Best Places In The World To Retire

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Recently Answered Questions

What’s the architecture like in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?

Magy Carmona - Magy Carmona at Lake Chapala Realty

Double height domed ceiling, Ajijic, Mexico – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The architecture in Chapala and Ajijic is colonial-style. Chapala used to be a very nice vacation place in the 30’s or 40’s for posh people, until the lake started to dry out. (It’s no longer dry.)

In Ajijic and in Chapala, you’ll usually see bricks, cobblestones, bovedas, balconies, fountains, and cantera stone. It’s like a stereotype of a Mexican town that many people have because of the movies. But the movies do...

How's the standard of living in Granada, Nicaragua?

Carlos Roman Gutierrez Solis - Casa Granada Properties

Granada, Nicaragua steet with horse drawn carriage – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The local people (the “Granadinos”; people from Granada) have a very laid back life. They do not take things fast. They wake up very early in the morning. At around 6 AM, you will see people walking to the market. For the first half of the day, the market is very intense.

Some Granadinos work in farms and some work in Managua. People prefer to travel all the way to Managua from Granada because Managua is where they can get a better salary. The local...

What are the best things to do in and around Algarve?

Luis Teixeira da Silva - Algarve Senior Living

Via Algarviana – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Golf is definitely one of the best things to do in Algarve. Sun and sand is great in Algarve so spending time on the beach is another best thing to do here. Water sports and other related activities such as sailing, surfing on the west coast, fishing, canoeing in rivers are fantastic activities do to in Algarve. Rambling and walking are also popular in the Algarve.

We have fantastic coastal walks and we have an inland walk called the Via Algarviana, which...

We have fantastic coastal walks and we have an inland walk called the Via Algarviana, which is fantastic for seeing the interior beaches of the Algarve, either on foot or on a bicycle. Anything related to the outdoor, sports, nature, and wellness is absolutely superb in Algarve.

Then we have gastronomy. Gastronomy is probably one of the best things to do anywhere in Portugal, but here in Algarve, there are fantastic restaurants, great seafood, wonderful fish, etc. so eating out is a part of the culture of people who move to the region of the Algarve and a major part of the culture of the people who are locals.

We also have an immense amount of cultural activity that goes on all year round. Even in the winter, when most people think the cultural activities have shut down, we have the ballet, jazz, local orchestras and international orchestras that play, and we have performing arts of different kinds. A lot of people are not aware that this goes on. There is a lot of cultural activity here in Algarve but you need to know where to find them. This surprises most people because they do not expect that a destination such as the Algarve, which is known for sea, sand, and golf, has as much of a variety on the cultural front.

We had a guest, who was staying at one of our locations near the city of Portimão, although she was on the Lagoa, municipal side. A ballet came for several performances at the Images for Pavilhao Do Arade, which is a very big, modern, exhibition and performance venue just off the River Arade. Our guest was so amazed. She said, “To do this in London, I would have had to go into London, and book a hotel for a night. I would then have had to catch a taxi to the West End, have dinner at the West End, see the show, go back to the hotel, and go out. The cost to do this would easily be £200 (about US $300).”

And she said, “I walked over to the venue, and to be fair, it is in a fairly industrial area but I felt completely safe. I walked over from my hotel to the venue, saw the show, and walked back to the hotel at 11:30 PM. It was very safe. I had my dinner in the local restaurant before. The show cost me about €24 ($27 or £18), and the dinner cost me €8 ($9 or £6), so for around €32 ($35 or £23), I saw a world class performance that was convenient, safe, and very inexpensive.” It’s that type of thing that exists in the Algarve if you know where to look.

(Map of the Via Algarviana, Algarve, Portugal pictured.)

Do I still have to file my US income taxes if I retire, work or just live abroad?

Judy Sacco

Yes you do. Also, if you have bank accounts in Panama over $10,000, you have to file the FBAR (Form TD-F 90-22.1) and over $50,000 the form 8938 reporting your foreign bank accounts and corporations. You also have to report any interest earned on foreign accounts.

The earned income credit is a benefit. You can exclude about $92,000 of income earned in Panama (other than interest). You can figure all of this using TurboTax. If you do not report, there can be...

What's the effect of illegal drug traffic in Panama?

Mark Hurt

THE EFFECTS ARE COKE IS A HELL OF A LOT CHEAPER HERE.. YEAH BABY PARTY AT MY HOUSE.

What's the crime rate against Americans and other expats in Placencia, Belize?

Wayne Robbins - The Placencia

Judge a person by the content of his character and now by the color of his skin, sign, Belize – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The crimes committed toward Americans and other expats in Placencia tend to be crimes of opportunity. When I’m in Placencia, I typically hear about break ins of some homes and minor things taken. I rarely hear of muggings or Americans being attacked.

The people in Placencia are pro-American because Belize promotes tourism and tourism as well as real estate, which are very important factors contributing to the well being of the local population. Another reason why the...

Recently Posted Expat Stories

How the Rotary Club, Cold Beer, Beauty and Opportunity in Belize Combined to Lure Mark Leonard to a Tropical Paradise

Excerpts of an interview with Mark Leonard, June 29, 2016

Chuck: Thank you for joining us, Mark. Your posts have always been so genuine and colorful. Please tell our readers how you happened to come to Belize.

Mark: It’s all because of the Rotary Club.

I was living in Northern California when a friend in my Rotary Club went to Belize on a contract and came back saying that Belize is looking for economic development assistance, so I went down...

Getting A New Start In Your Old Life

There is nothing better than new surroundings to get your mind off of old problems that have been holding you back and bringing you down . A different perspective appears when everything is new and different, especially if it is vividly green and tropical and warm. Being totally surrounded by new people and places may be a bit uncomfortable at first but if it is full of friendly Latin Americans and warm beautiful weather in a tranquil and incredibly beautiful place, it can be easy to let...

Red-lored Amazon in Panama – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Panamá has the privilege of having some of the best weather in the world, as well as having primary rainforest areas, and the most beautiful nature found anywhere.

The name “Panamá” means “abundance.” Abundance of fish, butterflies and birds. We have one of the most complete collection of all of these in the world. For a visitor who loves bird watching (with over 850 species), or who enjoys nature, this is the place to come.

There are many...

Best Places In The World To Retire

Recently Answered Questions

What’s the architecture like in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?

How's the standard of living in Granada, Nicaragua?

What are the best things to do in and around Algarve?

Do I still have to file my US income taxes if I retire, work or just live abroad?

What's the effect of illegal drug traffic in Panama?

What's the crime rate against Americans and other expats in Placencia, Belize?

Recently Posted Expat Stories

How the Rotary Club, Cold Beer, Beauty and Opportunity in Belize Combined to Lure Mark Leonard to a Tropical Paradise

Getting A New Start In Your Old Life

What It’s Like in My Country of Panamá

Best Places In The World To Retire