Want to know the good and not so good about Panama before relocating!!

Hello Dorothy  and Dave and welcome to Expat.com

While waiting for members to give you out some fresh tips about life over there in Panama I invite you to browse through the threads in our section Everyday Life in Panama to gather some useful infos.

Regards
Kenjee
Expat.com Team

The best thing about living in Panama is the people.  Most of the Panamanians are happy, kind, and very friendly.  They love animals and have been kind to my dog.   All ages, religions, and races get along beautifully.  I live in Panama City which is a distant lifestyle from cottage life, but there are men fishing in the bay from boats and at low tide they fish from the rocks.  Gardening lovers in the city sometimes serve on their building's landscape or architecture board to help design the building's gardens and yards.  Panama is constantly changing and improving its infrastructure.  I enjoy grocery "hunting" at the many nice, modern grocery stores.  You really can find just about everything you want in Panama.  The malls are modern and beautiful..  There is so much to do in Panama that you will never be bored.  In the city, the fireworks are of Disney quality and are displayed often.  Panama has exceeded my expectations.  The only one thing I find on the not so good question, is that I miss wearing shorts.  The Panamanians dress up a bit more than North Americans and long pants are the norm.  I have seen a few more people wearing shorts, but not for doing business.

Hi there

We love living here, and for someone who has lived 'off grid' you will find living here easy!

There are so many areas to chose from, Beach, Mountains etc.  There are some stunning properties and lots available.

We have chosen to build a home here, about 30 minutes from the main Ex Pat town of Coronado, we wanted to be close enough to shops/Restaurants etc. but do not have any desire to live in a busy community or a city!

Where we have chosen is about 5 degrees cooler in temperature and is tranquil, with lovely hilly views and 10 minutes from our favourite beach.

Hard things about living here have been the language barrier especially in construction, we are reasonably able to speak Spanish now but it is a must if you want anything done!

Things work on a very slow pace and reliability is poor, but when you come to terms with those issues, living here is wonderful, the people are fun, friendly and happy ;-)

Cost of living here is not cheap and is rising, so renting/buying outside of the main towns is much cheaper and so is the cost of living.

I am sure if you come for a visit you will fall in love with it, there really is such diversity here...good luck!

Dear LornaCulnane and PacificaMaryAnn

Thank you for all the information.  We don't think we would like to live in PC - we are not city people.  However, we think we would like to live in a small town, where the temperatures are comfortable (not cold or too hot) where we could walk to shops and restaurants.  We plan our first visit in March.  Looking forward to it.

HLakers

We live in David, Chiriqui Province, on the Costa Rica side of Panama. You might consider this area, not in David but maybe a bit farther up in the mountains like Dolega, Cuesta del Piedra, Volcan, or some of the other towns. It's cooler up there and great for gardening, but it isn't too far to come down to the water for fishing.
It is hard to say what is good and not so good because what bothers one person may not bother another.
I do agree with the recommendations to learn Spanish though so you won't be limited to areas known for expats.

Thanks for the info - we were, in fact, looking at that area.  My concern, though, is that we will find David too hot and Volcan evenings may be too cool.  We know we will need to learn the language and we have a long way to go.

There is a lot of area between David and Volcan, so maybe something part way up will be just right.

Thanks, we'll take a look when we come in March.  Any recommendations where we could stay (not too expensive) while looking and is it a good idea to book before arriving at that time of year?

http://www.thepanamaadventure.com/links.html#Hotels  I'd book at least the first night or two, but I'm the type who likes to know where I'll be landing.

HLakers wrote:

Thanks, we'll take a look when we come in March.  Any recommendations where we could stay (not too expensive) while looking and is it a good idea to book before arriving at that time of year?

Hello Dorothy,  In my experience,  I have not really fit in.. most people I've met either are rude or just don't even bother to answer any greeting..this of course in buses and public places. Even in franchises,  the service is terrible when it comes to people skills. Perhaps it's the typical city behavior! It really bothers me. They say people from the countryside are kind and nice...
I don't really like the constant traffic jams, getting home from work is an adventure everyday. What I do like is the countless job offers for anybody! The economy is also great and we have access to everything either local or imported. The malls are big enough and modern, the nights are pretty much as the day. . All services still opened and the city itself full of activities.  There are many national parks here where you can enjoy nature.

This has been the opposite of our experience, but then we don't live in Panama City.

