Las Perlas: A Natural Gated Community Off Panama’s Pacific Coast

The province is famous for its agricultural production, particularly its cattle. The capital, David, a middle-class town built on farming, feels like a down to earth, straightforward kind of a place.

Big tractors for big farming abound here. If your interest in Panama includes any investment agenda, this part of the country should have your attention.

The City of David is 445.4 kilometer from Panama City––about six hours by car or bus. It’s also about a one-hour drive from the Costa Rica border.

If you’re not up to driving or taking the bus, there are daily flights from the Marcos A. Gelabert Airport in Panama City to Enrique Malek Airport in David.

Infrastructure in David is equal to Panama City. Electricity, telephone, water, trash pickup are all here.

In this Panama Special Report, we bring you the expat-friendly city of David, Panama.

David boasts a busy social calendar. Club David is the Chiriquí equivalent of the Club Union in Panama City, “the” place for business and social events with the right people. Each year, Club David hosts many events for the local community and many events for various charities. Most are open to the public.

In March there’s the Feria International de David (International David Fair). Check out the exhibits, eat the food, and don’t miss the Horse Parade.

Like most areas in Panama, David doesn’t have much of an infrastructure for someone with a disability. To get around using a wheelchair would be nearly impossible. However, there is some progress being made in this area. The progress is slow, but it’s well on its way.

The big news in Panama every February is carnaval. This is the biggest party in Panama each year—more eagerly anticipated than Christmas. During the days of carnaval, thousands of people from every corner of the country dance to earsplitting music, while beautiful parade floats and elaborately dressed carnaval queens saunter down every major avenue of the country.

In this Panama Special Report, we bring you a closer look at the District of Chame and its most popular town, Punta Chame, which—in high season—draws beach-goers of all stripes, from surfers, kite-surfers, sport-fishermen, extreme sport-lovers, etc.

While it shares the same stretch of coastline as expat hot spot Coronado (which has seen major development over the past decade), Chame remains largely undiscovered, unpenetrated, and underrated.

Located in the Panamá Oeste Province, Chame comprises 11 small towns that sprawl out along the Panamerican Highway. On the hour-and-a-half drive it takes to reach the area from Panama City, you pass national parks, sleepy hamlets, mountains, and mangrove forests before finally arriving at the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean.