Las Lajas, Panama

Our Best of Panama’s Caribbean Coast Special Report is your beginners guide to finding the best opportunities on this side of the isthmus.

The Caribbean Coast of Panama is notoriously underdeveloped—a pro or a con depending on what kind of lifestyle you’re looking for. This side of the country’s infrastructure is basic at best, and, as a result, fewer foreigners have settled on Panama’s northern side. English is less generally spoken than on the Pacific side, though the touristy Bocas del Toro is an exception—here the high volume of visitors means most working in the service industry speak English, and many businesses are American or Canadian owned.

From the rugged but expat-popular Bocas del Toro islands in the far west to the colonial cities of Colón and Portobelo, the Caribbean options are few but varied. This report details Panama’s best options on the Caribbean…