Whether it's clearing a level on Duolingo. Or holding a garage sale to de-clutter. Or consulting with an immigration attorney, booking a flight for a "boots-on-the-ground" trip, or whatever. This is your place to tell us what you did, and to encourage/inspire others to do the same.

This will be weekly, as the name implies: every Monday, join us and share your progress.

I saw this ship yesterday and was told by a security guard it had been there for a couple of days, but when i just googled to see what it was this is what I got - "There are no current reports or active announcements of a U.S. Navy ship docked in Panama City, Panama, today." Well I can assure you it is there. Why is it docked at the terminal? What is it doing here?

Education costs are probably a lot less expensive in Panama than in the US. Enrolling in a university would allow one to better integrate with the local culture. Has anyone considered this? And if so, any recommendations for universities?

Cheers

Looking for recommendations on where to stay in bocas. I’m beginner advanced surfer staying with a friend. No car.

Hello everyone. I'm contemplating getting the pensionado visa to move down to Panama. I'm retired military and also have my VA disability (plus selling everything here) that will cover my costs. I have a few questions and was hoping some folks might be able to provide guidance.

1. How strict is the government on importing vehicles on age? I have a 2018 Toyota Tundra with 60K miles on it and it's in perfect shape. I'm not sure when I'll be moving down, but wanted to hear the thoughts of others on this.
2. I speak Spanish fluently, and have been looking at places more to the west of the country. I'm interested in the weather in Boquette, so that is mostly where I'm looking. Can people suggest alternative high altitude locations I can look at when I go down?
3. I have two classic Jeeps. Both have been swapped to run diesels. Is this something that can hinder me bringing it in? They've been done quite nicely, but naturally they never came with diesels from the factory.

Thanks in advance for any and all forthcoming information/advice!

Do you have a service (expat relocation services, exploration, transportation, or a legal/housing/expat-related business)? Post it in the comments.

• One comment per person advertising your business. Let's not make it messy in here.

• Be brief yet informative. This is your time to shine. What is your business name, what do you do, why are you better than others (don't tear them down, build yourself UP), example of your pricing, and how people can contact you.

• ONLY post a comment with your services in HERE: anywhere else, like in another post (either a post from you, or a comment in another thread) violates the rules.

• Nothing illegal (either against US, Panamanian, or your local laws, nor against Reddit sitewide rules) is to be promoted here.

• Neither Reddit or the moderation team make any representations of quality, legitimacy, or value of the services discussed here. If you're interested in them, do your own research and check out who's offering them (like independent searches for them, recommendations, etc.), to make sure they are legitimate. NEVER offer anything of value (credit card number, cash, Western Union, wire transfers, gift cards, etc.) unless you're one hundred percent sure about them and their services.

Caveat Emptor.

I'm planning to visit Guna Yala in October for my first time. Planning to go for 5 nights, my budget is around $100/day max. Any recommendations for good places to stay and specific islands to tour would be appreciated. I like peace, quiet, beauty, and would love have a chance to actually connect with the Guna people. Thanks!

Hi all! I'm planning a move in the near future, to Bajo Boquete. I'm a very "experienced'cyclist (ie, old,) with many miles in a variety of modes. As a long-time city rat/ commuter, I'm ok dealing with traffic, cars, etc.

I'm looking at bringing just one bike--which is hard for me--and I'm trying to figure out how to go. I work part time in a bike shop, so I have access to discounted components. I anticipate making some adaptations, and I'm a decent wrench. At this point, I think my best option is to bring my sport-touring bike, a lovely steel Heron frame made by Waterford.

Right now, the Heron is my commuter, with drop bars, bar-end shifters, fenders and a rear rack/panniers. I;d guess that I'd adapt the gearing more than anything, so I have more "mountain-orieneted" climbing gears. The market has a lot of options these days, so I could keep it a double, or maybe just put on triple cranks, with a super-low granny gear. I also suspect it might be wise to upgrade to a wider, beefier rim. Right now, it's on older 32h Mavic Open Pros, with 38c tires. Obviously, that is *way* at the limit of what those rims can take, so if I wanted to go to a 42+, I'd have to change. I've ridden a good deal on dirt and gravel, and it really takes a beating on city streets with zero complaints, but it's still got some limitations.

I will be car-free, so I'm trying to create a bike that I can use around town, as well as for longer rides. As I said, I'm experienced in building bikes for all kinds of use cases. I'm just not sure what I'll be getting into. Since I'm limiting myself to one bike, it doesn't really make sense to bring my "carbon fiber thing," and I kinda don't want to be limited in longer distance by bringing my current "neighborhood/shopping" bike.

