El Cangrejo, Panama City, Panama

Panama City has many neighborhoods that a foreign retire would find comfortable–Costa del Este, Casco Viejo, and Punta Pacifica, among others. All of these neighborhoods have their benefits and drawbacks, but few are as central, as eclectic, as welcoming, as interesting, and, in the current market, as affordable as El Cangrejo.

El Cangrejo (“The crab”) sits between the prestigious La Cresta and Obarrio neighborhoods, and some say that the place was named for the way the quiet, tree-lined streets protrude from Via Argentina, like the limbs of a crab. El Cangrejo is a popular relocation choice among young entrepreneurial expats and retirees who want a neighborhood with character and countless amenities–banks, hospitals, restaurants, casinos, and nightclubs, all within walking distance.