Back in 2000, Live And Invest Overseas’ Founding Publisher Kathleen Peddicord visited Boquete—a small mountain town in Panama’s Chiriquí Province—just as it was being eyed as the world’s first expat retiree haven.
Back then, the idea of moving overseas was far from mainstream, and even those ahead of the curve were following more familiar trails to Mexico or Costa Rica. Few retirees considered Panama at all.
But Kathleen knew her audience and a good bet when she saw one. She named Boquete the world’s best place to retire overseas a year later.
Over two decades on, the mainstream has caught up, with everyone from the AARP to Fortune magazine highlighting this little town’s big charms.
Today, Boquete is perhaps the world’s best-known expat haven. It’s home to some 25,000 people, over a fifth of whom are expats primarily from the U.S. and Canada, but a good number of Europeans, too.
For those not familiar with Boquete, it’s located in Panama’s Chiriquí Province, in the west of the country. Boquete is around a 40-minute drive from David, Panama’s third-largest city.
Copa Airlines and Wingo operate flights from David’s Enrique Malek International Airport to Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport. Flights run daily, take around 40 minutes, and one-way fares start from $40. From David you can catch the bus to Boquete for $2 or a cab for around $30.
Alternatively, you can drive or take a bus from Panama City. The journey takes around seven hours, depending on traffic and pit stops.
Boquete lies on the Caldera River, and its elevation—some 3,900 feet above sea level—means the climate is mild, with daily temperatures hovering between 65°F and 75°F year-round.
Nestled amid forest-clad mountains, Boquete is a haven for nature lovers. Here, you’ll find hot springs, hiking trails, and waterfalls, and the town hosts an annual flower and coffee festival in the bloom-laden riverside park.
For me, Boquete’s appeal is easily understood. If you like friendly, slow-paced, small-town life, then it will likely appeal to you, too. That’s not to say it’s a boring place to be. The expat community is long-established, welcoming, and thriving.
During the day you can get most errands done in the town, where there are pharmacies, banks, postal services, clinics, gyms, boutiques, laundrettes, cafés, a library, and well-stocked supermarkets selling familiar favorites from back home.
As the sun sets, the town comes alive as the scores of restaurants that line the main street fire up their ovens and live music filters out from open-air bars draped in fairy lights.
There are oodles of expat groups and activities on offer, so making friends and settling in is easier in Boquete than most anywhere.
Plus, the large expat community means you won’t need to be fluent in Spanish to make the move here. You can get by in English, although to really enjoy expat life, learning at least a little of the local language goes a long way.
One of the biggest draws here is safety. I felt perfectly safe walking around the town alone day and night. Of course, like anywhere, you take normal precautions, but in general, crime isn’t something that impacts most people’s daily lives here.
The downtown area is walkable, providing you don’t have any mobility issues. The streets are clean, too, and the infrastructure is good.
As with anywhere, your cost of living will depend on the lifestyle you choose. If you rent a casita, shop in local markets, and use public transport, you could get by on $1,500 a month.
If you choose to live in a large villa, dine out often, run a car, buy imported goods, and enjoy mornings on the golf course or afternoons at the spa, your monthly budget will easily exceed $5,000.
You’ll find people enjoying life at both ends of the spectrum here as well as many comfortably in between.
Boquete really does offer the best of all worlds… adventure and comfort… luxury and simplicity… the familiar and the exotic… You don’t have to worry about weather extremes, security, language barriers, finding friends…
It’s also a great jumping-off point for adventures farther afield… the Gulf of Chiriquí National Marine Park, Bocas del Toro, and even Costa Rica are within easy reach.
Plus, locally there are coffee farms, zip-lining, butterfly farms, volcano hikes, and more. As a result, Boquete is now one of the most popular spots for tourists visiting Panama.
The downside to the popularity that Boquete has been enjoying these past 20-odd years is that prices have inevitably risen—though they’re still a bargain for most people coming from the U.S. or Canada—and that accommodation can be harder to find…
House prices have been rising steadily over the years, and Boquete’s popularity shows no signs of waning. Plans are in the works to widen the road from David to four lanes to deal with increased traffic.
But for all its popularity, it doesn’t feel crowded here. While the town is bustling, the pace of life remains wonderfully relaxed…
There’s no doubt about it, Boquete is booming and will be for a long time to come. If you’d like to own a patch of this little paradise, then the best time to act was 20 years ago… the second best time is today.
Sincerely,
Victoria Harmer
Editor, Overseas Opportunity Letter
