Panama

Away from the hustle and bustle of the city center lies the rolling green landscape of the Chiriquí highlands, downtown La Concepción. La Concepción is a sought-after place for expats seeking their own personal paradise…

Downtown La Concepción has long been an important commercial district in the “breadbasket of Panama,” the heart of agricultural production in the country. Today, the town is making a new name for itself as more and more expats discover all it has to offer. Although new subdivisions are hard to come by, plenty of new houses are being built. Not all are expat homes. The ethnic population of La Concepción is diverse, with Germans, English, Cubans, and Asians, just to name a few. This diversity is helping to lead La Concepción in a new direction.

The town has a reputation among expats as being safe. People watch out for one another, locals and expats alike. Even houses outside of town are secure, as neighbors know one another and are aware of their surroundings.

Many expats also enjoy the vibrant festival life of La Concepción. You can always find a parade, fair, or street party going on, celebrating one of Panama’s many holidays and traditions.

If you’re looking for a tropical climate without the heat of the beach, La Concepción delivers. If you want a lush garden with plants of every shape and color and maybe a horse farm for neighbors… La Concepción is your best bet in Panama.

For all intents and purposes, the “Zone” (as it was known prior to its handover to Panama in 1999) was U.S. sovereign territory. Residents were mainly U.S. military personnel or employed by the Panama Canal Company, which was controlled by the U.S. government.

With its old military barracks and facilities, these neighborhoods are tropical residential areas with unique architectural designs, popular with immigrants and those wanting to get away from the city and closer to nature.

Adjacent to the Amador area is the Balboa neighborhood, still a potential source of a convertible U.S.-style original home.

Albrook is filled with prior military barracks and officer quarters. One of the great things about Albrook, is how calm and quiet the area is. You can sit outside and listen to the breeze and kids playing in playgrounds nearby.

Clayton is spread over quite a large area separated by green areas and forest. There are a number of separate communities as well as some large private schools such as Colegio Javier, Las Esclavas, and Kings College, the British school of Panama. The U.S. Embassy is also located in this neighborhood.

As you enter the City of Knowledge area, you see row after row of one-story houses, which are now used for hospitality housing. Many visiting scientists and researchers stay in these houses while working in the area. City of Knowledge was really the original model by which the Panamanian government began to convert military installations to civilian facilities.

There’s plenty of entertainment around the former Canal Zone. Plus, you’re practically in Panama City, so you’re only minutes from everything else the city has to offer…

When the United States had control of the Panama Canal, this area was known as the Canal Zone (or Áreas Revertidas del Canal de Panama), and it is approximately 550 square miles.

The neighborhoods that make up the former Canal Zone, now known as Áreas Revertidas, are Ancón/ Balboa, Albrook, Diablo, Los Rios, Curundu, and Clayton/City of Knowledge…

In this Panama Special Report, we give you the ins-and-outs of Panama’s most exciting business development, Panama Pacifico.