Our Journey to Stress-Free Living in El Ciruelo, Panama

Recently my husband Dan turned to me and said, “More than ever, I am so happy we live in Panama.” At the time we were watching Hurricane Helene, followed by Milton less than two weeks later, wreaking havoc on Florida's Gulf Coast.

Our hearts went out to everyone affected by these monster hurricanes. Having lived in Key West on a 60-foot boat, we clearly remembered the stress, anxiety, and fear we felt in September 2017 when Hurricane Irma made landfall between Key West and Marathon, destroying everything in her path.

It also reconfirmed in our minds that we were making the right decision to seek safe harbor in Panama. We had already attended InternationalLiving's Fast Track Panama Conference that February (2017) and our temporary paperwork was in progress.

We were no strangers to tropical storms and hurricanes of varying degrees, and it was time to embrace a new lifestyle in a country that lies well below the devastating hurricane belt. A year later in September 2018, we moved to Panama as permanent residents thanks to the knowledge we gained and connections we made at that conference.

Featuring knowledgeable and engaging speakers from all corners of Panama, including Panama City, David, Boquete, Bocas del Toro, Coronado, and Pedasi, we were instantly immersed with insider information on all things Panama. The energetic and thoughtful presentations filled with expat anecdotes had everyone laughing and eagerly asking questions afterwards.

In addition to the many in-country correspondents, International Living conferences also feature experts on a wealth of important topics such as immigration and visa options, reliable health insurance, buying foreign real estate, investment opportunities, retirement planning, the ins and outs of taxation, shipping of goods, bringing pets and much more.

With our heads spinning from all of the information, we would head to the Networking Hall where attendees can visit a vast array of booths and chat one-on-one with the speakers, experts and IL's editors and contributors. Concerns unique to your personal lifestyle can be addressed, and brochures and other written materials are abundantly available.

We found the highly interactive Networking Hall to be a valuable resource. We chatted about our individual situation with experts who normally would charge hundreds of dollars for their time, never mind that you would have to somehow track them down. Yet here they were all in one place. Ready and eager to share their expertise.

We also enjoyed the strong social component of the conference with many opportunities to meet and mingle with people from around the world. Drinks and hors d'oeuvres would lead to dinner plans with newfound, like-minded friends. A strong sense of community and adventure forges lifelong friendships at IL conferences!

We decided to arrive a few days early to get our bearings, which included a half-day city tour, and we were glad we did. Panama City is a bustling, diverse, colorful cauldron of activity and it was good to have a couple of days to adjust.

We also built in another week of travel after the conference and flew to David, where we rented a car and drove to Bocas del Toro over stunning mountain scenery. After being dazzled by the Caribbean coast, we retraced our steps and explored Boquete and Volcan coffee country.

Gabriele enjoying the easy life by the beach at Playa Venao.

Although we liked everything we saw, we didn't feel like we had found our special piece of paradise until we discovered the running along Panama's rugged Pacific Coast.

And that's how we find ourselves six years later living in El Ciruelo, a small fishing village and expat enclave about five minutes driving time from Playa Venao, one of Panama's prime surfing destinations. Picture lush rolling hills and dense jungle spilling down to a golden beach ringed by a colorful cluster of restaurants, cafes and beach bars, boutique hotels and hostels, and surf shops.

While surfing is the biggest attraction in Playa Venao, you don't have to be a surfer to enjoy the many activities offered in this outdoor paradise. Horseback riding, hiking, paddle boarding, kayak eco tours, ziplining, bird and exotic animal (think monkeys and sloths) watching, fabulous fishing, ecotourism and a robust wellness community all beckon to residents and visitors alike.

We enjoy driving to Playa Venao to walk the sweeping expanse of beach, savor the Venao vibe and enjoy the growing roster of amenities.

For us, Playa Venao is beach living at its best and it all started at International Living's Fast Track Panama Conference. This immersive boots-on-the-ground experience provided us with an invaluable wealth of information and gave us the confidence to move on to the next stage of our retirement in safe, picture-perfect and stress-free rural Panama.