Retirement planning for Mexico or Panama (living, prices, airport, nightlife)

[erider99]

Hi all,

I need some advice. I am starting to look at future locations for an early retirement. I am 56 and living in Oregon, which I love during the summer but really want to escape from at some point. I have been spending many hours online looking at various places but they all seem like marketing websites. I thought some personal opinions might help.

Wanted:

• Tropical or warm environment
• Near water, ocean is best, lake might do (might be flexible on this)
• Love historic buildings
• Want some city experiences, open markets, sidewalk dining, perhaps nightlife, great food
• A community that is vibrant and alive. I get bored easily and don't want to be "stuck" in the boonies.
• Reasonable cost of buying housing

Not Wanted:

• Being trapped in American only walled-in environments
• Too much noise and polution
• Spanish only speaking. I am flexible to learn, but hope to find a place where I can get by with English as a start. I travel alot internationally so I am used to multi-culteral situations.
• High risk environments. I want to be able to walk the streets and mix with the local environment. I'm generally not afraid during most of my travels but I know there are places that I don't belong.

Any suggestions for cities or locations that would work?

[BestintheWest]

I have lived in both countries.

Both are very nice if the right spot is selected. I could rant for hours about different places, but you might research,

David in Panama, large city, friendly, lots of english and of course us currency is the norm. Not too expensive. Hot and tropical with Chiriqui just 30 minutes up the mountain.

Mexico, wow, lived in so many places. The best choices would be Merida, a little expensive but great, friendly, wonderful food, or just to the coast from there, Progresso.

Also in Mexico, but inland, loved Ajijic, moderate climate 365 days a year.

Good luck.

[sparksmex]

Not many beach towns with historic buildings. For the west coast it would be Mazatlan. More on the east coast but beaches are not as nice. I'm in the Lake Chapala area now and it gets mighty cold here compared to the beaches

Sparks Mexico
Sparks Mexico Web

[BestintheWest]

This might help

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[Willy702]

Parts of Veracruz might be good for you. Not the greatest beaches in Mexico, but on the water with a climate to match and some of the best nightlife around. Relatively few foreigners around and not too expensive on the housing front. Only thing is the noise and traffic of being in a larger port city might bother you, but its actually an interesting place I'd like more if the humidity and heat weren't so bad.

[SarahSal]

Bucerias, Nayarit - a lovely beachside town with some older (not Spanish-Colonial era) very architecturally attractive homes. English spoken most everywhere you go but also always the fun challenge of hearing/learning Spanish. Prices here have come down somewhat in the last year and there are some deals out there. Only 20 minutes from the Vallarta airport where there are many direct flights to the US. Close (1.5 hours) to several beautiful old mountain 'silver' towns for a dose of lovely architecture.

We looked for many years before deciding this town was a real gem. Unfortunately (in our opinion) several US corps like walmart, homedepot, etc. have located in the Vallarta area over the last decade. Some, however, may think that's wonderful to have access to a bigger variety of offerings. There IS more traffic on the main roads but still many, many places where you absorb the real culture of this country. And the weather is SUPERB, except during the rainy season (mid June to September) when it's very hot and humid. Then you go to the mountains!