Considering moving to south america

[PachucoBro]

...based on my research as far as how safe, the climate, what there is to do, cost of living, and how the women look (although a lot look light and I tend to like a darker look just not as dark as dominicans).  As I said it is a starting point.  Where I would really like to go is Cali or Melledin but I could see myself getting trouble very quickly.  

The two cities you mentioned in Colombia are definitely favorites for people living and visting Colombia. Personally, I would suggest Barranquilla, Cartegena or Santa Marta. All three have beaches and none of them are ranked high up on the dangers of the 'bad guys'.

I was able to meet with a few retirees from the states in Cartegena when I stayed there for a month getting to know my ex-wife. They were very happy taking it easy and most of them returned to the states at least once a year for citizen/tax/healthcare/family reasons.

You might want to think about planning a week trip to other countries while you are there in CR. Airfare from CR to other countries in South America will be relatively cheap, around $200-$300 round trip.

[play2win]

The two cities you mentioned in Colombia are definitely favorites for people living and visting Colombia. Personally, I would suggest Barranquilla, Cartegena or Santa Marta. All three have beaches and none of them are ranked high up on the dangers of the 'bad guys'.

I was able to meet with a few retirees from the states in Cartegena when I stayed there for a month getting to know my ex-wife. They were very happy taking it easy and most of them returned to the states at least once a year for citizen/tax/healthcare/family reasons

You might want to think about planning a week trip to other countries while you are there in CR. Airfare from CR to other countries in South America will be relatively cheap, around $200-$300 round trip.

are there other countries u suggest besides Colombia

[utopiacowboy]

My daughter used to work for a company which arranged international study abroad programs for US students at several locations in Latin America. The most popular destination was San Jose, Costa Rica because of it's perceived safety and familiarity as a tourist destination. She said every single student who went to Costa Rica ended up the victim of a crime, either a robbery, a theft, or an assault. The safest destination? Guanajuato, Mexico. She said no student who went to Guanajuato ever ended up the victim of any kind of crime. And this is true even relatively recently.

[play2win]

My daughter used to work for a company which arranged international study abroad programs for US students at several locations in Latin America. The most popular destination was San Jose, Costa Rica because of it's perceived safety and familiarity as a tourist destination. She said every single student who went to Costa Rica ended up the victim of a crime, either a robbery, a theft, or an assault. The safest destination? Guanajuato, Mexico. She said no student who went to Guanajuato ever ended up the victim of any kind of crime. And this is true even relatively recently.

Wow that really begins to turn my costa rica plan into swiss cheese.  No matter how much I research I always seem to end up with mixed messages.  I definitely appreciate your insight.  I guess I will keep researching.

[Jeff S]

Everyone in Guanajuato seems to be great people, even the cops - friendly, helpful, and fun. Great food there too, and if you want to find out the best places to eat, ask a motorcycle cop, and then follow him through the alleys and back streets while he leads you at high speed to the best places. It's better than a Disneyland ride. That general area, Mexico's central highlands including Queretero and Aguascalientes is really nice, safe and affordable. Plenty of beautiful women there too.

[Alabamaboy!]

The two cities you mentioned in Colombia are definitely favorites for people living and visting Colombia. Personally, I would suggest Barranquilla, Cartegena or Santa Marta. All three have beaches and none of them are ranked high up on the dangers of the 'bad guys'.

I was able to meet with a few retirees from the states in Cartegena when I stayed there for a month getting to know my ex-wife. They were very happy taking it easy and most of them returned to the states at least once a year for citizen/tax/healthcare/family reasons.

You might want to think about planning a week trip to other countries while you are there in CR. Airfare from CR to other countries in South America will be relatively cheap, around $200-$300 round trip.

I would not consider BAQ to really have a beach. Their beach is very dirty almost always empty (except for the garbage). CTG beaches are a bit better, but also a bit dirty and lots of vendors. Unless you go to nearby Isla Baru. Rodadero in Santa Marta is a real beach. And Playa Blanca and Taganga are nearby. Plus they have the mountains right there if you wanted to escape the heat and go to Minca or some place like that.

One thing to consider on the Coast compared to MDE for example, the heat and humidity are incredible. So whatever difference you find in prices for apartments, you might make up for in huge electric bills on the coast for AC.

All that being said, there are soooooo many beautiful women on the coast. If you stay in BAQ, you will meet a lot and you can travel to either CTG or SM on the weekends with your new friends. BAQ is pretty boring in my opinion unless you have a big social network. And even then, the activities seem to be just hanging out, then go out dancing and birthday parties on the weekends. Nothing great.

[Alabamaboy!]

My daughter used to work for a company which arranged international study abroad programs for US students at several locations in Latin America. The most popular destination was San Jose, Costa Rica because of it's perceived safety and familiarity as a tourist destination. She said every single student who went to Costa Rica ended up the victim of a crime, either a robbery, a theft, or an assault. The safest destination? Guanajuato, Mexico. She said no student who went to Guanajuato ever ended up the victim of any kind of crime. And this is true even relatively recently.

UC is right Guanajuato Mexico is a safe, beautiful city. I have never been there but 3 of my employees (sisters) are from there and they show me the pics. They are gorgeous. Lots of colonial houses, flowers, cobblestone streets. The girls that work for me are definitely morenas, and pretty. So maybe that is the look down there? It seems to be very cheap living there too according to what they tell me.

[Alabamaboy!]

