Best Places In The World To Retire

The construction standards in Puerto Vallarta are incredibly high. Things have changed considerably, because back in the 70’s or 80’s there were earthquakes that caused a lot of damage in Mexico City. These earthquakes caused a lot of changes to be implemented in building regulations. 

 

The building that I live in here in Puerto Vallarta is a 6-story condominium on the ocean, and it is built in a way that if there are tremors from...

The construction standards in Puerto Vallarta are incredibly high. Things have changed considerably, because back in the 70’s or 80’s there were earthquakes that caused a lot of damage in Mexico City. These earthquakes caused a lot of changes to be implemented in building regulations. 

 

The building that I live in here in Puerto Vallarta is a 6-story condominium on the ocean, and it is built in a way that if there are tremors from earthquakes, it will sway and not crumble. I was on the top floor of this building when there was a 5 - 5.5 magnitude earthquake in Puerto Vallarta, and the building just swayed but acquired no damage. 

 

I’m seeing that more and more buildings here are being built in Puerto Vallarta in the same way, wherein they sway and not crumble in case of a tremor, which is fantastic. A lot of the buildings here in Puerto Vallarta are also built higher so that the first floor is one story up, which takes into account that should there be any swells in the water, it won’t cause any issues. The issues will just be in the main and common areas of the building, which is another great thing about how they construct buildings that’s happening here in Puerto Vallarta.

 

A lot of new condominium projects that are going up right now in Vallarta are all being built to very high standards, and engineers are involved in every one of these builds. I’m not an expert in this particular area, but I can certainly see as they’re building how much goes into making sure that the buildings here in Puerto Vallarta are safe.

 

(New condo project, Vallarta Nayarit, Mexico, pictured.)

To have a Portuguese Passport it will be necessary to apply for Portuguese Nationality first.

 

The Permanent Residence Permit allows for citizens of third states to apply for the Portuguese Nationality after 6 (six) years of residence in the Portuguese Territory.

 

Nonetheless the citizen applying for the Portuguese Nationality shall also have to comply, namely, with the following requirements:

 

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To have a Portuguese Passport it will be necessary to apply for Portuguese Nationality first.

 

The Permanent Residence Permit allows for citizens of third states to apply for the Portuguese Nationality after 6 (six) years of residence in the Portuguese Territory.

 

Nonetheless the citizen applying for the Portuguese Nationality shall also have to comply, namely, with the following requirements:

 

a)      Proof of residence in Portuguese territory for at least 6 years;

 

b)      The applicants must be over eighteen years old;

 

c)       Sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese Language;

 

d)      Absence of conviction for crime punishable in Portugal by imprisonment for more than 3 years;

 

e)      Birth certificate;

 

f)       Passport;

 

(Electronic passport from Portugal, pictured.)

 

g)      Incorporation about personal data as the name of the parents, profession, etc.;

 

h)      Countries where the applicant had residence besides Portugal;

 

i)        Criminal registry issued by the Portuguese entity of the county of birth or of the nationality where the applicant has its residence.

 

The Portuguese Passport allows the holder to establish residence and free movement in Portugal and in other European Union Countries. Thus, with a second passport to get into countries that require visas for certain citizens could benefit you in substantial costs and less paperwork and unnecessary bureaucracy to travel around.

 

Other advantages of having a Portuguese Passport are the access to medical assistance, to education and others publics rights on the same terms as the Portuguese without losing your American citizenship.

 

(Electronic passport from Portugal, pictured.)

In Panama City and in other parts of Panama, there are people who do not speak any English, so you have to learn Spanish. Sure you can get by if you don't speak any Spanish, but you will not enjoy Panama as you could if you did.

 

A lot of people assimilate the language, and some expats just find partners who do all the speaking for them. I know several people, men and women, who have partners who do all the business.

 

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In Panama City and in other parts of Panama, there are people who do not speak any English, so you have to learn Spanish. Sure you can get by if you don't speak any Spanish, but you will not enjoy Panama as you could if you did.

 

A lot of people assimilate the language, and some expats just find partners who do all the speaking for them. I know several people, men and women, who have partners who do all the business.

 

So yes, you can get by with just English, but it is always better, when you come to a country, especially if it is Spanish-speaking, to make an effort and try to learn the language. You will get help and they will want to learn English, too.

 

If you show a sense to learn Spanish, Panamanians are going to treat you well and they are going to try to communicate with you with what few English they may know.

 

(The National Institute of Panama, pictured.)

Not only me personally, but all my friends and tourists who I meet, say “I have never had a bad meal in San Pedro (the main town on Ambergris Caye).” We really do have great restaurants. Our food is a mixture of so many different cultures and is very tasty, and some of it is very spicy. Our food is delicious. We’re spoiled when it comes to that, even when I travel to other places. 

 

A lot of people say that the food and restaurants...

Not only me personally, but all my friends and tourists who I meet, say “I have never had a bad meal in San Pedro (the main town on Ambergris Caye).” We really do have great restaurants. Our food is a mixture of so many different cultures and is very tasty, and some of it is very spicy. Our food is delicious. We’re spoiled when it comes to that, even when I travel to other places. 

 

A lot of people say that the food and restaurants here are expensive, but I don’t think so. When you go to a nice restaurant here in San Pedro, you will pay anywhere from US $20 to $30, which is an average cost for a really good meal. (Of course, lobster is going to be a lot more expensive.) I’ve traveled to the US and I really don’t see why people say that our food is expensive here because when you go to an average, what I would call a higher end fast food restaurant in the States like Chili’s or something similar, and you’ll pay $12 to $16 for a chicken burger. I think the standards for our food are way above what Chili’s would be. So to me, I don’t think the food is unreasonably expensive.  

 

We have Mexican restaurants. We have a lot of restaurants that have American meals because we cater to a lot of American tourists. So in my mom’s restaurant, Caprice, for example, we have our locally infused dishes but will also have fajitas, burgers, chicken fingers, and other dishes in order to cater to people that might not want something more local or different. You’d be surprised how many tourists travel to other destinations and want to keep within what they’re used to.  

 

(Night dining on the beach at Caprice Bar and Grill, Ambergris Caye, Belize, pictured.)