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Recently Answered Questions

Are there natural disasters like flooding, earthquakes, fire or hurricanes in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?

Magy Carmona - Magy Carmona at Lake Chapala Realty

Cow on a trail in the mountains above Ajijic – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

When it comes to natural disasters, Chapala and Ajijic are protected by the hills. In every rainy season, water coming down through the hills can cause damage to the streets, so we just have to respect nature to avoid such disasters by not building in these areas, which are well known.

For example, at my house in Ajijic, there’s a river down the terrace, which is more like a small seasonal creek. Instead of trying to cover it or build a pipe to...

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

RICH Novak - RE/MAX Beaches & City! INC.

To answer the question directly, it is not necessary for you to relinquish your citizenship or even get a dual citizenship in order to live in Panama. You can be a perpetual tourist, if you follow the rules, or you can get one of the different visas available.

When you come to Panama, you can come as a tourist or a visitor, and stay for 180 days, but then you have to leave the country for 72 hours. Then you can come back again. There are people who are stay in...

By law a Pensionado in Panama does not need a passport and possible Panamanian citizenship, but the government of Panama recently changed that rule, so that now, after a person’s has legally been here for five years, you can apply for citizenship. Nobody that I know has ever become a citizen and received a Panamanian passport that I know of, though, so it is absolutely not necessary in order to stay in Panama.

There are programs like the one they have in Saint Kitts, where you could start with an investment of US $350,000 and receive citizenship. To renounce your citizenship is a gray area. You may want to renounce your citizenship or you may not.

I know a Canadian guy who says that he has done everything to become a citizen of Panama, but the president of Panama needs to approve his application to become a citizen. That is the only thing he is says he needs, and I am waiting to see if that happens.

I am a US citizen and because I am a US citizen living overseas, I have to put up with some crazy laws. Because I am a citizen of the United States, I have to send in a report to Detroit telling the government what money I have in foreign bank accounts, and if I do not tell them, the penalty is 50% per year. So just because you already live in another country, does not relieve you of taxes and some other legal obligations in the US, because you are still a US citizen.

Is there religious freedom and religious tolerance in Nicaragua?

Jewel Hoff - Tierra de los Suenos

Catholic church in Somoto, Nicaragua – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

There is 100% religious freedom and tolerance in Nicaragua.

I believe they passed that law in ’96 that guaranteed complete religious freedom. I mean, we don’t have a huge Muslim population here, perhaps about 500. We have Evangelical, Mormons, Catholic, Protestant, everything—it’s total freedom of religion

In addition to the law, Nicaraguans are very tolerant of other religions.

(Catholic church during...

What are the best things to do in and around Algarve?

Luis Teixeira da Silva - Algarve Senior Living

Via Algarviana – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Golf is definitely one of the best things to do in Algarve. Sun and sand is great in Algarve so spending time on the beach is another best thing to do here. Water sports and other related activities such as sailing, surfing on the west coast, fishing, canoeing in rivers are fantastic activities do to in Algarve. Rambling and walking are also popular in the Algarve.

We have fantastic coastal walks and we have an inland walk called the Via Algarviana, which...

We have fantastic coastal walks and we have an inland walk called the Via Algarviana, which is fantastic for seeing the interior beaches of the Algarve, either on foot or on a bicycle. Anything related to the outdoor, sports, nature, and wellness is absolutely superb in Algarve.

Then we have gastronomy. Gastronomy is probably one of the best things to do anywhere in Portugal, but here in Algarve, there are fantastic restaurants, great seafood, wonderful fish, etc. so eating out is a part of the culture of people who move to the region of the Algarve and a major part of the culture of the people who are locals.

We also have an immense amount of cultural activity that goes on all year round. Even in the winter, when most people think the cultural activities have shut down, we have the ballet, jazz, local orchestras and international orchestras that play, and we have performing arts of different kinds. A lot of people are not aware that this goes on. There is a lot of cultural activity here in Algarve but you need to know where to find them. This surprises most people because they do not expect that a destination such as the Algarve, which is known for sea, sand, and golf, has as much of a variety on the cultural front.