You might want to check into Belize. It is safe, has a stable government, they speak mostly English there, have some beaches, morenas, is close to the US, and they have a bunch of favorable tax laws, work opportunities, etc. to encourage people to retire there from the States. I have never been there, but have been reading up on it in www.internationalliving.com magazine as a possible retirement place as well.

My only fear would be if the population is being skewed with an influx of English speaking, rich white guys looking for tax breaks, it would not seem to be such a fun place to live anymore!

[Gato4Astrid]

I heard it is extremely dangerous and there is not much to see there.   However I am now adding chile and peru to the mix.

Your WRONG!  Uruguay is the most peaceful country in the South America.  According to Global Peace Index, Uruguay is ranked 24th - more peaceful than UK or USA!!

[Fuzzyone]

I would not consider BAQ to really have a beach. Their beach is very dirty almost always empty (except for the garbage). CTG beaches are a bit better, but also a bit dirty and lots of vendors. Unless you go to nearby Isla Baru. Rodadero in Santa Marta is a real beach. And Playa Blanca and Taganga are nearby. Plus they have the mountains right there if you wanted to escape the heat and go to Minca or some place like that.

One thing to consider on the Coast compared to MDE for example, the heat and humidity are incredible. So whatever difference you find in prices for apartments, you might make up for in huge electric bills on the coast for AC.

All that being said, there are soooooo many beautiful women on the coast. If you stay in BAQ, you will meet a lot and you can travel to either CTG or SM on the weekends with your new friends. BAQ is pretty boring in my opinion unless you have a big social network. And even then, the activities seem to be just hanging out, then go out dancing and birthday parties on the weekends. Nothing great.

  A.B.

     The beaches in Barranquilla are pretty bad for the most part. When I went over to them I was more afraid of catching something from all the trash than anything else. It was not to bad over there when we went not as many people as Santa Marta but we did not have anyone trying to sell us something either.

[robert angel]

Are all the Nazis gone down there yet? Since I saw 'The Boys From Brazil' I haven't been to a dentist....

[fathertime]

I would not consider BAQ to really have a beach. Their beach is very dirty almost always empty (except for the garbage). CTG beaches are a bit better, but also a bit dirty and lots of vendors. Unless you go to nearby Isla Baru. Rodadero in Santa Marta is a real beach. And Playa Blanca and Taganga are nearby. Plus they have the mountains right there if you wanted to escape the heat and go to Minca or some place like that.

One thing to consider on the Coast compared to MDE for example, the heat and humidity are incredible. So whatever difference you find in prices for apartments, you might make up for in huge electric bills on the coast for AC.

All that being said, there are soooooo many beautiful women on the coast. If you stay in BAQ, you will meet a lot and you can travel to either CTG or SM on the weekends with your new friends. BAQ is pretty boring in my opinion unless you have a big social network. And even then, the activities seem to be just hanging out, then go out dancing and birthday parties on the weekends. Nothing great.

I'm going to have to agree with AB about the beaches in Barranquilla, although I didn't see much trash to the beaches I went to.  There were also no real waves to ride, which was probably good because half the people don't seem to know how to swim.   The beaches we went to always had bamboo open-air structures for small groups to relax in, it was really very pleasant. But not all like the stereotypical beach here in CA with big waves, large parkway of sand, fairly clean water and lots of people.

Fathertime!

[play2win]

I will look into Belize.  It seems so difficult choosing a country (or city in a country) everytime I think I have found the first one to visit (for example costa rica) someone gives me information that makes me not want to go (and not just this board either just from talking to people).  I am not trying to move to retire I just want a place that fits me more then the us with more beautiful girls and that is more tropic.  I would just move to miami but it is a gold diggers paradise so why bother?

Someoen told me costa rica is filled with fat gringos because everyone thought it was a great place to go and now it is oversaturated.  That is from a friend of mine living in brazil.

[JimD]

I would say the single most important consideration before going "ex-pat" anywhere is be sure you can continue to practise the favorite hobbies/passtimes you enjoyed in the US in your new destination of choice. If you can´t you won´t be happy.

[hennatoes]

I checked Belize on Wikipedia; only about half the population speaks English well. Not a problem for me (I'm planning to visit there), as I speak Spanish too. Other languages include Creole, some Mayan languages, and Garifuna (the Garinagu are part Carib, part Arawak, and part African, so that's where the morenas are).

[fathertime]

I would say the single most important consideration before going "ex-pat" anywhere is be sure you can continue to practise the favorite hobbies/passtimes you enjoyed in the US in your new destination of choice. If you can´t you won´t be happy.

I'm not an expat, but I tend to agree with JimD on that one.  I suppose there are some people that would just want to get a whole new selections of hobbies, but most men already have their hobbies pretty cemented by the time they are ex-pats.   I think the best hobby a single ex-pat can have living in Colombia is drinking and carousing with women, aside from being in a loving marriage, that is a close second!  

Fathertime!  

[Fuzzyone]

I'm not an expat, but I tend to agree with JimD on that one.  I suppose there are some people that would just want to get a whole new selections of hobbies, but most men already have their hobbies pretty cemented by the time they are ex-pats.   I think the best hobby a single ex-pat can have living in Colombia is drinking and carousing with women, aside from being in a loving marriage, that is a close second!  

Fathertime!  

   I think the best is having fresh fruit year around. The beef taste great it is better hands down what you get here. You can live down there cheap unless like some guys you go down to carouse with the woman. Not to say there is some darn fine woman running around down there. Myself i am happy with what I have for a wife, beautiful, takes care of herself, cooks and cleans, cannot complain about that.