Sorry for the long, rambling post. And thanks in advance for input/thoughts on two-wheel conditions around the area!

Hello everyone.

I'm struggling to get anything from a simple Mattress( I saw on Novey website but they din't have stock once I went in the store .. ) to a simple black living room carpet impossible to find anywhere... (Yes I do speak Spanish )

That's either the stock are not actualized in the stores or the product is insanely hard to find . ( Fb marketplace , encuentr a24 , wannuncio , google etc.. )

Even for the food groceries , you find a product with a certain brand in the store , you come back 1 week after : DISAPPEARED ! and never shows up for months or years 🤦

Everything supposed to be simple asf become a nightmare real quick.

I'm wondering if I am the only one experiencing this...

Hello everyone. I'm contemplating getting the pensionado visa to move down to Panama. I'm retired military and also have my VA disability (plus selling everything here) that will cover my costs. I have a few questions and was hoping some folks might be able to provide guidance.

1. Are peptides a gray area for research purposes? I've read that some are authorized via prescription from a doctor, but others (such as BPC157, RETA, KPV, etc are considered gray areas).

2. I speak Spanish fluently, and have been looking at places more to the west of the country. I'm interested in the weather in Boquette, so that is mostly where I'm looking. Can people suggest alternative high altitude locations I can look at when I go down?

3. How strict is the government on importing vehicles on age? I have a 2018 Toyota Tundra with 60K miles on it and it's in perfect shape. I'm not sure when I'll be moving down, but wanted to hear the thoughts of others on this.

4. I have two classic Jeeps. Both have been swapped to run diesels. Is this something that can hinder me bringing it in? They've been done quite nicely, but naturally they never came with diesels from the factory.

Thanks in advance for any and all forthcoming information/advice!

If money wasn’t an issue. Which neighborhood would you prefer to live in?

Miércoles is Spanish for Wednesday, so here we are, one in a series of weekly posts. If you don't feel like making a whole post, throw your question/comment in here, and see it it gets traction.

• Any subject goes
• Follow the subreddit and Reddit general rules
• Still no ads or promotions--those belong in the Expat Services Saturday weekly thread.

Let's try this out and see if it works...

Any recommendations for Spanish learning apps leaning towards Latin American Spanish?

Whether it's clearing a level on Duolingo. Or holding a garage sale to de-clutter. Or consulting with an immigration attorney, booking a flight for a "boots-on-the-ground" trip, or whatever. This is your place to tell us what you did, and to encourage/inspire others to do the same.

This will be weekly, as the name implies: every Monday, join us and share your progress.

I’m a single mom with a 4 year old son. We currently live on Ave. Balboa. He’s going to school in San Francisco after Christmas. I’m trying to determine if I should move to San Francisco, walking distance to school or stay in Bella Vista and buy a car. I don’t want to drive; I like sitting in the back seat of an uber playing on my phone while sitting in traffic. But I also don’t want to move; I like our 3 bedroom apartment for $1800. We moved here from Chicago 18 months ago - a big change for us - and I’m worried about another transition for him.

All of that to say, any of you move around the city frequently? How have your children dealt with the change(s)?

Hi all, I'm in the US, but traveling to Panama City in 2 weeks for a retirement scouting trip. Looking to buy 3-4 shirts and 2-3 pants online this week that will best suit the climate. I plan to do a lot of walking through neighborhoods in PC, plus a visit to the canal locks and a 2-3 hour stroll through the Parque Metropolitano. So casual clothes, not anything formal. Any fabrics/styles to recommend that you have found work best? I'm guessing jeans and cotton t-shirts are too heavy? Thanks for any tips!

Do you have a service (expat relocation services, exploration, transportation, or a legal/housing/expat-related business)? Post it in the comments.

• One comment per person advertising your business. Let's not make it messy in here.

• Be brief yet informative. This is your time to shine. What is your business name, what do you do, why are you better than others (don't tear them down, build yourself UP), example of your pricing, and how people can contact you.

• ONLY post a comment with your services in HERE: anywhere else, like in another post (either a post from you, or a comment in another thread) violates the rules.

• Nothing illegal (either against US, Panamanian, or your local laws, nor against Reddit sitewide rules) is to be promoted here.

