There’s a growing trend worldwide to search for places overseas where people can settle down, either for certain periods of time or just to call it home permanently –especially when it comes to retirees. Waves of Americans, Europeans, Asians and citizens from elsewhere yearn for building a new home far from the bustling and straining big-city atmosphere and where their purchasing power allows them to lay back and live a plentiful life.

According to a recent poll conducted by the Corporate Resources Group in 192 cities around the globe –the survey was based on quality of life, healthcare, education and finances- Panama ranks among the top-three nations of the Americas to live in. The Central American country is going increasingly strong as a retirement haven and one of the world’s best spots to invest money –given the many fiscal incentives it has to offer. And make no mistakes about it; foreign investment has been the main drive behind the building boom of the past six years.

The entrepreneurial and investment sectors –always on the lookout for real estate properties- are clinching the best choices for the new immigrants. It seems that the good name Panama has made in this sense has a lot to do with the plans cranked up a few years ago in Bocas del Toro. Now demand for the perfect real estate option –chiefly for retirees- is on the rise and has branched out significantly. Many of these building projects are taking place in the heart of the city. Others are scattered across the Pacific coast, on the islands, the rural areas and up in the mountains, especially in the Chiriqui province. Only in Boquete, for example, there are over 26 residential projects in the works.

On the other hand, the construction of the Palace of the Bay is now underway –a 100-story residential tower- while Properties Co. is now working on its own 104-story Ice Tower. Last but not least, Bern Enterprises is planning to come up with a 123-story American Tower that will eventually become the region’s tallest skyscraper.

The Republic of Panama grabbed the Pinkerton Global Intelligence Services, the highest qualification certificate granted for tourism safety and security. Why? Because unlike other nations in this region, assaults and robberies are few and far between. At the same time, crime rates are low and foreign trekkers can even walk freely in the middle of the night, unafraid of getting mugged.

Another major marker this nation brags about is that, unlike many other Latin American countries, this one is no doubt a shopping paradise. You don’t need to go to Miami because Panama boasts the lowest duties levied on any store items in the entire Western Hemisphere, thanks in part to the existence of the Colon Free Trade Zone, the world’s second largest and the first in the Americas. In it, you can find top-of-the-line items at very affordable prices. When it comes to shopping around for groceries, Panamanians have plenty of options as well, very similar to those anyone can find up in the U.S. Its many stores offer a great array of American-made products. And the prices and variety of electronic appliances are as good as the ones found in the States, not to mention U.S. companies like Price-Costco and Sears, that are so commonplace in this country.

On the other hand and when it comes to education, there’s a considerable number of schools supported by international and American institutions and colleges, many of them with affiliates in the city. And don’t worry about the gourmet stuff. Panama City figures on a good deal of fancy restaurants that do hold a candle to any establishment of in a big U.S. burg. In the same breath, the like of Bennigans, TGI Fridays, McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Dominos and KFC have popped up nearly everywhere.

Transportation is not a problem either. The local service has a system of buses and cabs that circulate all around the city day in and day out, at very good fares. In addition, foreigners may get driving permits for up to 90 days. Safety, comfort, space, functional and top-class designs, fast-access roads, nearby hospitals, shopping malls, good schools and colleges. Those are some of the attributes foreign executives and investors can choose from when it comes to settling down in Panama. The country has things to offer other than the Canal. There are beaches and islands on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coasts, nature and adventure, mountains, indigenous cultures, historic landmarks, scuba diving sites, sailing, fishing, ecotourism, birdwatching, rafting, kayaking, surfing, golf and a whole lot more.

The addition of Panamanian islands, provinces and other cities, coupled with the abovementioned allures, makes this Central American nation a temptation too hard to resist. Those regions, blessed with ideal weather conditions, far from the bustling and stressful cities and packed with tourist attractions, piece together a dreamland for people who seek a place where they can lead a quiet and prosperous life in direct contact with nature.