Nov. 15, 2008
Waterford, Ireland
Dear Overseas Living Letter Reader,
If you’ve been following Kathleen Peddicord‘s writings in the daily Overseas Opportunity Letter, you’re already acquainted with Panama. You know about the country’s general attractions: arguably the world’s best pensionado program, a stable economy, modern infrastructure, privacy and tax advantages, an affordable cost of living, affordable real estate, and world-class health care…to name a few…
For the potential retiree, Panama offers a number of lifestyle options. Here you can live in the vibrant capital city, at the beach (choose between Caribbean and Pacific), or tucked away in the cool, lush hills. It’s in the third category that we begin our Panama coverage. In this month’s issue of the Overseas Living Letter, Contributing Editor Lucy Culpepper takes you to the small mountain town of El Valle–a place of great natural beauty that Lucy calls “heaven on earth.”
Unlike Boquete in the Chiriqui province, El Valle has managed to maintain a low profile among mountain-loving foreigners. In El Valle, you’ll mostly be among the natives and, on weekends, locals from the city who keep second homes here.
However, if you’re picturing some sort of reclusive mountain existence, fear not. El Valle is conveniently located 30 to 45 minutes from some of the Pacific coast’s best beaches…and about two hours from Panama City (so you can regularly enjoy the best of the city, without its heat and humidity). Lucy shares all her insider information on living, getting around, buying property, staying healthy, and making the best of your time in El Valle this month.
Another bonus of living in Panama is that, on a day-to-day basis, you’re pretty much unaffected by the performance of the U.S. dollar: the country uses the dollar as its official currency. But what if you’re looking to live somewhere else, where currency fluctuation might be an issue? This month, Retirement Planner Extraordinaire Paul Terhorst has some helpful suggestions on how to beat a currency crisis–along with critical advice on how to invest for your retirement and spend your money wisely when you’re overseas.
Sincerely,
Lynn Mulvihill
Editor-in-Chief, the Overseas Living Letter
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