Thanks for your reply - I did say I wanted to also hear the "not so good".

My experience living in Panama City is totally different.  I find the residents to be warm and wonderful.  Everywhere I go, most people say hello.  I make an effort to say hello instead of expecting them to always greet me first.  It has been rare for someone not to return a greeting.  My husband and I are so comfortable living in Panama that it has become a permanent move for us.  We had never lived in a big city before so the mix of city life and the Panamanian culture has been exciting.  It is a place where a trip to the grocery store can turn into a cultural event.  We went to Riba Smith grocery store to pick up a few items and found a Mariachi band playing inside the store.  There were local dancers in white dresses with flowers in their hair, inviting shoppers to join them.  There were African dancers in native dress, passing out long-stem roses to the lady shoppers. The event was a celebration for the anniversary of the canal.  This type of surprise happens often in Panama City.

We have found so many things here in Panama that have been lost in our home country.  We love Christmastime.  The Christmas decorations are popping up all over the city.  The malls are spectacular.  I have not seen decorations of this quality in the US in over twenty years.  Three gigantic Christmas trees highlight the Multiplaza Mall.  There are many more decorated trees and displays throughout the mall.  Individual stores have their own special themed displays that coordinate with their inventory.  The PC police have not arrived in Panama yet so there is a Nativity scene.  Christmas music plays overhead.  Even the Do-It-Center hardware store has two beautiful Christmas tress near the checkouts.  The stores in the mall are fantastic, modern, familiar, and the service is almost too good.  Panama has Black Friday shopping, just like in the US.  The stores are so well organized that there were roped waiting lines outside the stores to prevent overcrowding. 

Meeting people has been easy.  We just walk our dog and meet our neighbors. Neighbors and strangers have been willing to help with any questions we have.  Taxi drivers in the city are great.  Some are just taxi drivers, but some are entertainers, tour guides, or even Spanish teachers.  The staff in our building feel like family.

I really have nothing bad I can say about Panama.  I love it here.  The minor negative things are outweighed by the positives.

Would love to meet up with you we are in Panama for 5 weeks our last stop,is Punte Chame which is not far from Coronado we were there last year. Our trip is from Dec 16 to 20

It sounds like you're really enjoying your adopted country, MaryAnn.  It's great to hear so many positive things about PC - especially when others only seem to see the negative.  Having never been to Panama and hearing about the crime and issues other expats have had to deal with in other Latin American countries, we wonder if we're crazy to even consider such a huge step, relocating to a country with cultures, language and climate so different from ours.  I guess the best way to look at as if we were about to embark on a great new adventure - we need to get there and see for ourselves if we feel comfortable enough to put down new roots.  We're planning to go in March and stay for about for at least two months - can't wait!  Keep up the positive attitude!

Hi guys:
We're from Calgary, Canada, and have been in Boquete since August and are staying til April '15. We spent a month in Panama City and found it too hot, humid and noisy to consider living there. Still, it's an amazing place to visit and we want to see more of it at another time. Boquete (half hour by taxi; northeast of David) is at higher elevations, so while it is rainforest, is much more comfortable temps for our northern blood! (in fact, it feels a bit like a little BC town, in our humble opinion) Need Spanish?? I second the thoughts already presented below... There have been some negatives, the main one for me has been the 'chitras', and the coffee bugs, which seem to be the local 'no seeums', who love to bite me!!... the first couple months were sheer misery, as my skin overreacted abysmally. It all seems to be settling down now (not sure if it's because we're leaving wet season or if I'm finally adapting) but definitely have repellent til you know how you respond. (I've seen practically no mosquitos the whole time we've been here, but apparently coastal areas are afflicted)... But seriously, it's beautiful here and the folks are friendly. Is it cheaper? Well, it's a set of tradeoffs vs expectations. Boquete's definitely cheaper by BC/Alberta standards, but Panama is locked in to US currency and you know what the CND $ is doing in that regard! As kristc99 has mentioned, locating in the outer areas is cheaper but you will def need a vehicle in that case; the main 'negative' to prices is how popular the place IS w expats, so that drives the prices up compared to some of the more outlying areas. We have a one bedroom furnished house on a large lot for $750 month longterm, includes propane, electricity, internet. That's kind of a median price. There are cheaper available, but this house fits our 'sweet spot' for some amenities we are loath to do without. It's also close enough into town we can walk most places. I won't lie, there's a learning curve to living here, but we keep meeting amazing people and we get what we need.... that's just a glimpse... hope it helps!

