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Panama is a very diverse, third-world country with lots of natural beauty and all the drawbacks of an unreliable infrastructure.  Some people can shrug off these "minor" inconveniences and live happily others go crazy with their U.S. or Canadian lives being uninterrupted.  The beaches are NOT white sand like Destin despite the hype, but are darker to outright blackish on the Caribbean.  Construction quality is typically suspect.  Visit and see for yourself.  It may be what you want, it will not be what IL claims it is (nor is Ecuador, Costa Rica or anywhere else).  It's a "buyer beware" place so just keep your eyes open and see for yourself.  What is tolerable to you may not and often isn't to others, IMO.

Sorry, but I disagree with SawMan. Panama is NOT a Third World country, I have been to several Third World countries. Possibly Second World, but Panama has significantly more infrastructure than any Third World country. There are white sand beaches on the Pacific side and many people live very comfortably in a diverse number of locales in Panama. The people are warm and very friendly, especially when you get out of the big cities and in the smaller towns and villages. Do visit and vist a number of different cities from beaches to jungle to mountain communities.

Wow!  Send pics of those white sand beaches and no mention of the constant power outages, police stops (hold ups for money), crime, sub-standard construction!  Whoa.

Have you been to Venao, or Arenal or El Torro Beaches on the Azuro Peninsula. Personally never had a power outage, never been the victim of crime or heard of anyone in the village that has been, what substandard construction, all the house where we are, are great You must have been to different Panama than the one we have.
BTW, This just a different set of generalities, just like you made. Of, course there are problems, but so there are problems in Detroit, Chicago, South Central L.A., New York, Washington, D.C.

You're selling something.  Friend of mine outside Panama City was out power for 5.5 hours yesterday. I've been mugged by locals and scared them away when I got out of the car and showed I was able and willing to kick their ass, policia expect money or they confiscate your passport...yes, this is Panama.  Does that make it worse than the U.S.?  Probably not.  At least the crooks are in your face instead of hiding in Washington and it's only a Twenty Dollar bill or two to resolve.

In Panama City, you have multi-million dollar condos and VERY rich Jewish families hidden in Punta Paitilla and driven in motorcades to the Colon Free Trade Zone.  Yes, Panama is a country of haves and haves nots. Expats sort of blend in as left-overs that only local f___ with.

Dear members,

Don't you think we are going a bit off topic?
I suggest we try to help Janob who asked about the best beach location.

Thanks
Armand

We live in David. The main beach communities near here are Las Lajas and La Barqueta. They are beautiful, and especially at La Barqueta there are expats building lovely homes. Boca Chica isn't exactly beach, well they do have a small beach, but rather islands and boating, fishing, etc. For us, these areas are too far from shopping and daily needs, but they are definitely very very beautiful. It all depends on what works for you though.

You might also look at Coronado, big beach area closer to Panama City where a lot of expats are going. I don't know much about it but believe it's more expensive.

As for all the negative comments, here in David the only time we have had a power outage is when there was an incident that took out the whole country for an afternoon. We feel safer here than we did in the US. Of course there is crime all over the world but these people are generally peaceful and very friendly, and everyone looks out for each other. I think Panama City is different from the rest of the country and has more problems with traffic, crime, utilities, high costs, and the usual hassles associated with a big and quickly growing city.

You really need to come and visit and see how it feels to you! Do not move until you have thoroughly checked it out in person, and do not buy anything until you have lived here for a year. We love it here, but it doesn't work for everyone. Also, you really need some Spanish.

Kris

Janob wrote:

My husband will be retiring in about six months. We have never been to Panama but have been reading wonderful things about the country, great place to retire.   Writing to ask for ideas of best beach location for a retiree.  Want to come explore the area prior to moving.  Thank you Jan

Funny nobody has mentioned Coronado.  I hear that this is the best beach community there is, and it has a super nice beach & there are many other great beaches in the area - Palmar, Rio Mar, Santa Clara, etc. and they are nearby.

Hey guys,

It's been awhile since I last participated here. I quickly scrolled through the arguments up top, and I'll address them after I try to help a little with the question at hand. Panama has many beaches, all with different pros and cons.

Coronado is by far the most expat-friendly beach lifestyle option. I'd consider it the furnished home of Panama. Expats have already moved there and established something. Many get together for drinks at Picasso's. You'll find everything there from an equestrian club to a golf course to just about anything else you can imagine. Three major supermarkets are located right off the main road. Coronado is great, but it's not the kind of lifestyle you'll afford on a shoestring budget. High-rise condos and beautiful mansions line the beach, so it's not so easy to get to if you don't own a home in the area.

Pedasi (which is the area you'll find Venao, Arenal, and El Torro, mentioned by sunnymikkel) is one of my favorite areas in all of Panama. The expat population in the small, charming town consists of foreigners from all over the globe. LIke Coronado, they often get together to hang out at Smiley's, where there's a live American cover band two nights a week, great barbecue, and giant pitchers of sangria. REnt in Pedasi can be quite affordable, if you can find an available home for rent.

Close to Las Tablas, is Playa Uverito. I met a couple renting a one-bedroom (with an office) house, literally right on the beach, fully furnished, for $650 per month. The town of Las Tablas is really local living though, probably one of the most third-world areas in Panama, but it's really cheap and the people there are the friendliest I've met in Panama.

