Best Places In The World To Retire

What are the expats like in Puerto Vallarta?

Michael Keller - Guardian Insurance Mexico

Puerto Vallarta Squeeze – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

In Puerto Vallarta, there is a really tight-knit community of expats. There is this one group called expats in Vallarta that have a happy hour every month. Depending on the time of the year, maybe between 20 and 200 expats get together, hang out, have some beers, and talk. We will have times where we meet up at Starbucks. There is another group called The Young Professionals Organization Vallarta and they schedule different activities.

Expats in Puerto Vallarta do...

In Puerto Vallarta, there is a really tight-knit community of expats. There is this one group called expats in Vallarta that have a happy hour every month. Depending on the time of the year, maybe between 20 and 200 expats get together, hang out, have some beers, and talk. We will have times where we meet up at Starbucks. There is another group called The Young Professionals Organization Vallarta and they schedule different activities.

Expats in Puerto Vallarta do community service. They help out because there are a lot of street dogs here and they help out with the free spay and neuter clinics.

You know that you can rely on these expats who have been here in Puerto Vallarta and know what it is like being new here so they will help you out if you are new. Unlike in Chicago, moving into a new neighborhood in Puerto Vallarta, the expats know that you've made the big jump to a completely foreign country and you may not have any idea what it is like or you may find that it is very different than what you are used to in Chicago.

Expats in Puerto Vallarta would see me and know that I'm from the States or from Chicago and would go out of their way to make sure that they offer assistance before I even ask for it. They know what it is like starting out; the fear, the hesitation, and the uncertainty that you can have about being in a foreign land. They want to make sure that your experience down here is a good one to begin with because they know that once you ride it out and get used to everything, you will really love Puerto Vallarta. They would not want to see you come down and leave because you are not getting any help or you don't know what you're doing. Expats in Puerto Vallarta definitely go out of their way upfront to make you feel at home and help you out with things.

(Puerto Vallarta Squeeze, a novel and then a movie by Robert James Waller about an expat living in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)

How are the stores and shops in Corozal? How's the shopping in Corozal?

Grant D'Eall

(Bath and Body Works pumpkin display, Plaza Las Americas, Chetumal, Mexico, pictured.) – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The type of shopping we have here in Corozal is an adjustment for a North American or a European in that there are not superstores like the ones we are used to where you can get everything you are used to from clothing to hamburgers.

However, you can get what you need here in Corozal. There are some stores that cater to expats in Corozal. They sell food products that Westerners want. They also import some of the things that they know Westerners would...

The type of shopping we have here in Corozal is an adjustment for a North American or a European in that there are not superstores like the ones we are used to where you can get everything you are used to from clothing to hamburgers.

However, you can get what you need here in Corozal. There are some stores that cater to expats in Corozal. They sell food products that Westerners want. They also import some of the things that they know Westerners would enjoy.

If somebody wants to go on a big shopping spree and get more things like what they are accustomed to and have the selection that they are used to, they would travel to Chetumal in Mexico, which is only 35 minutes away from Corozal. As soon as you cross the border to Mexico, you are on paved and very smooth roads, which mean something because in Corozal, particularly in the eastern part of Corozal where we are, the roads are not very good. They have potholes and you have to drive with care; otherwise you could harm your suspension. As soon as you cross into Mexico, you are in a more developed area. You will notice more First World development and the shopping in Chetumal is good. Most people from Belize who want to have a good selection, travel to Chetumal and go to full-on malls and they buy anything that Westerners are used to, including fast-food like McDonald’s. You could also get a good steak and other things that we are used to in North America.

In comparison, the shopping here in Corozal is different in that you can get what you need for sustenance like fresh vegetables, used clothing that is very good and some new stuff, but the selection is not that great. Recently, my girlfriend bought me some things for my birthday – a new pair of shorts, some shirts, and a pair of shoes. She ordered the shoes from Chetumal in Mexico because Corozal doesn’t have the wide selection that you are accustomed to. In Belize City, there is a little bit more variety. Overall, you can get what you need here in Corozal.

A lot of people go shopping in Orange Walk as well, which is about 45 minutes away from Corozal and you don’t have to ride a ferry. So it takes you almost as much time as it takes you to get to Corozal. Orange Walk is a little bit more populated and there is a bit better selection. You can get household products there. But if you really want to have a big and wide selection or if you are one of those who love to have a shopping spree, then you can go to Chetumal in Mexico.

One of the reasons why people relocate up here in Corozal is because of the proximity to Mexico. They love the laid back nature here, the simplicity, and the rest of it but those who want to shop will go to Chetumal.

