I bought my property long before I retired and moved here, but I made frequent trips to “window shop”, as they say.
I selected the delightful beach community of Puerto Armuelles as my retirement haven. I have never looked back.
I retired from my real job to my hobbies – and there are many. I am well suited to entertaining myself. And that is fortunate as Puerto Armuelles is almost completely void of entertainment.
I do not consider eating out a pleasant pastime. There are several excellent restaurants in our community, but since cooking is one of my hobbies, I prefer to prepare my own.
There are no movie theaters (rely on your DVD collection or Netflix) and the closest “mall shopping” is a 30 to 40 minute drive from Puerto Armuelles. Although, with our new 4-lane road the drive is much more pleasant (it used to be only 2-lanes).
There are movie theaters in David, but mostly in Spanish and reportedly the sound system is awful. I would not know as I do not care to drive 1 ½ hours to watch a movie when I can sit in the comfort of my home with Netflix!
Panama cable television is primarily in Spanish with a few English channels – I tried it for a while, but just did not derive enough benefit. Reruns of programs that I had no interest in the first time around!
Cell phones are the primary means of communication. Almost the entire country relies on Whatsapp. Whatsapp is a free application that allows people to talk and text, send photos or videos, etc.
Best of all if you are outside the country and have your phone, your WhatsApp will continue to work as it does in Panama. At least it does in Canada, the United States and Colombia – that I can attest to. I have no reason to doubt that it works the same elsewhere.
Panama is not a country of seasons – it is always hot! While it does cool off pretty quickly at night – if you are outside a major city – because there is little concrete – including paved roads, it will always be warm during the day.
In the mountains it is cooler, but it is also rainier.
The beaches are delightful here in Puerto Armuelles. And there is always some shell collecting to be done.
The tide drop is huge and I generally take advantage of this to walk on the firmer wet sand for exercise. Slogging through dry sand is its own special type of intense workout.
Find out what is and isn’t available to you in Panama.
Not everything you are accustomed to finding easily in your “home” location is readily available in Panama.
If you have items and/or services (reliable high speed internet springs to mind) you “cannot live without” then you may possibly want to reconsider your decision to move here, learn to live without some of those luxuries, or adapt to what is available here.
Fruits and vegetables are readily available from truck vendors in our town. Many of them drive through the neighborhoods, which I find extremely convenient!
Fish
There is a fish market is in town. But again, there are also neighborhood vendors. The fish you buy was generally caught last night. The boats go out at night and return in the mornings.
Do not let them convince you that a rooster fish is good to eat – it is not. I am not sure I would even want to make a soup with it!
Red fish, tilapia, shrimp in season, lobster in season, tuna, mackerel are some of the more readily available varieties.
Small stores
The small grocery stores, called tiendas, are generally well stocked, albeit in the small size. They are a handy source for staples – chicken, rice, sugar, milk, onions, carrots, green peppers, etc. None of the tiendas near my house sell beer, but they may in other areas.
Goods from USA
PriceSmart (like Costco), and supermarkets such as El Rey/Romeros, Super 99, Extra (I am told), Dorado (I am told) and several other stores seem to be adding more and more U. S. items to their shelves.
That being said, you must remember that just because you find it one day does not mean you will find it again at a later date. Sometimes it is really hit or miss. If you find it, buy it is a good rule of thumb.
If internet is important to you, be sure there is availability in the area you are considering.
Not much has changed in the last several years in the way of improved service, if you are considering living outside a major city. While there have been some improvements, a lot must still be done to improve the standard of Internet service in the outlying areas of Panama.
The dogs roam freely here as many are compelled to forage for their food.
The dogs are sometimes a noise issue. Learn to sleep with ear plugs or put a pillow over your head!
Panamanians like their music loud!
There is a law in our town and you can call the police who may or may not come to your aide. The police are required to take down the name, address and identification number of the person in violation and report that to the local Corregiduria for further action. Eventually, the neighborhood will be quieter, but it does take some effort. I just learned to basically tune it out.
Panamanians love to celebrate their independence from both Spain and Colombia (both events occur in November). The school bands start practicing well in advance!
I love the enthusiasm and the parades. It reminds me of the 1950s when people weren’t so consumed with their lives and had time for family activities and major celebrations.
Panamanians typically view Gringos as ATMs. They think that all Gringos are rich.
I have been told that the preachers in some churches have told their congregations, if a Gringo has it and you want it, just take it. I cannot personally vouch for that, because my Spanish is not that developed and I do not attend the “local” (read that, neighborhood) churches.
Panamanians also have little regard for borrowed property. If you loan something, you will have to ask for it back. And it will not always come back in the same condition. There will be no offer of repair, replace or reimbursement.
/panama/frustration-employees-appointments-electricity-internet/Best rule of thumb – if you don’t want to be without it, don’t lend it.
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You may also want to check out a post I wrote recently about other not-great-parts of life in Panama.