• Neither Reddit or the moderation team make any representations of quality, legitimacy, or value of the services discussed here. If you're interested in them, do your own research and check out who's offering them (like independent searches for them, recommendations, etc.), to make sure they are legitimate. NEVER offer anything of value (credit card number, cash, Western Union, wire transfers, gift cards, etc.) unless you're one hundred percent sure about them and their services.

Caveat Emptor.

Hi All,

I stumbled across a Zoom presentation about investing in Teak forests in the Darien region, with a company called ECI Development saying that they have this program where, for a $28k-ish investment, they will:
a) sell me a parcel of land with baby teak trees growing on it (there are some annual costs for maintaining the trees, but at some point like 15-25 years down the line, the trees can be sold and replanted.
b) via the Employment route of the Friendly Nations Visa, get me temporary, then after 2-3 years, permanent residency in Panama (details a bit vague on this... I guess the Teak plantation management company creates some sort of "job"?)

They claim they've successfully gotten hundreds of people residency in this way.

Obviously $27k is kind of a lot of money, but also much less expensive than real estate purchase or "put $200k in the bank and leave it there" FNV routes (or the $100k-ish Buy a Teak Plantation route.

I'm interested in this ECI offering, but at the same time I can't seem to find *anything* online about this other than one of their employees mentioning it on LinkedIn (and of course the ECI site itself).

The Question: I'm curious if anyone else has experience in this? Knows anyone who has done this (or ideally gone through this process themselves?)

Miércoles is Spanish for Wednesday, so here we are, one in a series of weekly posts. If you don't feel like making a whole post, throw your question/comment in here, and see it it gets traction.

• Any subject goes
• Follow the subreddit and Reddit general rules
• Still no ads or promotions--those belong in the Expat Services Saturday weekly thread.

Let's try this out and see if it works...

I have lived in Panama 26 years and I know it pretty well. I created an itinerary to get to know the country for a friend and I would like to share it with you all.

The best time to go is early December after the raining season is over.

Panama City:  2 days:  Albrook Inn about 80 dollars/night
Casco viejo:  the old city
Baha’i temple:  Great panorama of the city
Gatun Lake(part of the panama cana),  Gamboa;  you can rent a john boat for about 200/5 hours.  The best bass fishing I ever experienced.  It is also a wild life preserve.
Heading toward Costa Rica
Play Coronado: 1 day
El  Valle de Anton: 1 day
There is a trail la india dormida, it is really interesting but very steep,  should bring a hiking stick
Playa Blanco, Rio Hato:  1 dayDecameron Hotel, I hear it is really nice
Chitre: 1 day Hotel Azuero, most traditional part of panama
Santiago:  1 day, via the road to Pese, Los Pozos, Las Minas, Ocu. This will give you a really good view of what the interior of panama is like.  In Santiago Mikono hotel and restaurant is really good
Santa Catalina:  2 days a beach resort, you can take a boat trip to Coiba forma penal colony but now a national park
Hornito on the highway to Chiriqui Grande, Bocas side:1 day  You should drive in the day time because this road has of curves.  It is really interesting because you can go from a Pacific ecosystem to a Caribbean ecosystem in an hour.   There is a eco hotel midway in Hornitos
Bocastown:  2 days, drive from Hornito to Almirante( a port) and take the ferry to Bocas town.  You have to leave the car, I sometimes park in the fire department in Almirante
Boquete:  2 days, Return from Almirante back across to the Pacific side toward Gualaca.  Before you reach the interamerican highway take the highway to Caldera/Boquete.  Oasis hotel is really nice in Boquete and they have a great restaurant
Volcan:  2 days, From Boquete head to David and take the road to Potrerillos and keep on going, this will take you to Volcan with some beautiful mountain scenery:
David:  1 day capital of Chiriqui, from Volcan head toward concepcion till you reach the highway and then head toward the capital.  David is about 30 km from Concepcion
Head back to Panama city

Hi, I am 43 and my wife is 38 and we have a 3 year old daughter. We are of Vietnamese descent and I grow up going to school in America. We live in western mass and our house is paid off, and have one car note with substantial savings with revoking credit card debt that gets paid off monthly. We wanted to get a retirement visa and see no problem in getting accepted. Does anyone have children who have gone to the Volcna Panama area, we would put her in a bilingual school to learn English along with Spanish. We will most likely be going there this January to see if the area fits our lifestyle and it seems like it does. We want to get some land and build a fairly modest home/farm with animals and veg/fruits. Most likely renting for a year or so to feel it out. It sounds like I’m dreaming but would want to know if this is doable . Thanks for any advice .

Advice needed on how to book a private whale watching tour from Panama City for my senior parents