Within an inexpensive 10to 20-minute plane ride or two-to three-hour boat ride from Panama City, there are over 90 islands that make up a chain called the Pearl Islands archipelago, made famous by the television show Survivor that was filmed there. These islands all feature exclusivity and remoteness, yet they are a stone’s throw from Panama City. The most famous of the islands is Contadora, an exclusive enclave 50 miles from Panama City that is home to famous leaders, writers, entertainers and businessmen and where the Shah of Iran lived in exile. Several hotels, restaurants and other services make it an ideal hub for exploring the rest of the islands. Taboga, or “Island of Flowers,” is also a well-known island only 45 minutes by boat from a marina on the Amador Causeway (there is frequent daily commercial service to this island).
These islands are the stuff of travel-magazine cover photos: beautiful waters, white-sand beaches with secluded coves, reefs, tropical flowers and boats passing by on their way to or from the Canal. While Contadora and Taboga are the most famous, development is happening on other islands, such as Saboga, which boasts a second-home development that resembles eco-friendly tree-houses. Golf carts replace cars. Folks leave their doors open. You get to know your neighbors. The beaches contain reefs and protected swimming waters, a rarity on the Pacific side of Panama. These are places truly to get away from it all. Due to their proximity to Panama City and beautiful settings that feel a world away, this is an area to watch. It is truly a unique second-home destination. Think of it as living in Hawaii within a stone’s throw of a small, tropical Manhattan.
Boquete and Chiriqui highlands
Any and all of the Panamanian stereotypes will go out the window from the moment you arrive in Boquete in the province of Chiriqui. Dubbed by a local American developer as the Aspen of Latin America, Boquete sits nestled in the cool higher elevations at 3,500 feet, where daytime temperatures never rise above 85 degrees and nighttime temperatures dip into the 50s. Neither heat nor air conditioning is necessary here. The sun makes a dramatic appearance daily, but cool and frequent showers called bajareques sweep this valley, resulting in dramatic foliage of all flower types, which would be sold at a premium at a local U.S. nursery but grow wild here. Exotic species of birds live in these elevations, and every kind of food imaginable grows in the fertile lands. For many it truly is paradise with an eternal spring-like climate.
Boquete is an escape from the sometimes oppressive heat found in other regions of Panama. This sleepy pueblo was relatively unknown and had the reputation of a coffee-growing village with backward ways. But this all changed when an American developer moved there with his Panamanian wife to relax and enjoy life. While on a horseback ride in the mountains, he discovered a beautiful valley on the edge of town and began to ponder why Americans didn’t live there. Sam Taliaferro, a U.S. technology entrepreneur, built an American-style master planned community called Valle Escondido, complete with a pedestrian-oriented town center, golf course, town homes, single-family homes and other amenities along side a raging river that can be heard from all parts of the valley. One of the first gated communities in Panama, it became an idyllic place with a Disneyland-like atmosphere. It is a captivating area that somehow seems to fit on the outskirts of a charming Panama mountain village.
Valle Escondido began the Boquete revolution that has inspired dozens of other developments in and around Boquete. Thousands of homes designed for foreign second-home buyers will be under development in the coming years, complete with golf courses, hiking trails, community centers and other amenities, prompting this region to become a tourist mecca. Within a few hours’ drive, you can hike a volcano, experience a jungle canopy tour, explore coffee plantations or relax in Boquete. The entire area is banking its future on residential tourism and the economic benefits that it brings. Prices are jaw-dropping in this somewhat remote area of Panama. There are only a small number of foreigners living here (a future boom will bring many more) so now is the time to discover this corner of Panama, before it gets uncovered.
Boquete, which is sprouting new restaurants and hangouts, is only a short drive from the border of higher-priced Costa Rica, and a six-hour drive from Panama City. Its charm and remoteness is also its liability. To arrive in Boquete from the United States is a travel odyssey, requiring a flight to Panama’s Tocumen International Airport, then a transfer to the domestic airport (Albrook), a 30-minute taxi ride away (without traffic). From there you must take a puddle jumper, which has baggage weight restrictions, for a one-hour flight to Chiriqui’s capitol, David. But wait—you aren’t there just yet … an additional 45-minute drive up the mountain is required from the uninviting town of David to Boquete. In other words, the remoteness of Boquete will never result in it becoming a jet-set location like Aspen. Nonetheless, many Americans are finding their retirement and second-home dreams come true here. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) magazine Modern Maturity and Money Magazine have recognized Boquete, and you should check it out too.
Master-planned communities offer single-family homes here at very attractive prices and with all the amenities. Some of the largest include Hacienda de los Molinos, Cielo Paraiso, and Montanas de Caldera. Developments are mainly spread out along the David-to-Boquete highway. The closer you get to David, the closer you are to sea level, and as you get up to Boquete it gets cooler; so you can choose the development that fits your microclimate! Some developments sell homes and lots overlooking steep canyons. Other offer space for horses. It is recommended that you fully explore all developments in order to find the choice that fits you best. Keep in mind distance to Boquete versus David. Boquete tends to be charming, quaint, touristy, whereas David is more practical with the regional airport, small mall, U.S. retail and fast food chains, and health care; but David definitely lacks the charm of Boquete. The cost of living is dramatically lower in the province of Chiriqui than in Panama City (which is already low). Your money will stretch very far for restaurants, services and labor.
Within an hour’s drive of Boquete, yet still in the province of Chiriqui, is an expansive, yet undeveloped, strip of the Pacific Ocean, with some smaller hotels and developments popping up. This area looks promising in the future but currently, access remains a problem. The beaches on this stretch of coast are expansive and dramatic, but the black, volcanic-like sand may not be appealing to some consumers. But many inlets and bays make it ideal for boating and the construction of waterfront communities. The area is not yet on developers’ radar screens and definitely a region to watch.
Chiriqui definitely has variety, with mountains, beaches and a range of microclimates. Nearly every crop imaginable grows, so food is abundant, fresh and inexpensive. People in Chiriqui are known nationwide as being kind and laid-back. As is the case elsewhere in Panama, you will find a foreign presence welcome and will be made to feel “at home.” Perhaps the biggest downside to Chiriqui is its accessibility to international flights.
If there are ever direct flights from the United States to Chiriqui province, the region will more than likely explode with second-home development similar to the Guanacaste province in Costa Rica.
Bocas del Toro
Bocas del Toro, or “mouth of the bull,” has a funky and laid-back, almost bohemian feel to it. Lying in the extreme northwest corner of Panama, this place is for water and nature lovers. If you are looking for upscale, cosmopolitan living, “Bocas” is not for you. If the lyrics to Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” put you in the proper frame of mind, then you may have found your ideal place to settle. Bocas is a collection of nine islands and more than 200 keys sprinkled about
25 miles off the coast near the Costa Rican border. Christopher Columbus named the archipelago, which today counts 10,000 residents.
A short description of Boca’s natural environment includes luxurious rain forests, sunny islands, beaches that rival the best in all of the Caribbean with coral reefs and crystal water, mangrove islets in what appears to be lakes, Indian villages and government-protected lands dedicated to preserving nature, including the huge Bastimentos National Marine Park. It all makes up an incredible, natural archipelago tucked away in the corner of Panama. If you were disappointed in the Pacific coast, then Bocas will make up for your disappointment. To really know Bocas,