Whether you’re looking for amazing weather, gorgeous scenery, or a lower cost of living, Panama is a popular place for expats to retire. However, there are countless communities throughout this beautiful country, so how do you choose which is the best place for you to enjoy your golden years?
To help you make the right choice, this guide goes over some of the best retirement communities in Panama, as well as what you should be looking for and prioritizing.
What to Consider When Looking for a Retirement Community in Panama?
When you’re considering which of the best Panama Retirement communities to retire in, there are a few important things you need to look for.
Hospitals/Access to Healthcare
Easy access to healthcare is one of the most important things to prioritize. As you age, you may require more frequent and/or specialized healthcare, so it’s important to ensure the place you live offers easy access to a hospital or medical center.
These facilities should be modern, clean, and offer high-quality care without having to spend weeks waiting to get the help you need. The doctors and other experts in the hospital should be educated and experienced, too. Also, if you only speak English, you should ensure the hospital or medical center in the community has English-speaking staff.
Transportation
The transportation options within a community are also crucial to consider. While you might be in good shape and enjoy walking, having the option to get around quicker and without as much physical effort is important.
You need to familiarize yourself with the shuttle or bus service in a community, as well as the other options it offers, like taxis, private car services, or bikes. If a community doesn’t offer good public transportation, getting around may be much more challenging, especially as you age.
In addition to transportation around the city, also consider where the nearest airport is. It’s good to have one close by in case of emergencies, or so you can travel internationally or around Panama much more quickly than having to spend a whole day traveling to the nearest airport.
Expat Community
A thriving community of expats is another important factor when choosing where to retire in Panama. Having a community to be a part of when you’re retired helps you feel less isolated when moving to a new country, and lets you make friends with like-minded people.
This also gives you a network of English-speaking people who are in a similar position to yourself to ask questions of and gather recommendations from. You can learn about the best things to do in an area, uncover hidden gems you may not have found otherwise, and ease yourself into learning about the culture within your new community.
If you move somewhere that hardly has any expats, integrating into the community may be a little more challenging, and it may take longer to make friends and familiarize yourself with the culture.
Other Amenities
While good healthcare, transportation, and community are important to look for, there are several other amenities to think about as well. It should have several places to get groceries, gyms or fitness centers to stay in shape, and plenty of shopping options.
It should also have things to do and see, like hiking trails/walking paths, museums, entertainment venues, and restaurants. If you move somewhere with a lack of amenities and things to do, you could get bored very easily.
Cost of Living
Lastly, you need to make sure to consider the cost of living, as well. You need to ensure you choose a community that you can afford to live in, so you don’t spend all of your hard-earned retirement savings quicker than you were planning.
Generally, living in larger and more populated communities with more amenities comes with higher costs. This not only goes for real estate, but also things like groceries, restaurants, transportation, and entertainment.
However, the cost of living can also vary within a community, too. For example, someone choosing to retire in a luxury villa with a massive pool will normally have to pay much more than someone who retires in a modest condo, even if both are in the same city.
The Best Panama Retirement Communities
Let’s take a closer look at some of the best places to retire in Panama and what makes them such good options to consider.
Panama City
Panama City is the largest city in Panama, with a population of over a million people (or over two million if you count the entire metro area). It offers unmatched access to all the amenities you could ever need, including hospitals, several transportation options (including the metro), dozens of amazing restaurants, numerous shopping malls, and countless things to do for entertainment.
There are always public events going on, and it’s home to many expats from different countries around the world. It also has a world-class airport that’s among the biggest and most popular in Latin America, which offers flights to many different places across the world.
Also, despite being a metropolitan city, it still offers amazing access to the outdoors. You can go hiking, play sports, go swimming, fish, and even take jungle tours.
In addition to the city itself, there are plenty of smaller communities nearby if you want proximity to amenities, without living amongst the hustle and bustle yourself. This includes Caimitillo, San Vicente, Paso Blanco, and others.
Coronado
Coronado has become a popular destination for retired expats thanks to its coastal location, lush greenery, and access to several outdoor activities like golfing, go-karting, surfing, swimming, hiking, and relaxing on the beach. The city also has several shopping and dining options, gyms, music and entertainment venues, and more.
It also offers both a hospital and a medical clinic, a variety of ways to get around the city, and a large collection of English-speaking expats, so you’ll feel right at home. The city is also relatively close to Panama City, so you won’t need to travel far to get to an airport.
There are also several communities around Coronado that offer easy accessibility to its amenities and healthcare services, if you don’t want to live in the city itself. This includes Gorgona, Punta Barco, Las Lajas, and many other destinations.
San Carlos
Located just down the road from Coronado is the relatively rural area of San Carlos. It’s great for retirees who want quieter living surrounded by natural beauty and trees, while still being relatively close to the amenities you need.
The area has several bars and restaurants to enjoy, numerous markets, a golf course, and stunning beaches and parks. It also has a public hospital and health center, complete with an emergency room and medical laboratory.
San Carlos is also great for taking nature walks, going boating, visiting parks, surfing, paddleboarding, and several other outdoor activities. If you want something beyond the amenities that are located here, Coronado is only around a 10 to 15-minute drive away.
Boquete
Boquete is a quiet town located beside Volcan Baru on the Western side of Panama, and it has one of the largest English-speaking expat communities in the entire country. It offers amazing views, pleasant weather that isn’t too overwhelming, and is relatively affordable.
In addition to having a large expat community, it’s also very active, and there are frequent events like markets where you can meet other like-minded expats and residents. But in addition to this sense of community in the town, Boquete also offers parks, coffee shops, restaurants, supermarkets, schools, and stores nearby. It also has both a public and a private hospital close by, and a gorgeous wildlife refuge to visit.
You can also take a short drive, about an hour south, to the city of David to reach even more amenities if you desire something beyond what you can find in Boquete, such as an airport.
Bocas del Toro
Bocas del Toro is a small town located at the southern tip of an island in the northwest corner of Panama. It has a very large English-speaking population, and due to its location, water plays a major role in life here. There are water taxis to get around, and it offers a variety of aquatic activities to partake in, like swimming, fishing, scuba diving, boating, and more.
Its proximity to the Caribbean has a major influence not only on the architecture and design of the area, but also is responsible for the laid-back and relaxing attitude that many people here have.
As you could imagine, it’s a stunning place to be with amazing views all around you, beautiful weather, and several parks to visit. While it’s isolated from many other cities and towns in Panama, Bocas del Toro still offers a fair amount of amenities. This includes restaurants, bars, a spa, a sports stadium, a public hospital, and an international airport.
Pedasi
Pedasi is a small town located near the southern tip of Panama. It’s perfect for retirees looking for a relaxing and laid-back lifestyle, and the community is full of warm, welcoming, and kind people. The area is also home to some of the best surfing in the country and offers plenty of other recreational activities like fishing and hiking.
To get around, you can walk, take the bus, or rent a car, but biking is also a popular way to get around due to the small size of the community. But despite this size, there are still plenty of important amenities here.
There are several supermarkets, numerous restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and places to shop. It also has a small domestic airport for emergencies, as well as a hospital in the northern part of town. The city is also growing more popular, so new services and amenities are becoming available in the area.
In addition to these locations, there’s also going to be a Margaritaville Retirement Community Panama city beach that’s opening in Panama in 2027. It’ll be located in Playa Caracol and is sure to be a popular place for retirees and expats to live.
