We took retirement tours to Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica and found Christopher’s to be the best by far

Last year my wife and I visited Ecuador, Costa Rica and Panama while on a fact finding mission to find out which country would work best for our retirement. Because of our hectic schedule we chose to do our due diligence by taking three different private retirement tours to the respective countries.

 

First, I found a gentleman who offered tours to Ecuador. He did an adequate job but made too much of a hard sell. We did enjoy the trips to Cuenca and Salinas on the coast.  But in the end we just found Ecuador to be too far off the beaten path for our liking.

 

Next, we visited Costa Rica and took a 5-day private tour with Christopher Howard. We visited areas in the Central Valley and Central and South Pacific Coast. We ended up liking the Central Valley more because of the temperate climate and many places from which to choose. 

 

Finally, we went to Panama.  Other than Panama City, Coronado, Altos de María and Boquete there were not any other areas that were worthwhile. Panama City proved to be too hot and busy for our taste and the other places were just too remote and boring. The country does offer an attractive program for retirees with many incentives. However, the negatives far outweighed the positives.

 

When all was said and done Costa Rica was an overwhelming choice because of the weather, variety of places to live in the Central Valley and overall better quality of life. However, what really closed the deal for us was Christopher Howard’s  knowledge of the country, people and customs,  his professionalism and the general quality of his tour.  We could never  have done a tour like this on our own nor have been in better hands.  Christopher connected us with the Association of Residents, a mover and others who made our move go as smoothly as possible. He even helped us find a rental property in the area of our choice. 

 

My wife have taken tours all over the world and Christopher’s was right up near the top. It was also the most unique tour we have ever taken.