Carnaval in Las Tablas, Panama, is a huge event. It brings around 100,000 visitors to the town -- and Las Tablas' normal population is only about 10,000. Merchants make a big chunk of their annual sales before, during and after Carnaval. Families earn some extra income by bunking in together and renting out houses or apartments to Carnaval-goers. Carnaval itself is a huge business, employing makers of costumes, floats and other paraphernalia at a cost well into the six figures. …
Villas Coco del Mar One Year Later. . .
Sadly, There's Not Much Progress Last year, I wrote a piece about a promising new beachfront development near Las Tablas. It's the Villas Coco del Mar, and at the time we bumped out there on a very difficult dirt road, there was not much to be seen. Rolling hills, beautiful views, and a long stairway down to the beach. . . Last weekend we decided to pay Coco del Mar another visit. Sadly, not much has changed in 10 months since I wrote about it last. The road out to it is just as bad as it was …
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Some Common Questions about Las Tablas, Panama
Recently I received this email from a reader. It asks questions I see pretty often about Las Tablas, Panama, so I thought I'd answer it publicly. I will retire in about 5 years and was thinking about buying a place in Panama - Las Tablas seems to be a good match for me (of course I need to check it out in person). Are there a few Canadians or Americans in that area - my Spanish would need to improve? Are there any gated communities that are reasonable in price? I like that idea as I don't …
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The Pains, Perils and Joys of Buying Panama Oceanfront Property
Over this past weekend, I looked at two very different pieces of Panama beachfront property. The first belongs to an expat couple we met. They're not selling it, and I can see why. It's absolutely beautiful! Directly on the beach near Chitre, it was built as a collection of small buildings all opening up to a central, covered, open-air courtyard. They have trees, grass, bougainvillea, and lots of other plants in this courtyard. Lovely ocean breezes waft through, and they can open their …
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Las Tablas, Panama – What does it REALLY Cost to Live Here?
What's it cost? That's the question on nearly everyone's mind when they think about retiring overseas. Even if you've got a big budget, you still want to know the sorts of expenses you might run into in a new place. Naturally, your expenses and mine will never line up perfectly. You might be happy in a smaller, less expensive house. Or maybe you like to eat out five nights a week. But after tracking our expenses for eight months here in Las Tablas, I can give you a realistic picture of …
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Losing a Dog in Las Tablas, Panama
Less than two weeks. That's how long we had our dogs with us in Panama before potential disaster struck. Recently I wrote about our ordeals in moving our three small dogs with us to Panama. As I explained, it wasn't so much the paperwork, although you have to carefully dot all your I's and cross all your T's. It was the logistics that caused us to ultimately hire a professional pet mover to help. The dogs arrived, they started settling into their new home, and all was well. Until the …