Finding Low-Humidity Retirement Destinations
“Kathleen, I am always impressed with your writing skills. Unfortunately retiring south of the border is highly improbable for me, due to my physical problems. I need to retire to somewhere with very low humidity as in Las Vegas, Phoenix, etc. What ideas so you have?”
–Matt G., United States
Mendoza, Argentina, or many other places in the mountains of Argentina could be a good choice for you. Much of this part of this country is high desert.
Medellin doesn’t have high humidity. This city sees a fair amount of rain, but humidity levels are comfortable and temperatures stay around 80 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.
Some Mediterranean areas are fairly dry. You could look at Abruzzo in Italy, for example.
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Does Anywhere Have Lower Humidity in Panama?
“I assume the answer is no, but…is there anywhere in Panama with low humidity? I live on Long Island, NY, and find the humidity here to be too high.”
–Gene S., United States
Yes, Panama is pretty uniform in its climates. However, some of the mountain regions are significantly cooler and would also have lower humidity.
Boquete and El Valle are two towns we recommend that are at higher altitudes. You can read more about them in our Country Retirement Reports for Panama.
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“Kathleen, I finally made the leap and am spending time in Medellin, Colombia. The weather is beyond perfect, and the paisas (as the locals here are known) are great. With so many events going on here, I have to keep a calendar. July and August are especially busy with so many festivals, including the Flower Parade. What a great place to be an expat! As a single American female, I’d encourage others like me to try Medellin.”
–Linda, Colombia
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“Kathleen, we’re looking for our ultimate retirement haven, but we can’t stand heat and humidity. Volcan, Panama, is beautiful, with tolerable weather, but too remote. Is there anything in the Toledo mountain area of Belize we should consider?
“Any other suggestions?”
— Larry H., United States
The Toledo area of Belize is more remote than Volcan in Panama.
I’d suggest instead:
- Uruguay (where you’d have a regular change of seasons, none too harsh)
- Medellin, Colombia (an emerging or even pre-emerging option that I like very much but that isn’t super user-friendly yet)
- Mendoza province in Argentina
