Retirees heading to Panama tend to find themselves with many types of communities to live in that suits their taste. More and more, however, they are choosing the “Playas” or beaches area of the central Pacific coastline. This area consists of three primary towns: Coronado, Gorgona, and San Carlos. Though retirees live up and down the coast in some other small towns as well, this is where you’ll find the largest concentration of expats, and the most infrastructure as far as residential developments, shopping, and food/drink/entertainment services. If you’re looking for a quiet, natural, upscale beach life that’s about an hour or so from Panama City, this may be your best bet. Here’s why.
The Beaches already have a strong network of expats and retirees
On the surface, the easiest convincer for retiree expats to move to the Beaches is comfort in numbers. Coronado is probably the most retiree expat populated town in Panama, and you’ll immediately notice it while you’re there. There are big condo developments that are made for an upscale beach lifestyle, as well as beach homes for sale and rent of all sizes. Golf is available by membership, as well as horseback riding, social clubs, local happy hours, and markets all catered to expats who have decided to retire in Panama. The already established community helps a lot of new retirees adjust to a foreign lifestyle, and give them a built-in support group when things don’t feel right, or when people get homesick.
It also greatly helps with those who don’t yet fluently speak Spanish, as many restaurants, bars, stores, and building staff in the area have at least a basic knowledge of English. The same is true in both Gorgona and San Carlos, although it’s more concentrated to a few residential developments than the town overall, like Coronado.
Benefits of living as a retiree in the Beaches area
The most immediate benefit is the quality of life. Expats or not, beachside residents in Panama enjoy plenty of sun, sand, and cool breezes year round. You will also be very close to Panama City, which has major advantages as far as international travel, certain doctor visits, shopping, or visiting friends. While prices in the beaches area aren’t too much cheaper than the city, they’re still very reasonable for a retirement community, especially with all the luxury and amenities available in the area. You can live very well without being wealthy, and splurge when needed on the finer things if you like too. It will also keep you active, which is very important for retirees of any age.
Living in Panama and retiring in Panama can have immesurable benefits, and the Beaches area is a great example of this. We recommend that before deciding to relocate, you come down for a visit first, and see it for yourself. We also recommend that you speak to other similar expats and retirees to hear about their experience. If you’ve dreamed your entire life of living on the beach, and doing so in luxurious comfort and fun, then you’re going to love the towns of Coronado, Gorgona, and San Carlos. Come see for yourself!
