10 Most Romantic Places To Live Overseas

By Kathleen Peddicord

We here at Live and Invest Overseas are wild romantics. Here, therefore, are the 10 most romantic places to live or retire overseas. Visit one of these beautiful, historic, charming, colorful spots, and your heart will sing, your imagination soar…

Paris, France

It's no contest. Be you a holiday-goer or a retiree, if you’re looking for a romantic destination and you enjoy the distractions of city life, Paris should be at the top of your list.

Trying to make a case for why Paris is romantic seems silly—like trying to explain why an ocean view from your bedroom window might be a nice thing to have. Picnics in the Luxembourg Gardens, long walks along the banks of the Seine, and afternoons lost among the cobblestones of the Latin Quarter… these are among the most romantic pastimes this world of ours has to offer.

In addition, the retiree in Paris has access to the world’s best museums, galleries, cafes, restaurants, shopping, food, wine, parks, and gardens. Life doesn't get better than life in Paris.

Mendoza, Argentina

Mendoza is wine country, and where vines grow, the living generally qualifies as romantic. Argentines enjoy great food, good vino, and interesting conversation, and here, in the interior of this country, these things are the priorities of life. 

A friend, Michael, who retired to the Mendoza region of Argentina recently, gushes in his reports of his new life. “My garden is bursting at the seams,” he writes, “though I don’t look after it. My gardener does. Honestly, it’s a feast for the eyes, and the luscious grapes that hang from the vines around me are going to produce wine with my name on it.”

This region is a great choice for the active retiree who isn’t ready to sit back rocking on his front porch. There’s skiing, hiking, climbing, bird-watching, white-water rafting, kayaking, kite-surfing, and great golfing. Come evening, you could tango the night away (talk about romantic) at one of Mendoza’s many entertainment venues or relax at the spas of Pismanta. 

Medellin, Colombia

The European undertones in Medellin are strong, from the way the women dress to the way people greet you in passing on the street. This is South America, not Central America, and the differences between the two regions can be striking. 

Medellin is a green city, with trees, plants, and small gardens everywhere. It’s architecturally consistent and pleasing. Most every building is constructed of red brick and topped with red clay roof tiles. The overall effect is delightful.

Medellin is a literary and an artistic center with an annual poetry festival, an international jazz festival, an international tango festival, an annual book fair, and, back in 1971, Colombia’s answer to Woodstock, the Festival de Ancon.

Medellin has been named “world’s most innovative city” and is finally beginning to shed its bad-boy image from Escobar days and to become appreciated for the romantic locale that it is. With its good wines, great coffee, outdoor cafes, and open-air music venues, Medellin is an easy place to get swept away.

Istria, Croatia

The cobalt blue of the Adriatic Sea off Istria’s coast is almost otherworldly. This is a sailor’s paradise, and all up and down this coast you see flotillas of white yachts offshore from ancient towns hidden behind thick walls. This is a fairy-tale land of fortresses and bell towers that so attracted and impressed the Romans that they invested in some of their best building here, including a large and largely intact coliseum at Pula where lions and Christians once entertained.

Later, this region was ruled by the Venetians, who also left an architectural legacy. In Istria, both nature and man have worked together over many centuries to create something very special, almost magical. In fact, the ancient Romans named it Tierra Magica.

The hinterland is a beguiling patchwork of meadows, vineyards, and olive groves, plus carefully tended gardens where trees hang heavy with ripening cherries, figs, and walnuts. This fertile land also grows wild asparagus and truffles, for which it is becoming famous. High in the hills, behind more medieval walls, are yet more toy-town settlements of fountains, chestnut trees, and frescoed churches. 

Frankly, I defy you not to fall in love with Istria.

Abruzzo, Italy 

It’s hard to think of a lovelier corner of Italy. The beaches are golden, and the sea rolls out like a giant bolt of turquoise silk. Eagles swoop down from craggy eyries, wild peonies and gentians color the alpine meadows. 

Stitching together seascapes with lush mountain valleys, this region is one of Italy's secret treasures, and you'll love it. No over-crowding, no heavy industry. Hiding away down its curvy roads are castles, vineyards, and villages made of stone and memory. Life in the Abruzzo hasn't changed that much over the years, and it's like wandering into a gentler, kinder yesterday. 