We had a guest, who was staying at one of our locations near the city of Portimão, although she was on the Lagoa, municipal side. A ballet came for several performances at the Images for Pavilhao Do Arade, which is a very big, modern, exhibition and performance venue just off the River Arade. Our guest was so amazed. She said, “To do this in London, I would have had to go into London, and book a hotel for a night. I would then have had to catch a taxi to the West End, have dinner at the West End, see the show, go back to the hotel, and go out. The cost to do this would easily be £200 (about US $300).”

And she said, “I walked over to the venue, and to be fair, it is in a fairly industrial area but I felt completely safe. I walked over from my hotel to the venue, saw the show, and walked back to the hotel at 11:30 PM. It was very safe. I had my dinner in the local restaurant before. The show cost me about €24 ($27 or £18), and the dinner cost me €8 ($9 or £6), so for around €32 ($35 or £23), I saw a world class performance that was convenient, safe, and very inexpensive.” It’s that type of thing that exists in the Algarve if you know where to look.

(Map of the Via Algarviana, Algarve, Portugal pictured.)

How many Americans, Canadians and other expats live in Coronado, Panama?

Melissa Darnay - Choose Panama

air Canada – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The number of Americans, Canadians, or other expats living in Coronado, Panama is a moving target because every year, there are over 500,000 people who come to Panama and stay for some amount of time. The high season is from December to the end of April. People coming here could live here for one month or they could be here for four months.

Because the population expands and contracts so much during May and June when a lot of the snowbirds go home, it’s going to be...

Can I see beautiful flowers, plants and trees in or around Cayo, Belize, including San Ignacio and Belmopan?

Jonathan Lohr - Ceiba Realty Ltd.

Fruit trees on property walking distance to San Ignacio, Belize – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

There is no shortage of flowers, plants, and trees around the Cayo District and San Ignacio in Belize. You have the Botanical Gardens in the Duplooys River Lodge Resort, which is a great walkthrough. They have a lot of species gathered in one area so you could just walk through on a self-guided tour and see a lot of the beautiful foliage there. You will pay a small entrance fee, they will give you a little book, and you can go on your self-guided tour. I have done that. I live here,...

Recently Posted Expat Stories

Their Stories About Why They're There

I am so tired of seeing the words 'their,' 'there' and 'they're' misused that I thought I would put all three in the title of this post. That way, anyone who might chance on this post could at least see that each of the homonyms is spelled differently and might also deduce from the example that each has a different meaning.

Besides the purpose stated above, the title of this post refers to the reasons people I met in Panama had either settled there already or were exploring that...

Sunshine Morning Invites the Camera to Come Outdoors

We enjoy our coffee on the patio in Boquete, Panama, most mornings. This recent Sunday the weather was spectacular. We filled our coffee thermos and hastily dressed for a ride around Boquete while there was time before the clouds and rain arrived!

First stop was the Tourist Information Center at the bottom of the hill from where we live. Great timing, we had the camera this time and the White-nosed Coati troupe was there as if on cue. Best to see between 8:30 and 9:00 am....

La Rosa de Los Vientos Pedasi front outside view – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Robert and Isabelle Shahverdians found the place that eventually became La Rosa de Los Vientos in Pedasi, Panama after they had traveled Costa Rica and found it wanting. They then moved around Panama, to see if there was something better.

In the environs of Pedasi, they found a place where the road had few inhabitants and came to a bit of land that faced the Pacific, around a small bay lapped by quiet waves. It was there that they made their spot at the end of...

Best Places In The World To Retire

Recently Answered Questions

Are there natural disasters like flooding, earthquakes, fire or hurricanes in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?

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

Is there religious freedom and religious tolerance in Nicaragua?

What are the best things to do in and around Algarve?

How many Americans, Canadians and other expats live in Coronado, Panama?

Can I see beautiful flowers, plants and trees in or around Cayo, Belize, including San Ignacio and Belmopan?

Recently Posted Expat Stories

Their Stories About Why They're There

Sunshine Morning Invites the Camera to Come Outdoors

A Visit To La Rosa De Los Vientos in Panama; a Place Apart From The Hubbub World

Best Places In The World To Retire