Las Tablas, Panama

Three hours west along the Pan-American Highway and then 90 minutes southeast along Panama’s Azuero Peninsula is the sleepy town of Las Tablas. Las Tablas is one of the best places in Panama to live a stress-free, relaxed retirement—one of the main reasons people move to Panama.

Las Tablas is the first town of note along what is becoming this country’s Gold Coast.

Other beaches, certainly, are easier to access from Panama City. But these “city beaches,” as they’re called, have gotten expensive. Panamanians like to be able to leave work on Friday afternoons and reach their places on the water by dinnertime, and they are willing to pay a premium for that privilege. Properties at these Panama City beach areas, therefore, have appreciated in value over the past several years, but the experience doesn’t support the inflation. The beaches aren’t great (they’re typically muddy and flat), and there’s no town, no community anywhere along this coast, just collections here and there of (often) down-at-the-heels weekend party houses.

The good news about Las Tablas is that you are greeted by a charming and lively town center, a welcoming local population, and a long- established community of Panamanians and expats who savor their seaside lifestyle.

This is a town where no one is in a rush. Everyone seems to be at ease, and the moment you enter town, you fall right in line. If you try to force a quickened pace, you’ll just find yourself frustrated. This makes Las Tablas one of the best places in Panama to live out a stress-free, relaxed retirement. The cost of living in Las Tablas is one of the lowest in the country. In Las Tablas, a couple could retire on a budget of as little as US$820 per month. You could spend more, of course, living in Las Tablas, especially if you travel often to Panama City to enjoy the distractions of the big city. But if you’d be happy with a modest life, sticking close to home, passing your days fishing and swimming, Las Tablas could have your name written all over it.

Monthly Budget For A Couple Living In Las Tablas, Panama

A guide to what you can expect to pay. We always recommend renting somewhere first to get the truest idea of how much you will spend.

Apartment or House Rental

Apartment or House Ownership

The highway that delivers you into town is marked on both sides by fertile farmland, where cows graze in open fields. Colorful hammocks are for sale on most corners, and all other corners have been taken over by similar vendors, just waiting for tourists. Schools, museums, and city governments all over this country look to Las Tablas whenever they have a major parade or festival coming up.

The average rainfall in Las Tablas during the rainy season hovers right around 250 to 300 millimeters (9 to 11 inches). In the dry season, you might only see rain a couple of days per month. The warmest days in Las Tablas seem to be in March and April, when the average high is 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The lowest temperature in the area is 70 degrees.