Best Places In The World To Retire

The best thing to do in San Miguel de Allende is to walk around the town. It’s funny because we get a lot of people who come to San Miguel de Allende, and you either “get it” or you don’t. There are people who come in and just after walking around say, “I had the best day walking around. There are markets and shops, squares, music and food. It’s beautiful. I love it.” 

 

There are other activities you can do in...

The best thing to do in San Miguel de Allende is to walk around the town. It’s funny because we get a lot of people who come to San Miguel de Allende, and you either “get it” or you don’t. There are people who come in and just after walking around say, “I had the best day walking around. There are markets and shops, squares, music and food. It’s beautiful. I love it.” 

 

There are other activities you can do in San Miguel de Allende- you can go to the hot springs, or to the Aurora Factory and look at art, you can go horseback riding, bike riding, you can go get on hot air balloons, you can do cooking classes- they’re amazing, and things to keep you busy and have fun, but the best thing is just enjoying the town, walking around, meeting people, and sitting in the square.

 

(Rooftop view of the San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

Personally, I would love to retire in a place like Casco Viejo because out there, you are close to everything. There is nightlife, but it is not like the kind of parties they have in South Beach, Miami. Living in Casco Viejo is not like living on Ocean Drive.

 

There are restaurants and there are parties that you can go to in Casco Viejo, but they are not the types of parties that will disturb your peace and quiet. In Casco Viejo, you have the best...

Personally, I would love to retire in a place like Casco Viejo because out there, you are close to everything. There is nightlife, but it is not like the kind of parties they have in South Beach, Miami. Living in Casco Viejo is not like living on Ocean Drive.

 

There are restaurants and there are parties that you can go to in Casco Viejo, but they are not the types of parties that will disturb your peace and quiet. In Casco Viejo, you have the best of both worlds.

 

In Casco Viejo, there are several markets where you can buy fresh produce in the mornings where everything is fresh every single day. Retirees can just walk around and go shopping for fresh produce every day.  During weekends, you will also find people who sell handicrafts and different kinds of arts. 

 

Retirement in Casco Viejo is pretty relaxed. It is by the sea, so you have a beautiful view. You have access to Cinta Costera, where you can exercise. It goes over the ocean, so it is a very nice place to retire.

Well... in my case I had little choice- my preferred country, Australia has become too expensive for me so I had to find somewhere that made my meager pension and savings go further. The argument that everywhere else is as costly as 'home' is false.

 

Originally my motivations were better prospects, warmer weather that cured my chest infections and a better future for my kids.  These are universal motivations, surely? Therefore I find some...

Well... in my case I had little choice- my preferred country, Australia has become too expensive for me so I had to find somewhere that made my meager pension and savings go further. The argument that everywhere else is as costly as 'home' is false.

 

Originally my motivations were better prospects, warmer weather that cured my chest infections and a better future for my kids.  These are universal motivations, surely? Therefore I find some of the comments a bit wide of the mark. 

 

Besides that, I felt I had become a burden to my 'family' and this would get worse, meaning I'd be ever more dependent.   At 70 this was not an option. The ME age has been hard for most older people. So I live in exile, really- and I'm not alone in this. 

 

(Pictured: Opera House in Australia.)

Yes, there is a lot of flooding in Belize, especially in the last 2 to 3 years. People have lost homes and there was a time, about 7 years ago when there was a hurricane, in which the entire southern district and the Stann Creek District was flooded and an entire family died. Also one of the major bridges that goes to Stann Creek and Toledo got washed out, so we do experience a lot of flooding.

 

I’ve heard people in Belize City who...

Yes, there is a lot of flooding in Belize, especially in the last 2 to 3 years. People have lost homes and there was a time, about 7 years ago when there was a hurricane, in which the entire southern district and the Stann Creek District was flooded and an entire family died. Also one of the major bridges that goes to Stann Creek and Toledo got washed out, so we do experience a lot of flooding.

 

I’ve heard people in Belize City who experience rain for an entire day, and the entire streets are filled with water and the roads are blocked. It can get problematic in some areas because there is only one way to go to work or one way to go to school. Children cannot go to school that day because they can’t pass the road or the people can’t go to work. Some villages and some towns have some flooding, but it’s mostly during the rainy season. It does not flood all year. It’s mostly during the months of October and November in which we experience most rain.

 

Lately we have been experiencing some changes in the weather. We normally get the rains in October and November, but last year and the year before, we got a lot of rain in December as well, and sometimes even up to January.

 

Flooding in Belize is not a reason for you not to move here. If it floods here, it could last for days because the water cannot get out. But I guess, if you are planning to move here and you’re concerned about the flooding, then maybe you can move to the higher areas.

 

I haven’t heard of one incident of flooding in the cayes, but here in San Ignacio, it can get flooded. There are times when it comes, and then it goes. It can get flooded for a day and as soon as it stops raining, the water will drain. I think the problem of flooding would be if we had a major hurricane coming, but we do not experience many hurricanes coming to Belize. We mostly get rains, but that’s about it. I personally live beside a creek and I have lived there for 10 years and my house hasn’t ever been flooded. There were some years where the water almost came close to our house, but it didn’t flood our house. Here in San Ignacio, drains and streets could get flooded, but not the homes. 

 

(Men  navigating a small boat on the waterways of the Belize River, pictured.)