For retirees who want to have it all in a country that really wants to have them, Panama can be a smart choice. Panama offers unbeatable retiree discounts and benefits as well as attractive retirement destinations with cool mountain villages, hot beach towns and a sleek capital city. There has been a steady influx of expats to Panama in the last couple of years because of these tantalizing features.
Panama city is known for its fast paced financial hub not to mention its Latin/Miami vibe making it a top choice for many retirees to retreat to. Other retirees gravitate to Bocas del Toro, a hip and laid back town on the Caribbean Coast. If you are looking for a temperature highlands retreat, the mountain town of Boquete is surrounded by natural splendor and is just a one hour flight from the City of Panama. This area is as close to heaven as one can get. Expats will experience burbling streams, coffee plantations, rain forests and dazzling flowers just to mention a few of the many reasons people are drawn to this Pacific Coast town west of Coronado.
Boquete offers a wide range of amenities that people are used to having back home such as golf courses and luxury gated communities. The discounts and benefits include twenty to fifty percent off of air, bus and train fares as well as movies, restaurants, concerts, doctor visits, hospital fees and much more. A common saying among those who have relocated to this area to live out their retirement years is “People do not come to Panama City to die. They instead come here to live.”
The climate in Boquete has two distinct temperature seasons with April through November being wet and December through March being dry. Boquete is much cooler than the lowlands and beaches are. Presently there are more than three thousand expats living in Boquete. The cost of living makes Boquete an attractive option for retiree destinations with only $20,000 a year needed to live a comfortable life style. One can obtain domestic and garden services for around $15 a day and $30 will get a nice dinner out for two.
In most areas of Panama a small house can be purchased for around $175,000. A house in a gated community can be purchased for $250,000. A two bedroom rental house goes for around $600 per month. The health care is considered good in Panama with many private clinics available. Residents travel to hospitals in the town of David for more serious medical services which is about 45 minutes away.
There is rain forest hiking, bird watching, coffee plantation tours and river rafting for some of the leisure activities available in Boquete. Access to the United States is fair with a one hour flight to Panama City and a three hour flight into Miami.