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Many baby-boomers approaching retirement age look south of the U.S. border for inexpensive and beautiful alternatives for places to retire. Instead of flocking to Florida or Arizona, a tropical climate at an affordable price can be found in many of the countries of Central and South America. While Mexico also offers many fine retirement options, the political and social problems of the present situation cause many to look farther south.
Start Nicaragua's flag
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One of the safest and most beautiful countries of Latin America is one of the most misunderstood. Nicaragua has a stable democratically elected government that welcomes retirees from the United States and all over the world. The country is at peace and economically stable.
Nicaragua's capital, Managua, is becoming a first class city. Many fine restaurants, shops, malls and entertainment centers are found in the capital. For people who enjoy the peaceful lakefront lifestyle, the towns around Lake Nicaragua offer great opportunities for fishing and watersports. San Juan del Sur is a port town that attracts many American retirees, giving them an ocean front view.
Nicaragua is very inexpensive and has flexible laws for imports and exports of goods and vehicles.
Villa Caletas, Costa Rica
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Costa Rica has actively recruited American retirees since the 1980s. It is a land that promotes adventure, a warm climate, and a paradise for those in their golden years. Most of the year the temperature stays about 72 degrees average. During the rainy season, there are often two hours a day of hard rains that clear quickly.
Many retirees take advantage of affordable U.S.-trained doctors and health care in Costa Rica. State of the art hospitals take care of the medical needs of the elderly.
Lake Arenal in Costa Rica is rated one of the best places for retirees in the country.
Ushuaia Harbor, Argentina
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Those retirees who are willing to travel farther from home may find their retirement heaven in Argentina.
Towns such as San Rafael offer a beautiful landscape in a prosperous wine-growing region of the country. Argentinian cuisine is meat-heavy and comfortable for the American diet. Many have compared Argentina's landscape to that of Colorado, with its mountains and plains. The climate can dip into the low 30s in the winter, and the seasons are the opposite of the seasons in the United States.
Quito, Ecuador
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Ecuador offers, in a compact country, a rich array of animals, plants and landscapes. Ecuador has moved its economy to be based on the U.S. dollar. This gives economic stability to the nation and makes transactions smooth for U.S. retirees. With the low cost of land and living expenses, a person could retire to Ecuador and live comfortably on $17,000 per year.
Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca are world-class cities that welcome retirees and offer entertainment, shopping and cultural experiences.
Panama
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In the 1980s, Panama began a program for retirees called the pensionado program. This program offers all kinds of discounts on every kind of service imaginable for retirees. Entertainment, airlines, hotels, health care, medications, real estate transactions and other professional consultations are given at 25 percent to 50 percent discounts for retirees.
This program spurred great interest in Panama as a retirement destination. Both real estate deals and affordable health care that is in state of the art hospitals draws retirees to the country. Panama City has plenty of fine restaurants and nightlife at an affordable price to keep this country near the top of the list of favorite retirement places.
