We want to do everything we can to help make 2016 your year, the year you get up and get going to make your dreams of a new life in a new land come true. And we realize that we’d better get moving, because, as I write, we’re already midway through January.
A big part of our role in this conversation, as we see it, is to provide options. Last month, I suggested a top 12 list for where to retire in 2016. The 12 destinations that made that short list are a great place to start, but they’re not the only places in the world that might make sense for you. Maybe your ideal Shangri-la overseas isn’t among the world’s top 12, as we recognize them right now.
12 Top Foreign Retirement Havens For 2016, Pt. 1
12 Top Foreign Retirement Havens For 2016, Pt. 2
That’s one question we put to ourselves when we sat down to prepare the 2016 editorial calendar for my Overseas Retirement Letter. Where else, beyond that top 12 list, offers opportunity and lifestyle upside for the would-be retiree overseas this year?
Our answer to that question became our Overseas Retirement Letter agenda for this New Year. That is, here’s our ORL lineup for 2016, covering both perennial retire-overseas favorites and appealing up-and-coming options you may never have heard of.
In the year ahead, Overseas Retirement Letter subscribers can look forward to detailed and comprehensive reports on what retirement would be like in the following destinations:
Ambergris Caye, Belize
We’ve named Cayo, Belize, as the world’s second-best retirement option for 2016; however, Belize has much to offer beyond its rain forest interior, including one of the world’s best choices for a new life by the sea, la isla bonita Ambergris Caye. One of our favorite places to kick it in the Caribbean, Ambergris Caye is undergoing an infrastructure boom. A new international airport is being built on the northern end of the island. On the southern end, in and around San Pedro, a FIFA-standard football and mixed athletics stadium for international sporting events is planned and six major new resort developments are under way.
As a result, Ambergris is not only one of the best places to think about spending time, but also, right now, a top investment option. This is a closing window to take a position in advance of all this big-deal infrastructure… which will lead to more tourists, more residents, and higher property values.
For all these reasons, we decided Ambergris would be a good place to start the New Year. Our man on the ground Con Murphy, therefore, presents our complete report on current opportunities in Ambergris in the January issue of Overseas Retirement Letter, in subscribers’ mailboxes this weekend.
Hvar, Croatia
Croatia is a beautiful country with a long and interesting history and some of Europe’s most sought-after coastline. One of the myriad islands off this coast, Hvar, is increasingly discovered for tourism but offers an appealing lifestyle option, as well, that nobody is talking about. This is a top choice for affordable Mediterranean island living without the crowds.
Lisbon, Portugal
Portugal’s Algarve coast is our pick for the world’s top retirement haven for 2016. If you’re more interested in a cosmopolitan retirement than one by the ocean, Portugal offers another top choice in its capital city Lisbon. This city is a major global hub and one of the world’s oldest cities, predating London, Paris, and Rome by centuries. Lisbon is the best of a European capital city without the pretention or the cost.
Pereira, Colombia
Medellín takes third place on our top havens for 2016 list. Its sister city Pereira, in this country’s Coffee Triangle, offers a similar climate, a similar valley setting, and a similar overall vibe but lower costs.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Included on our 2016 list of world’s best retirement havens (in position number 10), Puerto Vallarta is our top choice for a comfortable and fully appointed retirement on the Pacific coast.
Udon Thani, Thailand
Thailand is another country we’ve long recommended as a top choice for retirement, and our top havens for 2016 list includes Chiang Mai. However, this year we also want to direct your attention to Udon Thani, a city that gets much less attention but has a great deal to offer expats and retirees, including excellent health care, a relaxed lifestyle, a welcoming population, and a super-low cost of living.
Makati, Philippines
The Philippines offers a great retiree residency program, lots of outdoor activities, good health care, and possibly the lowest cost of living in the world. This year we want to introduce you to Makati, specifically, a part of Manila (the only part) that is safe, relatively prosperous, accessible to everything a retiree would want or need (great shopping, excellent health care, beaches, and big-city cultural diversions), and also very affordable.
Big year.
Your year.
Bon voyage.
Kathleen Peddicord
Retirement Havens That Could Top Your 2016 List
