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Sitting at a cliff-side table overlooking the white-washed old town of Polignano a Mare, my husband Bryan and I marvel at how it manages to stay on its rock and not slide into the water below. The remnants of our delicious, fresh seafood lunch are being cleared away as we catch movement on the opposite cliff and turn our heads back toward town.
The sky is blue with just a few clouds on the horizon, and the sun is high above me. But the constant sea breeze keeps things comfortable. This section of the Caribbean island of Roatán is all jungle-covered hills dotted with houses, sloping down to vivid turquoise water.
With cerulean blue waters, coral-sand beaches, and lush mountain retreats, the Philippines has much to recommend it as a travel and retirement destination. And if you’re in the mood to celebrate, head to the Philippines this January.
Almost as soon as my wife Suzan and I moved to the little craft village in Ecuador’s northern Andes Mountains that we now call home, we learned about potatoes.
How would you like to have a chance to own a 7-acre Scottish island estate? The cost: $75. The estate is located on the Island of Arran, a land of castles and ruins that date back millennia, as well as towering mountains, home to eagles, and wild coastal waters full of seals.
"I really like the people of Belize," says Ginny Ophof, who started visiting Belize after her mother moved to the Cayo District in 1977. "They have innate wisdom and empathy. They are tolerant and calm. Americans are better educated. But there's a lot they can learn from Belizeans." In 2007, Ginny moved to the Cayo, determined to spend quality time with her aging mom, who had just turned 85.
For years, I dreamed about moving overseas to a tropical climate. I was drawn to the Caribbean beaches of Mexico, Panama, and Brazil...but every time I read an article about Belize, something inside me lit up. It reminded me of my childhood in south Florida. I imagined myself swinging idly in a hammock and taking long walks along the shore.
David Diffendal is one of the many expats who came to the tropical peninsula of Placencia, Belize as a vacationer...but quickly recognized the business opportunities and quality of life on offer here...and stayed. "When I visited Placencia in 2014, I saw that there was a wealth of upscale restaurants, activities, and excursions in the village," says David.
There's nothing quite like dining outside on the streets of Madrid, enjoying the sweet-smelling, spring breeze. If its Indian food you crave, take your friends to Lavapies—a trendy, multicultural neighborhood in the heart of the city and the best place in town to get a good Indian.
This morning, I awoke to the spotless Altea seaside, refreshed by an early spring shower. These March mornings are cool, and showers are frequent at this time of year, but the afternoons are sunny and warm enough to peel off the jacket. I took my two dogs for our morning ritual, walking down to the craggy beach just a couple-of-minutes from my home.
At the end of each week, my wife and I take an evening's walk to the top of the town. From our perch overlooking the winding streets below, we watch as the sun sets over the mountains and reflect on how different our life has become.
"This is the place to be if you're going to be in the dive shop business," says Lara Alasia, co-owner of Divers UnderGround in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. "It's a well-known and uber-popular dive destination.
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Every so often, events transpire in just such a way that a window of opportunity slides open somewhere in the world. Most people won’t notice. They’ll walk right by. But when you know where to look… and have the foresight to act… you could find yourself living better than ever before, even while you spend less…
Every so often, events transpire in just such a way that a window of opportunity slides open somewhere in the world. Most people won’t notice. They’ll walk right by. But when you know where to look… and have the foresight to act… you could find yourself living better than ever before, even while you spend less…
April 7-9, 2017, San Diego, CA. If you can snap a simple photograph … you could easily turn your next vacation, your own hometown, and even your pet goldfish … into fast, fun, easy cash. No experience necessary. Join Great Escape Publishing in San Diego, CA. this Spring and over three fun, engaging, eye-opening days, Read more...: Affiliate Events
You look out from your terrace over a vast tropical garden. You're surrounded by heliconias and bromeliads in shades of vivid red, bright yellow, orange, and combinations in between, along with orchid blooms. Banana and mango trees are heavy with fruit. It provides the perfect backdrop to a life lived outdoors, thanks to a year-round temperate climate—mid-70s F during the day, cooling off into the 60s F at night.
"I woke up this morning and saw 30 or more horses grazing in the bamboo forest across the street from our home," says Roger Wergin. "How's that for a tranquil retirement view?" Roger and his wife Cyndy feel they made the right decision when they bought a lot and built their three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in a gated community, just a 10-minute walk from the town of Olón, Ecuador
The first two times I visited the town of Santa Marta, on Colombia's Caribbean coast, I was a tourist who just wanted to relax on its superb beaches, eat its amazing, fresh seafood, and soak up its vibrant nightlife. And Santa Marta delivered.
The Caribbean island of Roatan, about 40 miles off the coast of mainland Honduras, is well and truly on the expat radar. But that doesn't mean there aren't real estate bargains to be had. Prices here dropped during the housing crash of 2008 but have since leveled off. Plus, due to the devaluing of their dollar, Canadians, a major percentage of buyers on the island, haven't been buying in recent years.
Of all the countries in Southeast Asia that I have scouted, Vietnam is the most exciting and the most fascinating. Foreign and alluring, exotic and enticing...I would go back in a heartbeat, live there without hesitation. There's so much more to this country than just its past. I was shocked to find pristine white-sand beaches...astonished to find pine forests amid temperate mountains...
Over a decade ago, I first wiggled my toes in the soft white sands of Tulúm, Mexico...felt the warm sunshine on my face as gentle breezes rustled through the palms...and gazed at the gentle turquoise waters. Ever since, this Riviera has held a special place in my heart—so much so that these days I call it home for part of the year.
Standing in the middle of Arequipa's central Plaza de Armas, it's hard not to be impressed. The magnificent, centuries-old Basilica Cathedral stretches the entire length of one side of the plaza. Behind it in the distance rise the snow-covered volcanic cones of Misti, Pichu Pichu, and Chachani.
