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Recently Answered Questions

Is it safe to drink the water in Los Cabos - La Paz, Mexico?

Jimena Malagamba

Biopur – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Overall in Mexico, you cannot drink water from the tap. It is, however, safe to buy and drink water from bottling companies that make what they call garafones, which are 20 liter jugs of water (a little more than 5 gallons) filled with purified water. There are several businesses selling this water all over the area, including in our little town of El Sargento, which is perfectly safe to drink.

In general, it is safe to drink the water at...

Do I need to renounce or relinquish my US citizenship or get a dual citizenship to move or live abroad?

Robert Irvin - The Oaks Tamarindo Condominiums-- Costa Rica

Map showing the location of The Oaks Tamarindo Condominium, Costa Rica – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

There is no need for you to renounce or relinquish you US citizenship if you move abroad. The same is true for Canadians and citizens from anywhere else in the world. You can live in Costa Rica either as a perpetual tourist or a permanent resident.

Being a perpetual tourist means that you need to leave the country every ninety days, which should not be an inconvenience for someone who is a traveler anyways.

For someone who...

Being a perpetual tourist means that you need to leave the country every ninety days, which should not be an inconvenience for someone who is a traveler anyways.

For someone who lives where I do, however, in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, which is about 2.5 hours from the Nicaraguan border, being a perpetual tourist means a simple drive up to the border once every three months, where he can simply walk across the border, get your papers stamped, walk back across the border, get your paper stamped, and be home again on the same day.

The process a perpetual tourist has to endure every 90 days takes about 6 hours – 2 ½ hours up, 2 ½ hours back and hour across the border. You can stay in Costa Rica as a perpetual tourist because by doing so, you are fundamentally invisible to the Costa Rican government, except for the fact that you get your passport stamped. A lot of people do that.

Permanent residency in Costa Rica is extremely simple. You can apply for permanent residency in Costa Rica on the basis of being a recipient of a pension of around US $1,500 a month. You can also apply for permanent residency on the basis of being an investor with an investment amount of $200,000.

If you marry a Costa Rican, then you can get a residency on the basis of family. The bureaucracy in Costa Rica is slow moving and inefficient, but one of the big advantages you’ll get from that is you don’t have to actually get the residency to enjoy the benefits of it; you simply have to apply for it. Once you’ve applied for your residency, you get a piece of paper saying that you’ve applied for it. While your residency application is pending, which may take about a year, the government of Costa Rica treats you as if you are already a resident, so you don’t have to leave the country.

There is also an option to apply for a citizenship after a few years, or sooner if you marry a Costa Rican. You do not have to renounce your US citizenship; I’ve never heard of that as being an issue.

(Map showing the location of The Oaks Tamarindo Condominiums, Costa Rica, pictured.)

Where are the best beaches in and around Ambergris Caye?

Rachel Jensen - Grand Baymen

Ambergris Caye Sea, showing different shades of blue water – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The best beaches on Ambergris Caye are at the north end of the island. That is where they have large, luxurious, and expensive hotels. These hotels open up their bar, pool, and their beaches, so you don’t have to stay at the hotel to use the facilities. This makes it inexpensive to can go there for the day and be within the environment and enjoy the beautiful beaches. They don’t charge you for going to the beach but it is expected that you would buy a drink or...

How good are the medical centers, hospitals and health clinics in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, and how close are they?

Natalie Sullivan

For major medical issues in San Juan del Sur, you have to go to Managua, which is 2 hours away by car. Nicaragua does have free national healthcare system. There are a few private doctors around in San Juan del Sur, but they’re Nicaraguan, so they don’t speak English. You can take a translator with you, which does work out. If you have a relatively minor medical issue, you can handle it in San Juan del Sur.

There are rumors that an expanded...

Are there hurricanes in Portugal?

Carol Bartlett Ribeiro - Carol Bartlett Ribeiro, Property Consultant

-Eucaliptos_Serra_da_Senhora_do_Monte – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

There aren’t really hurricanes in Portugal. A couple of weeks ago, we had tremendous winds but nothing like hurricanes that you have in the States.

We have high winds and the month of August can be very windy but not hurricanes. People are still talking about the recent high winds. If you drive up the coast, up the Sintro, which is the mountain, they have very big eucalyptus plantations that came from South Africa or Australia and...

Are the doctors in Coronado, Panama good?

Ana Camboa - Desarrollo Turistico Buenaventura

I cannot say that I personally know any doctors in Coronado, Panama. However, I can recommend to you one of the best clinics in the area: Clínica San Fernando Coronado.

Clinica San Fernando Coronado has comprehensive medical services. They offer emergency room, radiology, clinical laboratory, general dentistry, doctor visits, pharmacy and consultation and specialists including specialty dentistry, ophthalmology, cardiology, pediatrics, gynecology, internal...

Recently Posted Expat Stories

ALL EXPATS LIVING IN SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE ARE NOT WEALTHY

A large percentage of Mexicans in San Miguel de Allende perceive that all expats (Gringos) living in the blissful hamlet of San Miguel de Allende are wealthy.

This is so far from the truth!

Many expats, and in particular Americans, live here on their monthly Social Security check. Most can live exceedingly well while others truly perish and must live like the locals in the marginalized communities.

...

A Short History of Juan Diaz, Panama

Unlike the Panama Canal, Casco Viejo, the Amador Causeway, and Panama Viejo, the name Juan Diaz does not attract much attention from visitors to Panama City. Yet the township of Juan Diaz has become equally important to the Republic of Panama, economically, commercially, and educationally.

The origins of this region go back to the days of Spanish colonization. It is believed that Juan Diaz was a Spanish soldier who settled in this same area. In the year 1875 one of...

The Foods and Cuisine of Panama, Part 1

Note: If you would like to watch me read this essay, click on the YouTube below. However, be warned, I am quite amateur; I stammer, I mispronounce words, and apparently, I suffer from chapped lips. But I hope you'll be encouraged to tell your experience and impressions to the camera, for that is an intimate way to tell your tale to others on Best Places.
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