The Panama Gringo

Latin Investors 2010 report on Panama

Today’s blog post comes from Sam Taliaferro at the Panama Investor Blog:

I found this report to have some interesting and valuable information and it is free so take a look. The following press release is from their website.

Following up with last years release of the Offshore Banking report, www.alternativelatininvestor.com/offshore-banking.html, which, in the midst of the global banking crisis, gravitated towards Panama, Alternative Latin Investor has released an in-depth report of the of the country.

Through extensive interviews, site visits and research the report deals with the main sectors relevant to foreign investors, Real Estate, Commodities, Banking and General Business practices as well as an exclusive interview with Former Panamanian president Nicolás Ardito. With Panama Read more

Bocas Del Toro Panama: Secluded, Tranquil and Breathtaking

Bocas Del Toro Panama is located in the western most region of the country of Panama. It lies about 25 miles from Costa Rica. The province of Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean sea and contains two national parks, many beaches, about 68 islands, lakes, river, one main archipelago and several towns. Bocas is a beach lover’s delight and boasts many white sand beaches with sky blue waters without crowds of people. Many countries have filmed their “survivor” television series here including: Spain, France, Russia and Italy. Bocas has also been called a “biologist fantasy” boasting miles of rain forest alongside rivers, and beaches.

The cuisine in Bocas is very diverse considering the remote location of the area. The Read more

Places to Stay in Panama City: Veneto Hotel and Casino

If you’re searching for a more luxurious and accommodated spot to crash in Panama City the Veneto Hotel & Casino located on Via Veneto in Panama City’s El Cangrejo neighborhood may be your best bet when deciding among places to stay. The hotel comes very well equipped with fine dining restaurants, sushi bar, several bars, a spa, world class casino, roof top pool and many customer service options such as airport shuttle, valet parking and 24 hour room service. Room rates range from about $115 to $200 per night depending on the number of occupants and length of stay; and many specials are offered for extended stays of four or more nights.

During my stay at the Read more

Venezuelan investment gains ground in Panama

Today’s blog post comes from Sam Taliaferro at the Panama Investor Blog:

According to the Venezuelan news site El Universal, investment in Panama by Venezuelan businessmen represent about 12% of the total new investment into Panama. We thank the leadership of Venezuela for driving these significant investment dollars into Panama. It is most unfortunate for the citizens of Venezuela that their countrymen find it much safer to invest here rather than their own country.

Economy

The Panamanian market has become one of the favorite destinations for Venezuelan investment. Nowadays, 12 percent of new businesses are the result of Venezuelan investments, as reported by Leandro Ciciliani, the CEO of International Property Networks (IPN).

In the context of Read more

Anything and Everything Panama

The best resources on life in Panama come from the people who know. PanamaQ Blog is full of people who know all there is to know about life in Panama. As they so eloquently put it:

“PanamaQ magazine is the quintessential authority for discerning individuals interested in this vibrant paradise. Delivering comprehensive, provocative journalism and rich photographic essays, PanamaQ is the ultimate guide and inspiration for an elite audience of world-class travelers.”

Articles on PanamaQ feature everything from medical tourism, health care in Panama, travel through the Panama Canal, ecotourism and investment in Panama.

Subscribe via email to get the latest articles from PanamaQ, or just check out their web-site. Posts come every week or so, but often Read more

A Brief History of the Panama Canal

I believe that it is safe to say that all who visit Panama are familiar with the fifty mile long waterway which runs from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean, divides the country of panama and creates a major lifeline for Panama via exporting and importing goods worldwide. However, many are unfamiliar with the history of the Panama Canal. The first attempt to construct the channel was made by the French in the late 1800’s after the Panama railway was built. Over 22,000 French workers died in the first attempt due to poor hygiene, malaria and yellow fever; the idea of constructing a canal at sea level was soon abandoned and considered impossible by many.

In 1902 Theodore Roosevelt bought Read more

Need Retail Therapy? Check Out Via Vai Boutique in Panama

A big appeal when first arriving to Panama was the low price of items such as clothing, shoes, house wares, linens and décor. But after a few experiences of purchasing cheaply priced and made clothing from various department stores in Panama I realized that here you definitely get what you pay for in terms of apparel. Among the masses of similarly styled and manufactured clothing I was able to find a store that appealed to my more eclectic and crafted sense of style.

When entering Via Vai Boutique one is almost immediately hit with warm colorful “good vibrations” as I described to fellow shoppers. The layout of the store has a comfortable boutique feel while remaining organized, well lit, Read more

Novey Hardware – The Mini Home Depot of Panama

Novey Hardware in Panama – For Gringos in need for our next DIY project on your condo here — this place is just like a smaller Lowes or Home Depot in the States. Cheaper though.

If you’re like me at all, no doubt you’ve had a number of frustrating experiences with people working on your home or condo in Panama. I have had my fair share of “professionals” come through and try and fix things without really knowing what they were doing. Let me tell you, the experience is highly frustrating.

So much so, in fact, that despite not having all that much time to work on the place myself, I have found it easier to do many projects on Read more

Drinks and Dancing at La Bodeguita in El Cangrejo

La Bodeguita VIP has been providing those in Panama City with a dependable party scene for the past several years. Located on Via Espana near the El Cangrejo neighborhood of Panama City, La Bodeguita truly embellishes some of the elements of the party scene which Panama has become known for; beautiful women, reggaeton(among loads of other loud dance music), and strong cheap drinks.

La Bodeguita is popular with tourists and locals alike. Events are held weekly and range from sexy lingerie shows to live salsa music and dancing. Ideal for the single man; it is known for being an exceedingly popular spot with ladies and pretty Latinas are never scarce. On my few excursions to La Bodeguita I Read more

Explore Panama – Take a Trip to Lake Gatun

Panama is full of little known wonders and in my time here I have had the opportunity to experience several. Even today there are many unchartered and fairly unknown areas of Panama to those outside of the country and many within. On a random week day I had the chance to visit one of the largest man-made lakes in the entire world. Lake Gatun, which forms a stretch of the Panama Canal and carries ships for about 20 miles of their journey through the Isthmus of Panama, was a strange and beautiful place like I had never before seen.

My venture began as we drove about forty five minutes outside of the city where we met a small Read more