Panama is a very diversified country. You should visit and travel for a while to see what area is a good match for you. I live on a beach outside of LasTablas. I've been there for 8 years and love it. The people, the climate, all of the folklore traditions, but it is not for everyone. If you live inland it can get really hot, you are limited with what you can grow at the beach because of the hot salty breeze, but native species do well. Bougainvillea, Hibiscus, bananas, and the like.
A lot of expats live in the area of Coronado, which is a short drive to the city, with a lot of Gringo infrastructure . Others like Boquete, in the mountains with a more temperate climate, it would be similar to Vancouver island, but warmer. Everything grows there. But again its not for every one. For me there are far too many Gringos, and it is much more expensive that where I live, in Los Santos. It wouldn't be fair not to mention Bocas, when my son and his girlfriend visit (they are 34) we always go there. A great place to party, and awesome beaches, but not for me. You will have to travel and experience it all for yourself.
Please do yourself a favor, and don't buy the first place you fall in love with. I've seen too many people do just that, and then discover that its not the right fit.
The biggest pet peeve any of my friends have is the garbage, but you get used to it. Where I live, we get together regularly and clean the beach together, now even some of the Panamanians come out to help. So its getting much better.
One more thing, before you buy, please do your homework, too many people come down to Panama, and over night they are real estate experts.
If you ever make it to Los Santos, and playa Uverito, you can find me by asking the locals or gringos for the the guy that carves the driftwood. You will be welcome to drop by for a coffee.
Good luck with your new adventure

the beaches are hot and humid
inland it's nice and cool

Thanks for the information.  We've been doing a lot of research but know we need to get down there to check it out.  It's heartening to hear that people are cleaning up the garbage.  If we make it over your way (and we plan to) we'll definitely look you up.

Thank you for all the information about living in Bouquete.  This is the first time I've heard about the coffee bugs - good to know.  We're hoping to find a rental place near Boquete in the spring.  We don't need a lot of space but do want a kitchen so we can cook, hot water for showers and the internet for communicating.  We are also hoping to keep the price down because of our Canadian dollar.  If you know of a place like this, please let us know.

When it is closer to your arrival time, contact Eduardo. He can probably help you. He also does translation, tours, rides, etc if you need anything else for your trip. https://findingmyselfinpanama.wordpress … via-video/

HLakers wrote:

Thank you for all the information about living in Bouquete.  This is the first time I've heard about the coffee bugs - good to know.  We're hoping to find a rental place near Boquete in the spring.  We don't need a lot of space but do want a kitchen so we can cook, hot water for showers and the internet for communicating.  We are also hoping to keep the price down because of our Canadian dollar.  If you know of a place like this, please let us know.

Book a few days in a hotel while you look... there are lots of places to rent but you DEFINITELY want to check them out in person before making a commitment in our opinion. We stayed at the Hotel Rebequet for about 8 days while we looked for a place. It was basic but charming boutique hotel (about $45 night in low season?); the staff speaks no English, but are very attentive and somehow we managed! Key in Hotel Rebequet Boquete and follow the link to Bookings.com, where it and other hotels are listed (the link was way too long to put here). If you want to pay a bit more, we hear that Hotel Oasis is great. We've only just had drinks there but it's on gorgeous grounds. Car rental isn't particularly cheap in the long run. When looking for a rental, keep in mind that, while 'lower' Alto Boquete is cheaper, you WILL need a vehicle or grab taxi (about $2 gringo price) to go into 'upper' Boquete; otherwise it's a half hour to 45 min walk. We're still learning the ropes and haven't visited or experienced half of what there is to do/see, so this is just our little offering... If you live on the island, you know about rain, and there's plenty of that come May/June...

Hello!  Well.. I speak perfect Spanish LOL (I'm Venezuelan) if you need help with the language I can give you classes. I'm an ESL teacher actually

I would say car rentals are very cheap all over panama
sometimes as low as U$ 3 (three) per day

car rental insurances are very expensive
these are daily insurance rates for the smallest vehicles from major car rental companies
supplemental liability insurance $16.99
supper damage waiver $18.45

it's important to have good coverage
because it's very likely things break or fall off these cheap asian cars
and you will be made responsible for any damage

Thanks, Kris, we'll take your advice.