Tons of other beaches dot the coast. If you want to live close to Coronado and benefit from the restaurants and supermarkets, but don't want to pay the heavy price tag, check out Chame, Punta Chame, or Gorgona, all close to Coronado. Pass Coronado on the highway, maybe 10-minutes away, and you'll find the small town of San Carlos, where I walked into a hospital, saw a doctor, had my blood sugar checked, and had my blood pressure checked, with no insurance. I paid a total of one dollar.

So, that brings me to the argument that took place earlier on. I was in the military, I've been to third-world countries, and most of Panama is not third-world. Sure, parts of it are. If you go to the farming town of Rio Hato, it's very laid back, and cock fighting is a major form of entertainment. The people there are really cool though. Like I mentioned before, Las Tablas is super local. I'm not a big fan of Portobelo, on the Caribbean side (other than for its historical value), but a lot of people love it there. It really is up to each person to visit here and find their own little slice of heaven. I've mentioned before that I love the sleep, walking town of Aguadulce, where most would consider it very boring, but I like it a lot. To me, it's like small-town Oklahoma.

I have to say that SawMan is correct about power outages. I live in Panama City, and they do happen quite frequently. Same thing with water being shut off from time to time. A lot of that depends on where you live though. I know people who've never had their power shut off. Right now, with the new metro el train system being put in, the construction is making traffic worse and is a major cause of some of the power outages and water line damage. Hopefully that will all be fixed once the train is up and running.

This is a place with a strip that rivals that of Miami (the Cinta Costera), which is a really cool place to jog, walk the dog, or take the kids to play. It's been expanded recently, and they continue to make it nicer and prettier. Most of the old-school buses have been taken off the road and replaced by nice, city-style buses that you'd be used to seeing in Chicago. The taxis are all yellow (they were once whatever color they wanted to be). Police do stop you and can harass you a little. Not all of them are like this, but SawMan is correct in saying that some of them do want a bribe. It's up to you whether you play that game or not. I have paid out once or twice, but then at some point I said, "Screw this." I no longer pay anything. I let them sit and harass me for a few minutes, then when they realize I'm not paying them anything, they eventually get bored and let me go. Well, that was before I got my Panamanian driver's license. Now they just whip out a ticket.

Hmm, what else was being argued. Oh, crime. Yes, it does exist. There are certain areas of Panama City you would not want to walk into, especially places like Chorrillo, near Casco Viejo. But you wouldn't go walking through Liberty City, Miami, the same way you'd strut down South Beach. Don't walk around with a laptop out in the open or waving around your gaudy Rolex. At least not in an iffy neighborhood.

I met two cops in Pedasi, one of the beach towns I mentioned earlier. They told me that they'd been working in town for a little over year, and there'd only been one crime. And that was a domestic dispute.

In Panama City, a family friend was robbed getting into a taxi. The driver was in on it, stopped, let in a gun-toting passenger, and they robbed him for whatever cash he had on him. So, it does happen here. But how many people have been mugged or robbed in NYC? Or pick-pocketed in Chicago? Or scammed in Miami?

This place isn't Wellington, Florida, and it's not a typical suburb in Ohio, but it's also not the mean streets of San Pedro Sula in Honduras.

You need to come here yourself, plan a week or two, and visit places inside the city and out in the interior of the country. Chances are, one of the places will just feel right. Trust your gut. And rent first if possible.

Hope I helped answer the question. If you want to read more about Panama, check out my blog at

Chris

hi dear friend!
i want to know about La Chorrera, Panama, Rep. of Panama. i have friend from there and she want to sponsor me...tell me about this place because i am worry about crimes...
thanks in advance

Don't think you'll find anyone here who lives in La Chorrera because I doubt there are many expats there. To me it is a grimey, drive through bedroom community 1/2 hr west of the city. Many little cookie cutter houses. Has more of a poor, growing, suburban feel, rather than a laid back character but I'm no expert on LC. Only good thing I know is that it's close to the city, if you want that. Probably more crime than many other place, I would guess.

In response to the other post...very little problem with power outages, or police shakedowns, or substandard construction in my experience. Not saying it doesn't happen though. My biggest beef-litter.

Coronado has too much gringo presence for me. I would go farther west where things are quieter if I were a beach person. I didn't move down here for malls, fast food joints, etc. I like quiet, laid back. BTW-the Azuero has less litter, is drier, but can get quite hot but Coronado, etc. can too.

Hi Janob:

You'll find many different opinions about Panama and it's true it's not for everyone.  My suggestion would be to read, read, read, read, read and then visit and form your own opinion.  There are several of us who have blogs registered on this site and I think that you'll find that they form honest opinions about what life is like living here.

Chris and Kris are both correct.  Chris lives in the city (he has a blog listed here) and experiences water and power outages frequently as the infrastructure is improved.  Kris lives in David (she also has a blog) and the infrastructure where she is seems to be better.  I live in Pedasi (one of Chris's favorite places, and yes I have a blog) and we experience our fair share power outages (especially during Wet Season) but there is a plan to improve the infrastructure that is strained by the increase in population.  And yes, we occasionally have outages of 12 hours but they are usually 2-4 hours at a time.

My suggestion is to sit down and write a list of your must haves, wants, nice to haves and can live withouts for any place you'd like to retire be it in Panama or in North America.  You really have to decide what kind of lifestyle you'd like to live.  For example, live like a local, live like a Gringo (totally possible in some of the gated communities), or have a mix of the two.  And don't let anyone tell you that you can get by only speaking English, so take into account that you'll need to learn at least a little Spanish.   The country has too many diverse areas with different types infrastructure, services and climate to narrow it down before even taking a trip here. 

Good luck with your research and preparations for retirement!

Fantastic info and VERY accurate!!!