Best Places In The World To Retire

There completely different profiles of expats depending on each area in Yucatan. You have the people who live in Cancun who moved there a long time ago and are the pioneers. They are doing businesses and they have an expat community in Cancun.
 
The expat community in Playa del Carmen started around 1986 so you will see that the people there decided to live there because they want to be in a very small town contrary to Cancun that was becoming a big city with big hotels. This...

There completely different profiles of expats depending on each area in Yucatan. You have the people who live in Cancun who moved there a long time ago and are the pioneers. They are doing businesses and they have an expat community in Cancun.
 
The expat community in Playa del Carmen started around 1986 so you will see that the people there decided to live there because they want to be in a very small town contrary to Cancun that was becoming a big city with big hotels. This trend has changed. Now, Playa del Carmen has more hotel rooms than in Cancun. That area and the whole Riviera Maya corridor (which includes Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and the areas in between) is a very important area and a lot of expats live there. 
 
We noticed that the people who moved at the beginning to the areas like Playa del Carmen looking for tranquility and a nice place to live without the hustle of the big city like Cancun was becoming are now caught up in another big town. Playa del Carmen doesn’t have big hotels but it is very busy in terms of hotels, tourism, and activities in the area. So in order to go to a less touristic place some of these expats are now moving out to Merida (the largest city in the state of Yucatan in the Yucatan Peninsula) and some to Campeche (a much less developed state in the Yucatan Peninsula). 
 
Merida also established itself around 20 years ago as a nice place. Then it started opening opportunities in downtown Merida. People started buying old houses, renovating them, and they either sell or live in them. It turned out to be a huge business and now we have around 10 realtors that are very good in the area of Merida with offerings downtown.
 
The expat community in Campeche is also starting to grow.
 
Just in the state of Yucatan, the expat population could range between 6,000 and 8,000, depending on the season. When the snowbirds come, they establish themselves on the coast and some of them rent houses downtown. In general, the Yucatan has a huge expat community. They come back year after year and from what we’ve seen and from the stories we’ve heard, expats really do love the Yucatan. They feel at home. In the end, they get used to the traditions in the area as well.

 

(Jungle tour in Sisal, Mexico, pictured.)

 

 

 

The most important thing you need to know about living overseas and retiring overseas is to keep an open mind and be respectful to the new culture you are moving into.  Always remember you are the newcomer and as such, it is up to you to adapt to how things are done in your new chosen country.  Do not expect the locals to speak English and change the way they have always done things to fit your expectations.  It can be a bit frustrating at first, and there is always a...

The most important thing you need to know about living overseas and retiring overseas is to keep an open mind and be respectful to the new culture you are moving into.  Always remember you are the newcomer and as such, it is up to you to adapt to how things are done in your new chosen country.  Do not expect the locals to speak English and change the way they have always done things to fit your expectations.  It can be a bit frustrating at first, and there is always a learning curve, but keep an open mind and always be respectful to the local people and culture and it will get you where you want to go, eventually.  It is also very important to make a very serious attempt at learning the local language and customs.  Even if it is very difficult for you to learn a new language, it will make your life in a new country so much easier if you pick up the local lingo.  You will find the locals will be very appreciative if you try to speak the local language, even if you are not doing well, they will help you if you at least try.  

Have fun with it and be adventurous and respectful and you will have an amazing experience.

 

(Anne Gordeon's whale watching (and petting) tours in Panama, pictured.)
 

The cost of food in restaurants in Portugal varies. I can have lunch for €6 (US $6.50 or £4.32) at my local café for a meal that includes a glass of wine, dessert and coffee. It’s cooked in the morning, served for lunch and you have a choice of two dishes. Grilled fish could cost about €15 to €20 (US $16.27 to $21.70 or £10.81 to £14.42) per person.
 
It’s very important to note that in Portugal, they have set menus. They have what...

The cost of food in restaurants in Portugal varies. I can have lunch for €6 (US $6.50 or £4.32) at my local café for a meal that includes a glass of wine, dessert and coffee. It’s cooked in the morning, served for lunch and you have a choice of two dishes. Grilled fish could cost about €15 to €20 (US $16.27 to $21.70 or £10.81 to £14.42) per person.
 
It’s very important to note that in Portugal, they have set menus. They have what is called “Dish of the Day” that usually varies between €7 and €10 (US $7.59 and $10.85 or £5 and £7.21) and it’s all inclusive of wine, coffee, and dessert. You have two choices, either meat or fish. Portuguese people do not generally eat sandwiches. The have meals which include a knife and fork for lunch and a knife and fork for dinner; they have traditional sit-down dinners.
 
However, we also have fast food chains like Burger King and Pizza Hut but they are not as many as you would see in England. In England, every street has a fast food chain, while here in Portugal, the fast food chains are mostly located in shopping malls. A Big Mac at McDonald’s here in Portugal costs about €5 (US $5.43 or £3.60).  

 

(Lunch with wine in Portugal, pictured.)

The rain forest is in the northern part of Nicaragua. You will find them in Matagalpa and Jinotega. Those are probably the two most popular areas because the others are more rural.

The rain forests here are very mountainous, wet, muddy ,and very green; as green as you will ever see in your life. The rain forests are much cooler than the other parts of the country, 10, 12 degrees. You will find various animals, wildlife, flowers and trees. Most of the beautiful flowers in...

The rain forest is in the northern part of Nicaragua. You will find them in Matagalpa and Jinotega. Those are probably the two most popular areas because the others are more rural.

The rain forests here are very mountainous, wet, muddy ,and very green; as green as you will ever see in your life. The rain forests are much cooler than the other parts of the country, 10, 12 degrees. You will find various animals, wildlife, flowers and trees. Most of the beautiful flowers in Nicaragua come from that area.

A cloud forest is where the mountain reaches the clouds. Once you go to these parts, you’re surrounded by clouds, so it’s very dark and wet. It’s not like a rainforest where it rains and then it gets dry. In a cloud forest, it’s constantly wet.

There are cloud forests in the northern part of the country. If you keep going up the rain forest, you’ll reach the cloud forest. There’s one in the Mombacho volcano. The Mombacho volcano is as green as it gets.