Best Places In The World To Retire

Adventure travel activities in Puerto Vallarta include surfing, kiteboarding, biking, ATV’s, 4x4’s, scuba diving, and pretty much any adrenaline kind of sport that you want to try. 

 

Part of the advantage of Puerto Vallarta being such a great tourist destination is that the locals get a chance to do the same thing but get better deals. For example, I know people in the scuba diving business, so I can ask them for a deal or for a local...

Adventure travel activities in Puerto Vallarta include surfing, kiteboarding, biking, ATV’s, 4x4’s, scuba diving, and pretty much any adrenaline kind of sport that you want to try. 

 

Part of the advantage of Puerto Vallarta being such a great tourist destination is that the locals get a chance to do the same thing but get better deals. For example, I know people in the scuba diving business, so I can ask them for a deal or for a local price. If I want to go boating, I can get a better deal because I know the people in the boating business. 

 

My family’s favorite thing to do is going sailing on Sundays, which we do once a month. We hire somebody to go sail the boat for us. On the other hand, the sports that I like are really basic ones: I play softball and tennis twice a week. I also own a paddleboard and bikes, so we have those activities as well.  

 

 

 

(Paul Mayer on a boat for a Christmas Posada with Vallarta Food Tours, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)

The US is the ONLY country on the planet that taxes offshore income of their citizens overseas.  If you have offshore holdings (bank accounts, houses, businesses, corporations, foundations, trusts, etc.) in a foreign country, you must comply with FACTA and report the income from those holdings.  And, of course, if they require you report, and they tax, offshore income then it follows that they certainly require that you report, and pay tax on, any US...

The US is the ONLY country on the planet that taxes offshore income of their citizens overseas.  If you have offshore holdings (bank accounts, houses, businesses, corporations, foundations, trusts, etc.) in a foreign country, you must comply with FACTA and report the income from those holdings.  And, of course, if they require you report, and they tax, offshore income then it follows that they certainly require that you report, and pay tax on, any US income no matter where on the planet you receive, spend or invest that money.  ALL income must be reported and most especially those covered by FACTA.

 

So yes... if you move anywhere outside the US (yes, even Mexico or Panama) you will have to file, report and pay the IRS.   It's just one of the many benefits of being an American citizen.... aren't you feeling FREE?

 

(Cuenca, Equador, pictured. )

 

 

Surfing in Bocas Del Toro is seasonal. When the North Wind is blowing, which is usually around January to March, the waves are up and the surfing is great. The waves are flat around September and October. Most of Bocas Del Toro is very flat but the outer laying islands are exposed to the surf.

 

The best surfing spot would probably be Bluff Beach on Isla Colon. The north part of Isla Colon gets very good surf. Bluff Beach is around 40 minutes away from the...

Surfing in Bocas Del Toro is seasonal. When the North Wind is blowing, which is usually around January to March, the waves are up and the surfing is great. The waves are flat around September and October. Most of Bocas Del Toro is very flat but the outer laying islands are exposed to the surf.

 

The best surfing spot would probably be Bluff Beach on Isla Colon. The north part of Isla Colon gets very good surf. Bluff Beach is around 40 minutes away from the town of Bocas Del Toro by bike. You can also take a taxi to go to Bluff Beach.

 

Another popular surfing spot in Bocas is Red Frog Beach on Isla Bastimentos. You have to take a water taxi to Isla Bastimentos and that will take you just 15 minutes. Then, it is another 15-minute shuttle ride going to the protected side of the island and over to Red Frog Beach.

 

The height of the surf in Bocas Del Toro depends on the weather conditions but the waves range from small waves that are suitable for beginners up to the bigger waves for intermediate surfers. The surfing spots in Bocas Del Toro are not too crowded and that is also one reason why it is nice to surf in Bocas.

 

Belizeans are very endearing, even to expats. In comparison, I have girlfriends in Canada, who if a foreigner looks at their babies, they start to get uppity and defensive. In Belize, if a mom holds her baby in her arms and you smile at the baby, she would like that and might even ask if you want to hold her baby. It is a totally different approach here in Belize. I do not know what happened to my girlfriends in Canada. They just started to get paranoid and that may be because of watching too much negative news on TV about people taking other people’s kids.

Americans and other expats in the Algarve are treated like kings.

 

From the economic perspective from the time of the discovery of the New World, Portugal has always been outward facing nation. This is reflected in the way that it receives foreign people. Most people who come to or go to Portugal immediately say that they are made to feel so very welcome.

 

As far as how Americans in particular in the Algarve are treated,...

Americans and other expats in the Algarve are treated like kings.

 

From the economic perspective from the time of the discovery of the New World, Portugal has always been outward facing nation. This is reflected in the way that it receives foreign people. Most people who come to or go to Portugal immediately say that they are made to feel so very welcome.

 

As far as how Americans in particular in the Algarve are treated, it’s tough to tell because there are not that many residing here full-time. Generally, Americans are very interesting folk in that sense that Americans are very inquisitive. They love to understand the historical background of the region and they’re very interested in the details. So they pay attention and show interest in a lot of the traditional aspects of the country; the tiles, the road, the balconies, what happened to the river course and what it was used for in the past, whether a castle was inhabited or not—all these kinds of small details typically interest Americans. This attitude helps aid the integration because local people in particular like to talk about their little place in the world. So when they see someone with mutual interest, of course, they like to talk. The first way to break down the barrier is to engage with someone even if there is a slight language barrier.

 

So what you find is that Americans in particular integrate very well in the Algarve because typically Americans come with a very inquisitive mind. The Americans who travel here love Portugal and love the Algarve. They really do love it. I wouldn’t be overstating it by using the word “love.” It’s kind of a love affair that starts with a statement such as, “This is a place that I should’ve been in or I want to be in.” We often get that reaction from Americans.

 

(The George Pub  memorializes fallen British solideris with poppies in Lisboa, Portugal)