As a native New Orleanian, Panama very much reminds me of the city I left behind. Friendly people, a laid-back lifestyle, fun culture, warm weather and outdoor recreation are all part of a full life here. Panama has been my permanent home for almost 28 years now.
From the crisp, cold summit of the Baru Volcano to the Caribbean isles of Kunayala, Panama is crammed with variety. You can live on the beach, or in lush comfort at a year-round temperature of 68 F, or pioneer your way into the green world of the Darien jungle.
“Gentrified” Casco, if you can call it that, is a small place…10 or 11 streets long, intersected by Avenue A, Central Avenue, and Avenue B. Yet there’s so much going on. Panama’s artists gravitate here…and there are galleries, shops, handicraft stalls, chic little cafes and bars, and more.
“I want it all,” he said. I was at International Living’s recent Ultimate Event. This attendee had come to us seeking information about Belize and Costa Rica. But my presentation—particularly the part about Panama City—got him thinking. Suddenly, Panama was at the top of his list of countries to check out.
Panama City is color, light, noise, and action—a thrumming, modern city that surprises first-timers with its stellar roads and steamy nightlife. But the beauty is more than skin-deep. Panama is also the region’s most convenient capital.
Amid the towers of steel and chrome waft the tantalizing smells of seafood and spices. Argentine, Cuban, Swiss, German, Thai, and Indian are only a few of the offerings you’ll enjoy today in Panama City.
Fireworks explode in the sky above me. Reflected in the Panama Bay, I see fiery skyrockets, tungsten stars, and spidery bursts of pink, purple, and green. It’s the celebration of the Chinese New Year—an event Panama City has adopted as its own and celebrates with gusto.
When not behind the counter of his Panama City bagel shop, Jon Hurst makes the most of his adopted home. The Maine native has lived in Panama City for six years, and with easy access to both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, as well as the country’s magnificent highlands, he’s spoiled for choice.
Bagels were the key to Jon’s new life. Jon served his first customer in the fall of 2006 and has since become a fixture in El Congrejo. His team now makes 360 bagels daily, with double production on Sundays.
In this video, IL Panama editor, Jessica Ramesch, takes you on a day trip around Panama City. You’ll see parts of the city old and new, as well as nearby beaches. Panama is a fascinating combination of the modern and traditional.
The bargain property market, the one aimed more at locals than at expats, has remained pretty stable. In simple terms: from 2007 to the present, I have had no trouble finding bargain property listings for the under-$150,000 budget.
In this video, Trump Organization scion Donald Trump Jr. speaks to International Living Panama correspondent Jessica Ramesch. Along with his brother, Eric Trump, Donald Jr. was in Panama City to promote the Trump Ocean Club residences and hotel in Panama City, Panama.
Today, the best restaurants in Panama City aren’t necessarily the fanciest (and the most pretentious tend to have impressive “barks” but may fail to deliver when it comes time to bite).
After five years of writing about Panama for International Living, you’d think writing about the best places to vacation in Panama would be a cinch. The more you know, the easier it should be…but the opposite is often the case. I know so many great places to vacation in Panama that it’s hard to narrow it down to just a few.
In this video, Eric Trump, son of Donald Trump, sits down with International Living Panama correspondent Jessica Ramesch. Mr. Trump was in Panama City, Panama, promoting the Trump organization’s new project, Trump Ocean club (international hotel and tower).
It’s a flashy bustling city, filled with high-rises that rim the deep blue Panama Bay. This modern capital has so much going for it…but perhaps more important than the culture and the nightlife is the health care in Panama City.
Panama has what some call the “world’s best retirement program.” If you qualify (and it’s not difficult…you just need prove you have the means to support yourself—$1,000 a month), you are eligible to retire in Panama under the pensionado visa program.
You may think Panama City is just another megalopolis of steel and concrete. But don’t be so quick to judge. Yes, it’s bustling. And yes, it’s booming.
In this podcast, IL editor Dan Prescher interviews Jessica Ramesch, International Living’s Panama expert. Listen in to find out why Panama City is such a rich place to live, why close-in Pacific-coast beaches make sense, where to go for really low-cost living, how the pensionado program gains you discounts and residency, and more.
The old buildings gaze grandly over the deep-blue sea. Their facades mingle colonial, French and Art Deco styles, with ironwork balconies, walls painted powder-blue, yellow and terracotta, topped with red-tile roofs.
You may think Panama City is just another megalopolis of steel and concrete. But don’t be so quick to judge.
See the video below, where IL editor Dan Prescher gives you the rundown on the March issue of International Living magazine. The March issue is hot off the presses, and here’s the lineup…
See the video, where Dan Prescher reports from Ecuador with your weekly wrap-up of International Living postcards for the week ending February 19.
You may think Panama City (affectionately referred to by its airport call letters, PTY) is just another megalopolis of steel and concrete. But don’t be so quick to judge. Yes, it’s bustling. And yes, it’s booming. Yet Metropolitan Natural Park provides vast green space right in the city proper.
The first impression is one of noise and bustling activity…a city of steel and concrete. A few days here, though, and you’ll realize the phrase “more than meets the eye” has never rung truer.
next »1 of 3
