Have you ever been to Panama or Costa Rica?

I am thinking of moving to Panama or Costa Rica, do you know of information on either of those as far as buying land and retiring? Do they hate Americans? I do speak some spanish. I am considering buying land and retiring. I'm certain that I would always want to have enough cash, so I could leave should problems arise

Public Comments

1. You need to contact the Embassies of the countries involved and get a list of their requirements for becoming a resident alien in their country... It is NOT like moving to Iowa, you know!... for one thing... you don't have to be fluent in Spanish to move to Iowa... California, perhaps... but not Iowa... not yet, anyway. I liked Costa Rica... San Juan is much like Denver except the mountains are on the wrong side. Panama is hot and humid and poor.
2. Americans are welcome in both countries.
3. If you are from the US I would recommend Panama..The difference in both countries is very broad..but you will be able to find many American places in Panama and many american style conforts such as the dollar...You will have a hard time adjusting more in Costa Rica than in Panama....Costa Rica is more Rustic and less modern..Panama can Have both, but the city is probably the most modern between The two countries...
4. I met a lot of US ex pats in Panama. There are many former Americans in the city as well as El Valle, David (near Costa Rica), Boquete, and Bocas Del Toro (near CR but Caribbean). Americans are very welcome in Panama. English is practically a second language. You should probably travel to Panama, look around and see areas where you'd like to stay then look for a local real estage agent. You won't miss them, they're all over.
5. Panama. They speak some English there.
6. There are a lot of people retiring in Panama right now. The country makes it easy to apply and qualify for a "pensionado" visa. The US military bases closed in 1999, and now most Panamanians welcome foreigners with open arms because they know they are generally here to invest money, buy property, and consume goods and services. It's good that you speak a little Spanish, and you'll be surprised how quickly you pick it up once you are immersed in the culture and language. The best advice I can give someone who is considering Panama as a retirement destination is to come on down and check it out for awhile. You can stay for 90 days on a tourist visa and try out Panama City, the beaches, the mountains, and areas like the Azuero peninsula, David and Boquete, as well as Bocas del Toro and the Atlantic side. Rent before you buy to make sure you like the area you've chosen to live. And as far as a "quick bail out is concerned" that's really not a problem. If you ever get tired of Panama you can just sell everything and fly home. I've been living here for 20 years, and I love it. It's getting better every day. If you want more information about Panama, check out http://www.panama-guide.com, where you will find more than 4,000 articles about Panama in English in an easily searchable database. Hope this helps. Salud.