Update: Due to Panama’s coronavirus quarantine, Easter 2020 will be much different than usual. However, the food eaten will be pretty much unchanged. I hope you and your family are healthy and safe this holiday. A chocolate bunny is my “special” food for Easter, However, Panama celebrates Semana Santa with a more diverse menu. Dessert … Read more
Bananas are easy to grow in Panama. You may even find a volunteer banana tree growing in your yard. One that you never planted. The key to enjoying the bananas on your tree is to keep birds from eating them all. My daughters explain how to preserve your bananas and more in the video above. … Read more
One day, this past August, my daughters and I did a video of the fruit in our yard. Our yard in Puerto Armuelles, Panama. We were surprised at the number of fruit trees we have. So instead of one long video, we are making 13 short ones. We are producing the videos in them in … Read more
Until recently, if you obtained a Friendly Nations visa, you could then easily get a work permit. It is still easy to get a Friendly Nations visa. But it is no longer easy to subsequently apply for a work permit. New Rules On February 15, 2017, the Ministry of Labor issued a new work permit requirement for foreigners … Read more
Sancocho is Panama’s national dish. There are versions of sancocho throughout Latin America, but it is particularly beloved in Panama. At heart, Sancocho is a delicious stew that you could have at breakfast, lunch or dinner. Many claim the soup is even the perfect tonic for a hangover. A local Panama chef believes that culantro is the … Read more
Culantro and cilantro look very different, but they have a similar taste. However, culantro has a stronger flavor than cilantro with subtle sweet undertones and a stronger smell. Culantro is used extensively in Panamanian food. Availability Differences It is easy to find culantro in Panama, cilantro is harder to find. I can almost always … Read more
We were in Pedasi when we were told that a passing hand cart sold the best ice cream in Panama. We had only been in Panama for about 2 months at the time. A small group of 20-somethings from Panama City shared this important fact with us. We were all hanging out in hammocks and chairs … Read more
Milk is different here. More expensive than the States You won’t find half n half or buttermilk and whipping cream is hard to find Non-refrigerated milk is everywhere Like most Americans, I was very leery of Panama’s warm boxed milk. (Scroll down for how milk is made to have a long shelf life.) Fresh Milk You … Read more
Tamales in Panama are not the same as the Mexican tamales North Americans are used to eating. Panama vs Mexican Tamales Panamanian tamales’s corn meal is much wetter and more flavorful Cooked in plantain and bijao leaves, not corn husks. My Experience The first time I had Panamanian tamales I was under-whelmed. I had a real … Read more
It is a bit hypocritical of me to be writing this article right now, since I am not always “practicing” what I am going to “preach” here. I am writing this in late March, the peak of the dry season, and the temperature can get pretty hot in these months (today there is a wonderful … Read more
Free guide
How to buy Panama real estate with confidence and ease, written by the family that lives in Puerto Armuelles.
Living in Panama
Titled beachfront and ocean-view property in Puerto Armuelles, from a family that has lived here for over 13 years.
We are real estate advisors, not real estate agents.