What are the expats like in Bocas Del Toro, Panama?
Anne-Michelle Wand - United Country Bocas del Toro
The Expats in Bocas del Toro are extremely varied. Many come from the US and are doctors, lawyers, electricians, builders and other retired professionals. Others are surfers, families with young children, couples with grown up children or no children, singles( both sexes, 30 plus), artists and musicians. There are also Expats from Italy, France, New Zealand, Canada, UK, Israel, Asia, China, Jamaica, Argentina,Germany, Holland and more. So you get a very diverse, eclectic mix of...
The Expats in Bocas del Toro are extremely varied. Many come from the US and are doctors, lawyers, electricians, builders and other retired professionals. Others are surfers, families with young children, couples with grown up children or no children, singles( both sexes, 30 plus), artists and musicians. There are also Expats from Italy, France, New Zealand, Canada, UK, Israel, Asia, China, Jamaica, Argentina,Germany, Holland and more. So you get a very diverse, eclectic mix of cultures and ages. This makes for interesting conversations and learning experiences.
Posted February 21, 2014
Tyson Merrill - Island Property Management S.A.
There are expats living in Bocas del Toro from all over the world!
Panama is very centrally located and people have been relocating here from South American countries such as Argentina and Chile, North American countries such as US and Canada, as well as a variety of European countries. In short, there is a very diverse international community in Bocas del Toro that is hard to find anywhere else in the world.
There are expats living in Bocas del Toro from all over the world!
Panama is very centrally located and people have been relocating here from South American countries such as Argentina and Chile, North American countries such as US and Canada, as well as a variety of European countries. In short, there is a very diverse international community in Bocas del Toro that is hard to find anywhere else in the world.
Posted November 21, 2014
JB Seligman - BUENA VISTA REALTY located in BOCAS DEL TORO, PANAMA
There are so many wonderful people in Bocas Del Toro who have come from all over the world. Having gotten here, their stories are incredible. They are like colorful characters out of a book. There are people here who are reclusive, who like to live out on the outer islands. You have also the social set, who are the people who live in town, which is a very lively tourist town. There is always live music and bars here in Bocas Del Toro. The...
There are so many wonderful people in Bocas Del Toro who have come from all over the world. Having gotten here, their stories are incredible. They are like colorful characters out of a book. There are people here who are reclusive, who like to live out on the outer islands. You have also the social set, who are the people who live in town, which is a very lively tourist town. There is always live music and bars here in Bocas Del Toro. The expats in Bocas Del Toro are a mix of both these types of people.
There is nothing better than sitting down and talking with somebody and figuring out how they got here. There is always an interesting story.
Posted February 9, 2015
JB Seligman - BUENA VISTA REALTY located in BOCAS DEL TORO, PANAMA
I am not retired yet but I can say that if you are an expat who wants to retire in Bocas Del Toro, you have to have something to do on this Caribbean island. If you are retired, you have to do something. It can be either volunteering for some type of social activity, which we have a lot of here in Bocas. There are lots of different things that expats can help the locals with. Retirement in Bocas means you have to have a hobby. To just retire in Bocas with nothing to do does not work;...I am not retired yet but I can say that if you are an expat who wants to retire in Bocas Del Toro, you have to have something to do on this Caribbean island. If you are retired, you have to do something. It can be either volunteering for some type of social activity, which we have a lot of here in Bocas. There are lots of different things that expats can help the locals with. Retirement in Bocas means you have to have a hobby. To just retire in Bocas with nothing to do does not work; you’ll go crazy because you have nothing to do! When I first came down here to Bocas, I was semi-retired. The thing that I used to wish back in the US when I had my company was that if I could just wake up in a Caribbean island with nothing to do. The only thing I can say right now is, be careful what you wish for! It’s terrible to have nothing to do in a Caribbean island. It is a situation where you really have to have something just for yourself to work. There people who retire here with nothing to do and they leave because Bocas is a kind of place where you retire if you want to be active. If you are sedimentary then you would reconsider other places such as Boquete or other retirement villages. Retirement in Bocas is a different type of retirement. The retirees who come to Bocas are active retirees and not sedimentary.
There are no golf courses here in Bocas but there is plenty of snorkeling. You can go into the jungles or walk on the beach. It really helps if you get yourself setup with some social environment where you volunteer to put water systems in an indigenous Indian village or volunteer for spay and neuter programs for dogs and cats here in Bocas. You can volunteer to teach children in schools or volunteer to teach people how to play guitar. In Bocas, you have to have that certain kind of activity that lets you help other people so that you have a sense of self-worth. I have met very few people who had actually nothing to do here that lasted very long here in Bocas.
We have a lot of retiree surfers. Bocas Del Toro is a world class surfing destination and you would be surprised on how many 60 to 70 year old surfers we have down here.
Posted March 31, 2015