(Bath and Body Works pumpkin display, Plaza Las Americas, Chetumal, Mexico, pictured.)

What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a Nicaraguan passport?

Jonathan Butcher - NICA

I've lived in Nicaragua for 3 years, and I rarely use my passport at all. I have a U.S. passport; however, I never need it (unless I'm traveling to another country). Everyone readily accepts my California driver's license as a legitimate document for purchases.

I believe the only reason you would want a Nicaragua passport is if you are from Nicaragua and need to enter and leave the country freely. If you are from another country, that country's passport will...

Do I need to renounce or relinquish my US citizenship or get a dual citizenship to move or live abroad?

John Gilbert - PanamaKeys

John Gilbert with his children in Panama – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

You do not need to renounce or relinquish your US citizenship or get dual citizenship to move or live abroad. However, the laws in some countries are more cumbersome than others. I found a great situation in Panama where as a foreigner coming in, there’s no need for you to pick up a second citizenship. That option is available for you as time goes by, but you don’t need to do it.

What was right for me and my family was the Friendly...

You do not need to renounce or relinquish your US citizenship or get dual citizenship to move or live abroad. However, the laws in some countries are more cumbersome than others. I found a great situation in Panama where as a foreigner coming in, there’s no need for you to pick up a second citizenship. That option is available for you as time goes by, but you don’t need to do it.

What was right for me and my family was the Friendly Nation’s Visa. We came in to Panama wanting to start a business, which we did, and the corporation came with my Friendly Nation’s Visa. It was a qualification criteria for my Friendly Nation’s Visa, which gives me a Permanent Residency Visa, which means that I have a legal right to be here. Many people don’t choose to even go that far. People come and go on their Tourist Visa in Panama which gives you the right to stay in Panama and drive in the country on your foreign license for 90 days.

On the other hand, the US isn’t going to say, “Hey, you’re living in Panama. You’re no longer a US citizen.” The fact that you live outside of the United States has no bearing or consequence whatsoever on the fact that you are a United States citizen. You have 100% of the rights to vote, and 100% of the rights to all that your citizenship entails as being a citizen of the United States of America.

You can still receive your Social Security checks or benefits living in Panama and in other places in the world as an expat. That is one of the primary ways that many of the retirees are able to live here in Panama- through their Social Security benefits. From time to time, there are things that you need to do as a recipient of Social Security that don’t change. An example would be proving that you’re still alive, and those types of things. The qualifiers are that you worked a certain number of years in the United States and earned a certain level of retirement benefits. It has no bearing whatsoever on where your ZIP Code’s going to be in the future.

The US embassy in Panama has great services throughout the country that can walk you through those things that are relevant. As far as renewing your passport, and doing many things that you would do with any consulate is freely done here in Panama.

(John Gilbert with his children in Panama, pictured.)

Are taxis readily available in the Pedasi, Azuero, Panama area, and what do taxis cost in the Pedasi, Azuero, Panama area?

Liatte Nicole Miller

sombrero pintato, painted hat in Los Santos, Las Tablas, panama – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

There are many taxis in Pedasi. A taxi ride to Venao (about a half an hour away) is around US $25. Within the town, you will pay fixed rates of not more than between $1 to $3. The rate you will pay for a taxi ride also depends on the time of day. You can also rent a bike or just buy your own bike.

A taxi to Las Tablas, which is the closest larger town, about 30 minutes from Pedasi, costs $20.

(The traditional sombrero pintado (painted hat) of Las...

How are the stores and shops in Portugal? How’s the shopping in Portugal?

Duncan MacGregor - Duncan MacGregor Accounting

Fruit market in, Meidera, Portugal – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Shopping in the major centers of Portugal is just like the shopping anywhere else in the world. There are big malls that are open seven days a week. There are outlets, too. There are major centers in Portugal where you have an extremely wide variety when it comes to shopping.

In the countryside, you will find smaller shops and more traditional shopping and the quality of the goods may not be as good as the quality of goods sold in the bigger cities.

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Recently Answered Questions

What are the expats like in Puerto Vallarta?

How are the stores and shops in Corozal? How's the shopping in Corozal?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a Nicaraguan passport?

Do I need to renounce or relinquish my US citizenship or get a dual citizenship to move or live abroad?

Are taxis readily available in the Pedasi, Azuero, Panama area, and what do taxis cost in the Pedasi, Azuero, Panama area?

How are the stores and shops in Portugal? How’s the shopping in Portugal?

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