perspective of a foreigner, some of the decisions and practices here in Panama are just plain shocking. People cry about it but nothing is going to change. As an example, there was actually one person who decided that taking the trash bins out of Casco Viejo was a good idea. So right now, what everybody does with their trash is throw it on the street; the street of a world heritage site! Yes, they pile up the trash in neat piles on the corners of the streets of a world heritage site. That happens because some person of authority thought it to be a good idea to remove the trash bins in Casco Viejo. You may think that being a person of authority, he wouldn’t have made that decision, but that is not how things work here. I guess being able to adjust to where you are living is a huge part of moving away.

 

(Fountain in Casco Viejo, Panama City, Panama, pictured. )

I wouldn't be able to tell you the exact statistics for crime rate in the Cayo area, however I can assure you that San Ignacio, Belmopan, and even the wider Cayo District is home to some of the safest towns in Belize. We have community police and we also have neighborhood watches in town, in the rural areas, and in the expat communities. 

 

The Cayo District is very safe compared to Belize City, which has a reputation of being an unsafe place. In...

I wouldn't be able to tell you the exact statistics for crime rate in the Cayo area, however I can assure you that San Ignacio, Belmopan, and even the wider Cayo District is home to some of the safest towns in Belize. We have community police and we also have neighborhood watches in town, in the rural areas, and in the expat communities. 

 

The Cayo District is very safe compared to Belize City, which has a reputation of being an unsafe place. In Belize City, you have to be wary of where you go, who you talk to, and what you carry along with you. You don’t have to feel that way when you are in Cayo. You will not worry about being mugged or harassed here. Having lived in San Ignacio for 24 years, my family has been a target of a robbery but that was an inside job. I never experienced being attacked, robbed, or harassed while I was out or while I was socializing. I feel safe walking in San Ignacio even at night and by myself. Of course everywhere you go, there are certain areas where you will heighten your awareness of the environment, but generally, I feel safe in San Ignacio.  

 

Some of the expats in San Ignacio choose to have burglar bars on their windows. Most expats choose to live outside of town and in the rural areas such as Santa Familia and Bullet Tree, which are connected villages. We have a very high population of expats in that area. There are some expats there who even have treetop houses without any burglar bars. We rarely hear about any unfortunate incidents. We rarely hear about any violent crime. They may be some crimes of opportunity, where you also want to be careful about how you carry yourself in order to avoid being a target but this is not isolated to Belize as it could happen anywhere in the world.  

 

(Treetop suite at Chaa Creek resort, Cayo, Belize, pictured.)