Liz's Blog

There are many surprising things about Panama, especially considering we are such a small country. For example, forget Juan Valdez, Panama has the best coffee in the world. Our chocolate is also world-class—next time you’re in Panama City, try La Praline Chocolatier. We are home to some incredible athletes. Even with little more than four million [...]

Recently, several high-profile international companies have selected Panama for their regional offices. These relative newcomers, such as Estée Lauder and Liberty Latin America are creating hundreds of jobs for Panamanians and expats alike. In addition to the jobs, these forward-thinking companies also are bringing cutting-edge services to all of Panama and beyond. For example, Liberty Latin [...]

For residents of Casa Bonita, one of the most popular hangouts is an open-air infinity pool with sweeping views of the Panama Canal. Resort-style chairs and loungers allow for easy conversation and panoramic views of the ocean, mountains, and rain forest. I love relaxing there at night when the temperatures are cooler, but my favorite time [...]

Since I’ve been in the business of Panamanian real estate for more than a decade, I have seen a lot of promotions come and go. These incentives will normally include something extra in the deal for buyers. On occasion, it has included offers as simple as upscaling the French sliding doors from the living room to [...]

I love going to the Amador Causeway. It’s just a three-mile strip of palm-tree lined roadway connecting the Pacific Ocean islands of Naos, Perico, Culebra and Flamenco. The causeway snakes from the bustling urban streets of Panama City, into the Pacific Ocean where it guards the southern entrance of the Panama Canal. Along the Amador roadway, [...]

It’s an exciting time in Panama as we welcome our new President, Laurentino "Nito" Cortizo; elected May 5th to serve a five-year-term, beginning July 1, 2019. This will be Cortizo’s only term as president, since Panamanian law prohibits anyone from succeeding themselves. Cortizo is the seventh democratically elected president after the fall of dictator Manuel Noriega [...]

The other day I was enjoying dinner at one of my favorite Coronado restaurants, Luna Rossa, when I ran into a group of retired expats enjoying the great food and drinks. It was a group of about ten, who were seated at a communal table so I took the opportunity to ask them a few questions. [...]

There are some people who enter your life and leave you incredibly improved. For me, it was a visiting professor at university who took an interest in me and essentially changed my life. After more than two decades had passed, I recently received a text from him asking for a few “tips” on what to do [...]

Anyone who is familiar with large real estate construction projects, knows it takes time to go from pre-development to construction and then operation. There are a lot of moving parts, which is why I was a little surprised when I heard two very large and very different projects broke ground last month In Costa del Este. [...]

As an Australian, I’ve always thought we were lucky to celebrate the new year almost before anyone else on the planet. There are a few islands and some parts of New Zealand & Russia who ring in the new year a couple of hours before we do in Sydney, but we’re among the first. Music, good [...]

For months, Panama had been getting ready to welcome Pope Francis for World Youth Day 2019 (WYD). The conference, which will bring an estimated 500,000 visitors, opens on January 22 and ends six days later on January 27th. The Pope will be in Panama for almost the whole conference, arriving one day after the official start, [...]