Panama: Much more than palm trees swaying in the tropical breeze

Welcome to Panama

Panama represents one of the best investment and retirement opportunities in the world. It is considered the safest, with North America-type infrastructure, roads, medical, educational, etc.; consisting of a 75% middle class society similar to USA and Canada. A large number of North Americans are flooding in to take advantage of the low real estate prices and wonderful standard of living. The benefits are too numerous to mention - suffice to say, less than $1,000 per month gets you a home and life style comparable to $3,000 plus in North America!

Panama is located in Central America. It covers 75,517 sq. km. Its eastern shore is the Caribbean and the western coast is the Pacific. The Pacific side has Panama City, and also contains much of the expat population. The tropical climate is in the range of 25-30 degrees Celsius. Their summer is from December through to April-May. The other season is called the rainy season, however only Oct. and Nov. are considered really rainy. Most mornings start off clear with blue skies and cloud up around 2 p.m. Panama does not suffer from natural disasters such as hurricanes or destructive earthquakes.

Let the people of Panama welcome you

Spanish is the official language, but English is widely spoken as well. The prominent religion is Roman Catholic, about 85% with Protestant making up much of the remainder. The government is a Democracy with a Prime Minister elected by the people every 4 years.

The economy is very robust. The new addition to the canal has created many new jobs. The income from the canal is the reason that the people of Panama enjoy a much higher standard of living than their neighbors in Central America. The USA has been involved in the country for a century and have helped build its infrastructure.

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Panama's rich history

Panama! Warm, tropical, palm trees silhouetted against the golden sky of a setting sun. Yes, it is all those romantic things and so much more! Panama, that thin strip of land running east to west to join the northern and southern halves of the Americas, provides a 50-mile wide divide between the world’s two largest oceans. Its narrow shape has provided much of its history, as the Spanish used it as a land bridge to transport Incan treasure en route to Spain; which attracted the pirates whose exploits made them household names. The rest is history, as they say. The French attempted to build a canal here and went bust. The Americans, who proved the value of the isthmus during the Gold Rush, succeeded from where the French had left off. Today, the Panama Canal, now run by the Panamanians, produces much of the country’s wealth, with more shipping registered in Panama than anywhere else in the world.

Panama once had a reputation as part of the pipeline for Columbian drugs. It suffered under the savage dictatorship of Manuel Noriega, until he was captured and imprisoned by American troops in December, 1989. The country has enjoyed a peaceful democracy ever since. Like Costa Rica, it has no military. Money is spent on education instead, so the people of Panama have a high level of literacy. If you need medical attention here, your doctor is likely to have been trained in the U.S. or Europe.

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Panama's natural beauty and modern conveniences

Many beaches in close vicinity - your choice!

Panama is... tales of pirates, of Spanish treasure, and the forts they tried to protect. It is jungle and monkeys and parrots. It has more birds than all of North America, with some 960 different species. There is a jungle preserve right inside the Panama City limits. Darien National Park, on the Columbian border, is a jungle of monstrous size, and one of the world’s richest wildlife habitats.

Panama is... silver sand on the Caribbean side and dramatic black volcanic sand in places on the Pacific side. It has the second largest volcanic crater in the world, which nesles inside it a popular tourist and retirement town. It is desert and mountaintops. Depending where you reside in this small peaceful country, it can be humid all year or like spring for all 12 months.

But, Panama is not only primative landscapes and plam trees. All the modern advancements and conveniences are yours to enjoy, as well.

Panama is... world-class hotels and resorts, the best roads in Central America by far (many were built by Americans), and Brinks has givene the country a top rating for personal safety. Top notch amenities, infrasctructure, and the Pan-Am highway bring all the natural beauty of Panama within your reach.

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Panama's activities, culture, and adventure

Panama... a place with much to see and do. Throughout the country there are concerts, a Jazz Festival, a National Theatre, Ballet, Art Exhibitions, Photo exhibits, Country Fairs, Rodeos, Carnaval, Folklore show, Horse races, etc. Of course there is all the water sports, fishing, swimming, surfing, scuba, golf, tennis, hiking trails, cycling, an more to satisfy the needs of any sport enthusiast.

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Panama City

Panama is a central hub for communications as they originate here and then span the globe. Banking here is very prominent as Panama wrote the book on off shore banking. Panama City is home to the second largest international banking center next to Switzerland.

Panama City

Panama City has world-class restaurants, five-star hotels, international banks, hundreds of multinational businesses, a Manhattan-type skyline, every imaginable luxury . . . all at about half the price you would pay in North America. It is only a few minutes to a few hours to the beaches, mountains, and countryside of Panama itself. It has all the infrastructure one might want right at hand, combined with a romantic’s idea of paradise a short distance away.

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The comforts of home

Few places in the world offer spring-like weather year-round, a low cost of living, safety, security, peace of mind, and beautiful landscapes the way Panama does. It has mountainsides covered with flowers and planted with coffee and beautiful waterfalls . . . not to mention the best pensionado program (retirement program for foreigners) in the world. It’s a real benefit for the retired expat, making your buck stretch a long way. And we do mean bucks, since the US dollar is the official currency of Panama.

Spectacular golfing awaits!

In Panama you will never feel far from home. When you stay for extended periods in another country, it is important to have the familiar services and the comforts of home. Because of the long association between Panama and the Americans, no other country can offer you a distinctive and delightful Latin culture that abounds with convenient American influences. The convenience of having a US dollar currency cannot be underestimated as it makes daily life so much easier for a foreigner. It is also the factor in stabilizing the economy and reducing inflation.

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