Panama Living

What people are saying!

George Rush, writing for a recent edition of the upscale Departures magazine, said upon his arrival, “From 3000 feet, I could see skyscrapers glistening like jagged quartz. Was this really Panama City or had I boarded the wrong plane, one direct to Miami? A superhighway shot me downtown to the cosmopolitan core of Central America’s financial hub. Along the tree lined boulevards, there are the embassies and consulates of more than 50 countries. Culinary diplomats from Japan, Italy, France, China and Lebanon have all opened restaurants in the bustling city center. A new crop of boutique hotels now offer the same bedsheet thread count and attentive service as the poshest New York or London retreats. Walking around downtown, it is easy to forget you’re in Panama -- that is, until you come across a street vendor selling fried plantains ...”

AARP, a magazine read by over 20 million people, rated Boquete (a charming village surrounded by mountains in a valley of the Chiriqui Highlands) as the number one retirement destination in the Western hemisphere, number four in the world. What they said: “If you love tropical lushness and don’t need big city stimulation, this lively community near the Costa Rican border may be calling your name. The town’s European and American expats appreciate the stable political scene, the mercifully modest cost of living, the clean air, and the outdoorsy activities: river rafting, tennis and golf. Boquete is tucked into a fertile landscape of coffee plantations and orange groves where you can escape the heat of the lowlands.”

Add to these, the allure of Bocas del Toro, an archipelago with a laid back attitude in the far West of Panama. Here you’ll find nine primary islands, 52 keys and more than 200 tiny islets surrounded by the crystal clear calm waters of the Caribbean Sea. Coral reefs too numerous to count support a rich sea life, much of it protected by the marine Parque Nacional Bastimentos. The Lonely Planet Guide calls the area “a biologist’s fantasy” ... not surprising with its dense rain forests, virgin jungles, and untrod white sand beaches.

And El Valle, a picturesque town nestled in the crater of an extinct volcano. Surrounded by copious rain forest, its markets overflow with fresh fruit and vegetables, the landscape rich with multihued bougainvillea and exotic orchids. And Las Perlas islands which was an important pearl fishing center in Colonial times. The 97 islands, lapped by the bathtub warm turquoise sea, boast 83 beaches. An important area during World War 2 for the defense of the Panama Canal, the natural beauty of Las Perlas has attracted vacationing world leaders and celebrities in search of serenity.

We’ve merely scratched the surface of this 29,208 square mile country (slightly smaller than South Carolina). For instance, did you know that five million acres are put aside as natural preserves to protect 232 species of mammals, 143 different amphibians, 214 types of reptiles, and 946 breeds of birds (more than the United States and Canada combined). Or that the population of 3.1 million includes 6% Indian tribes some of whom still live in untamed wilderness following their traditional ways and dress.

If a lifestyle choice of richly forested mountain villages with meandering streams ... or white sanded islands populated by abundant and varied sea life and mangroves ... or jungled terraces dense with multicolored bird life, flowers, monkeys, tapirs and other exotics ... or a first world metropolis of gleaming towers, international dining, first rate hotels and a financial district that’s fast becoming a world leader ... all at prices far more affordable than the United States, Canada or any of the Western European countries ... then you should definitely read on ...

| Back |