IL Postcard

Have You Heard of This Low-cost Panamanian City?

Date: 08/12/2008 Author: Suzan Haskins

Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008

Read more about Panamain International Living Postcards —your daily escape

Dear International Living Reader,

“If I bring my parents here, they’ll freak out,” said the man in one of the front rows at International Living’s recent Live and Invest in Panama seminar. “Once they see this traffic, they’ll get back on the plane and go home.”

He was referring to Panama City, of course, where some people accept the traffic as part of the city’s frenetic energy. Others want nothing to do with it.

Is there a place in Panama with the comforts and conveniences of the city? he asked. A place with high-quality health care for his diabetic father, but without the chaotic pace of the city?

Luckily for him, there is….

Not far from the border with Costa Rica in the western Panama province of Chiriqui, the city of David (pronounced dah-VEED) is easy to get to, easy to get around, and life is—you guessed it—easy. As easy as you’d expect in Panama’s third-largest city.

There are four private hospitals, two public hospitals, and several clinics and medical offices. There are plenty of shopping opportunities, in both the downtown area and a large mall on the Pan-American Highway. All the regular mall-type shops are there, as well as a mega-sized Farmacia Arrocha and a super-sized El Rey supermarket (with a T.G.I. Friday’s across the street). During our stay, we lucked into several very good restaurants, including a wood-fired pizza shop and an Argentine grill. Nightlife options are plenty, with several casinos to choose from.

David isn’t on the coast, but it’s very close. A 30-minute drive west has you at Playa La Barqueta, where the upscale Las Olas Resort is located. Or drive east 90 minutes to Las Lajas and find yourself on a long, straight 12-mile stretch of beach with golden-brown sand and extremely shallow waters.

David is a prosperous city, thanks to its location in the heart of one of Panama’s most productive agricultural areas. There’s fertile farmland to the east, west, and south, and to the north is the Cordillera Central mountain range, perfect for raising cattle. Take one highway 45 minutes up the mountain to the popular expat destination of Boquete; take another to the also-popular town of Volcan.

David itself is becoming more and more popular with expats. We met several who told us that David is an affordable alternative to Boquete and Volcan. You can rent a home in David for $200 per month. We saw homes for sale starting at $30,000.

You can fly to David from Panama City or you can drive there in four or five hours on the Pan-American Highway. If you go, I recommend a stay at the Gran Hotel Nacional in the heart of downtown. It’s clean, comfortable, has high-speed Internet and very good food in its three restaurant areas. Rooms start at $68 per night. A budget option is the Bambu Hostel with a swimming pool, free Internet, and private rooms starting at $22.

Suzan Haskins
Your Latin America Insider, International Living

Editor’s Note: Many of us enjoy the modern conveniences of city life but don’t want to live somewhere as bustling as Panama City. There are so many secret locations in Panama where the living is easy and real estate is cheap; for example, in one lost paradise you can buy a three-bedroom house in an old colonial village for as little as $30,000. Add in First-World health care and major tax incentives and you have the ideal retirement destination. Learn more here.

Read related IL Postcards:

- Living Large in Panama’s Second City

- How to Get the Best Rental Yields in Panama

- Mega Savings in Panama Property