Caribbean & Central America

The lush, tropical destinations in the Caribbean and Central America draw thousands of visitors each year. Some of those visitors fall in love with these picture postcard gorgeous countries and decide to live there full-time or at least part of the year when the weather in their home country becomes unbearable.

Most people believe that a Caribbean retirement is only for the very wealthy. That’s simply not true if you know where to look. The places you’ll read about here are beautiful locations, offering a high standard of living, and a cost of living that’s a fraction of what you would spend in a similar location in the States or Canada.

If your overseas living, retirement, or snowbird dream includes powdery white sand beaches, swaying palm trees, and watching the sunset over a turquoise sea, you have plenty of options to consider among the welcoming countries that make up the Caribbean and Central American nations.

Panama, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and even Mexico (which is technically located in North America) are some of our favorite countries in this part of the world that should be on your radar.

You can choose from:

  • culturally rich historic towns such as Cartagena, Colombia and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
  • bustling waterfront cities like Panama City, Panama
  • laid-back beach towns like San Pedro, Belize,
  • cute little Latin American or Spanish-influenced communities,
  • unspoiled beaches in the Azuero Peninsula, Panama or Las Terranes, Dominican Republic
  • and tourist towns like Cancun and Tulum, Mexico

Just picture yourself enjoying perfect weather every day, taking daily strolls along the beach, feasting on fresh seafood and tropical fruits, and whiling away the hours reading a great book in a hammock. No more shoveling snow, driving in bad conditions, waiting for a short growing season to plant a garden, or hibernating while you wait for the weather to change. In the Caribbean and Central America, you can have the perfect tropical dream life.

Surf, sunsets, and sea breezes on Panama’s most beautiful stretch of Pacific coastline

Leave a Comment / Caribbean & Central America, Featured, Property Types, Top Investments / By

April 22, 2014
Panama City, Panama

US$1 = 1 Panamanian Balboa (fixed)

Dear Overseas Property Alert reader,

“Lot #6…it’s the best one on the property.”

That’s what I said to myself as I watched the pile of grilled chicken breasts and spareribs disappear from the flaming barbecue grill at our hilltop lookout. As the sun made its way slowly toward the Pacific, the 17 of us juggled maps, plot plans, and price lists while enjoying a late lunch and absorbing the feel of the property and the inspiring view.

We’re taking in the vista from one of the high points at Los Islotes, a master-planned community located on the westward-facing side of the Azuero Peninsula, also called the Sunset Coast, more than an hour off the Pan-American Highway at Santiago.

The ride from the highway seemed to take forever in my hurry to get to the project.

But I was missing the point. As I spoke to the Los Islotes property owners and some of the local expat residents, I realized that they didn’t want to be near the Pan-American Highway, or Panama City…or any other source of noise, pollution, or traffic.

The people in this area are here for the peace and quiet. It’s the relatively remote setting, the quiet beaches, and the wild, natural environment that brought them here in the first place. So the ride down from the highway only reinforces the fact that they’re leaving the stress and bustle of the real world behind.

One unique feature of the Los Islotes property is the dramatic, hilly terrain leading right up to the ocean. The hills and valleys prohibit a boring, row-upon-row layout when planning the homesites and allow the houses to be tucked here and there among the hills. This means that there are scores of ocean-view properties with relatively unobstructed sea views…without having to look at the back of someone else’s house. …

Surf, sunsets, and sea breezes on Panama’s most beautiful stretch of Pacific coastlineRead More »

Los Islotes

Leave a Comment / Caribbean & Central America, Property Types, Top Investments / By

Los Islotes is a private, gated, residential community on the dramatically beautiful west coast of the Azuero Peninsula in Veraguas Province, Panama. Los Islotes is the only fully master-planned development project in this important part of this country. The property is 750 acres, including almost 1 kilometer of beachfront and two separate beaches, one protected and perfect for swimming, the other great for surfing.

The terrain is elevated and rolling, allowing for truly extraordinary views in all directions from nearly every point on the property. Just offshore are three small islands, from which the property takes its name; beyond is the well-known island of Cebaco. This full-amenity master-planned community will include a Spanish colonial-style town with shops, restaurants, apartments, and a central plaza for daily strolling and nightly entertainment. Other areas of the property will be given over to individual homes, low-rise condos, casitas, and town homes. …

Los IslotesRead More »