IL Magazine: Discover the Best Retirement Haven + 24 More SUBSCRIBE NOW AND SAVE 35% about subscribing to International Living Magazine "Gascony's the real France," Jean-Jacques said. "Everywhere else—it's another country." Jean-Jacques, a local farmer, was leaning from his tractor—behind him, a bright field of sunflowers and the 18th century farmhouse my parents call home. His sun-beaten face squinted down at me. "Gascony is the hidden jewel of France—it's our best kept secret."
Toucans and macaws glide around the lush jungle canopy and scores of monkeys parade through the overhanging branches. Neon-green and electric-blue butterflies of preposterous sizes flit across gurgling streams, while waterfalls drop into deep pools. Welcome to one of my favorites among Ecuador’s secret spots…a place hidden in the east of the country, where indigenous shamans still perform timeless rituals and a small number of adventurous expats have found new lives surrounded by nature.
Costa Rica is one of the most popular and well-known vacation, second-home, and retirement destinations for North Americans. Though a small country, Costa Rica’s regions offer a wide variety of climate, lifestyle, and landscape. And renting in Costa Rica is a great way to experience day-to-day life while looking for your own place under the tropical sun. Much of Costa Rica’s lush tropical forests and sun-splashed shoreline has been designated as national parkland or reserve. Costa Rica is rapidly approaching carbon-neutral status in energy production and emissions, and its health care system is one of the most affordable and highly rated in the world.
To live the big city life for less and enjoy a world-class retirement look no farther than the San Francisco neighborhood of Panama City. I chose to live in San Francisco because of its walkability, its amenities, and just how close it is to the kind of action that makes for a great city life...and from gourmet delis to evenings at the opera, I enjoyed every minute.
Every day in my travel research I come across the terms "hidden gem," "off the beaten path," "unspoiled, authentic, undiscovered..." The Dordogne region of France is the only place I have been to date where it is actually true. Castles sit like crown jewels along the river banks. My family and I often found ourselves beating our own path through the oak forests toward the river bank.
Pundits are divided on whether Spain’s property market will see further price falls. A huge overhang of unsold homes remains, but for the first time in seven years, sales in Málaga province showed an increase in 2013. Spain will always be a popular retirement destination for northern Europeans, and the number of U.S. citizens registered as living in Spain has increased, too.
There’s barely been a better time to look at the beachside real estate market in beautiful Belize. Prices have been dropping for the past year or two, making more homes affordable no matter what your budget, whether you intend to rent or buy. And while many prefer to rent (at least at first), another great benefit of Belize is that it allows foreigners to own land and property outright—even beachfront...
I'm about to reveal my top three beaches. So, here's my top three. And, my take on whether they'd make good locations for a vacation home.
While I understand that most people new to Panama decide to rent, I am always telling people how simple and uncomplicated buying in Panama is...
Having spent three years of repeated trips, visiting, searching, and investigating all the areas of Costa Rica, we now live in the mountains of central Costa Rica. Our friends thought we were crazy for moving to Costa Rica, but more about that later. Buying real estate in Costa Rica is a very easy process, and anyone can do it...