Advice needed on how to go around Panama to discover all the Areas?

1POSTS

11 years ago

Hello everyone!聽 For the last 10 years I talked about retiring abroad.聽 Now I'm only two years away from my retirement!!!!

And it seems like a very long two years to me as I would love to just up and retire right now but I need to wait till I'm 66.

I have been looking at Panama for the last five years as a place that I think I would like to retire. Obviously I need to come down and check the Panama out.

I plan over the next two years to make a couple two or three weeklong trips to Panama to travel around and check out the different areas.聽 I am not looking to buy a home but renting for a long long long long term. Do many people do that or do most people bye?

I'm not looking to re-create my American home in Panama but want a simple place where I can relax and write and enjoy people and just get out of the rat race. Since I have lived all over secondary to my father being in the service and traveling on my own I like a variety of different types of climates and areas.

聽 I just not sure how to go about going down聽 and getting started on checking out some areas. Don't want to do any of the tours talking about Panama, they seem more commercial driven.

I'm more of a get out and do it type of person.聽 I tried to find someone who was also into checking out Panama and maybe traveling with me.

But that didn't work out. If anyone can give聽 some suggestions it would be much appreciated!聽 I know just to see all of Panama and get a good idea I need to take about three different trips to cover all the areas.聽

So you all started somewhere how did you get started!!聽 Thank you for any suggestions, Vicky

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mcmoller Member

16POSTS

11 years ago

Hola,
We visited twice before moving to Pedas铆, Panama permanently a year ago. The first time, we traveled by bus, taxi, and rented a car in Chitre, depending on where we were staying. The 2nd time we rented a car at the airport and traveled all over Panama so we could decide where we preferred to move to. But there are lots of buses that can take you to the interior, even small vans that travel to some of the smallest towns. If you stay in Panama City, a shuttle to your hotel, taxis, buses, and the metro will get you just about anywhere you want to go. If you plan to go by bus, get a shuttle to the main terminal at Albrook Mall and there are even nice express buses to certain cities such as David, Las Tablas, etc. You can find some schedules at: thebusschedule.com or horariodebuses.com. You can also fly to David, Bocas del Toro, and even Pedasi from the airport near Albrook. Definitely try to explore on your own instead of package tours.
As far as renting vs. buying, we decided to rent so we could be free to move around if we so choose. Rents vary depending on where you decided to live and what you are looking for in accommodations. They are usually higher near the beaches and Panama City. You can find postings on Craigslist and Encuenta.com, but once you decide what area you want to live in, it is best to just ask or drive around to see. The two rentals we have been were through people we met on our visits or after we moved.
Hope this info helps a little. 隆Buena suerte!
Connie

kristc99 Serial expat

883POSTS

11 years ago

What kind of living conditions do you think you want? City? Country? beach? mountains? near expats or not? Not knowing that, I think.... you will land in Panama City so even if you don't plan to live there, it would be fun to spend a couple days seeing the sights. From there, there is Coronado on the beach, El Valle in the mountains, and both aren't too far from the city. Another area is the Azeuro Peninsula - Pedasi, Las Tablas, maybe Chitre. This area is best known for the beautiful beaches. A third area is Chiriqui. It is best known for Boquete, a mountain town full of expats and tourists. Volcan is another mountain town, David is a working people's city with shopping, hospitals, everything you need on a daily basis. There are also beach spots - La Barqueta and Las Lajas, and Boca Chica is also beautiful but more islands and fishing than beach life. On the Caribbean side you will find Bocas del Toro, another touristy area which isn't close to much else but a beautiful area worth a visit. That's three general areas to concentrate on, and a fourth to consider.