Howdy.
My wife and I are nearing an early retirement. For the past couple of years, we have been researching the possibility of retiring full or part time overseas. We have narrowed our choices down, and started the 'boots on the ground' phase....and are continually looking for new choices.
For our first trip, we spent a week in Costa Rica last July. We met some great people and had an exceptional time. We only had time to run down the coast from Jaco to Ojochal, but it gave us a quick overview of some things. The roads were 'interesting' and the lack of wind really surprised me (I expected more of a Caribbean type wind). My wife has never found a place that is too hot for her, and I'm good w/the heat, but definitely need shade and a wind. We had planned to make a return trip, but it looks as though CR may be following in the US's footsteps regarding taxation. So, we're putting CR on the back burner and will now turn our attention to Panama.
So, we're looking to spend a week cruising the coast lines starting in the last week of June into the first week of July. We like the 'country' as opposed to the 'city', so we want to avoid PC like the plague. We'll fly into David from PC, and then shoot the Pacific coast from the CR border on down to Pedasi. Then head over to Bocas to see the area and visit a couple we met last year in CR that bought in Bocas instead of CR for the same tax reason.
Any advice you can provide to assist us in our first Panama trip is appreciated. We don't speak spanish, and I'm hoping to reach a few contacts via email (probably real estate agents) prior to getting there to kind of act like a mini tour guide for each of the areas along the coast we'll stop. We'll probably spend the first and last night in a hotel near the airport, so if there any recommendations (pro/con) that would be a great help (one w/a bar/restaurant would be a plus....the first day is gonna be a long one).
We're salt water people...I've told everyone we've talked to, "No boat, no move". So, that's why we are attracted to the coasts. I guess that's all I have for an introduction. I hope to discuss this and many more things in the months to come w/the group.
Thanks,
Joe & Carol from a small Island in Maryland