Old ladies in pinafores bring their chairs outside and sit in gossipy groups, stringing onions into plaits. Instead of playing computer games, young boys are outside playing soccer. Families shop at open-air markets, not hypermarkets—and, if they don't produce their own wine, they buy it from local vineyards.

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

The caldera created by a massive volcanic explosion, one of the strongest explosions in earth's history, formed the basin for what is today arguably the most picturesque lake in the world: Lake Atitlán in Guatemala. Aldous Huxley famously described this lake as, “really, too much of a good thing.” It’s beautiful by day, stunning at sunrise and sunset, and offers a near-perfect, refreshing climate.

A community has developed on the shores of this lovely lake, providing an irresistible opportunity for the retiree looking for peace, quiet, and abundant outdoors adventures on his doorstep. 

Christchurch, New Zealand

New Zealand is one of the world’s premier outdoor playgrounds, being clean and green, with top-notch skiing, hiking, surfing, and fishing. The country is sometimes called the Ireland of the South; the landscapes are similar, as are the people. New Zealand’s climate, though, is better.

Thanks to its showcase botanic gardens, public parks, and nature reserves to community vegetable plots, school planting projects, and well-kept private grounds, Christchurch deserves its moniker “City Within A Garden.” 

All the green space provides a lovely backdrop for the city’s many festivals and public entertainment offerings and tempts residents to get out and about, enjoying all that this one-of-a-kind minor metropolis has to offer.

Cuenca, Ecuador

Cuenca is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a former Inca capital that retains its Andean-indigenous influence. With its wealth of colonial homes with interior courtyards, thick adobe walls, and iron-railed terraces looking down on to the street, punctuated regularly by plazas and squares, this is a city made for walking. Folks come from all over the world to enjoy these 250 square blocks of history, to study in Cuenca’s world-class language schools, and to experience a rare glimpse of unadulterated life in an Andean colonial city.

Cuenca’s Spanish colonial environment is one of the most genuine in Latin America. Locals wear traditional dress, and colorful indigenous markets dot the city. Afterhours in Cuenca, you’ve got music, theater, dance clubs, shows, and a professional symphony orchestra that is free to all. Perhaps best is the never-ending stream of local festivals, each with its fireworks, parades, food, and drink, every one a chance to join thousands of people on the streets having a great time. 

Antigua, Guatemala

Horse-drawn carriages wait by the plaza, and shoeshine vendors circulate with their little black wooden boxes. Mayan ladies bearing jade necklaces and fabric shawls of vivid colors wander through the park. The benches around the central fountain are fully occupied by young couples in love. The fountain continually splashes water from the breasts of the four young women carved in stone, with four smaller outlying fountains adding to the delightful picture.

This is downtown Antigua. Originally, the square was barren and treeless, the official site of hangings, floggings, and other punishments meted out by the Spanish conquerors and their church brethren for whatever transgression was deemed worthy of the lash. Today the park is tree-filled and alive with the singing of birds and the clip-clop of the horses making their way around the cobblestoned streets.

There are moments in this city of pastel stucco exteriors, clay-tiled roofs, and cobblestones, when the light is just right, that are reminiscent of Santorini. Purple and red bougainvillea branches overhang walls on every street. Markets overflow with bright Mayan weavings.

Antigua has a small-town feel, where everyone knows everyone else and exchanges a “buenos dias” in passing. The pace of life is slow. Take a deep breath and savor the day.

Cayo, Belize

Fields and pastures, trees and jungle, rivers and livestock. Here and there a small house of concrete block or timber, in the distance the outline of the Maya Mountains. This is the region of Belize known as Cayo. You reach Cayo via one of this country’s three highways, the one headed west.

The land in Cayo is fertile. Farmers grow corn and sugarcane, watermelons and citrus. You see Mennonites driving horse-drawn carts and children walking home from school. Everyone going about his or her business, not much bothered by government shutdowns or the mounting deficit. 

Here, in this land of escape, where life is simple, those things don’t seem to matter or even to register. Life here revolves around the land and values independence above all else.

To be truly independent in today’s world, you need to be energy-independent. That’s a big part of what Cayo offers—a chance to take yourself off the grid. This doesn’t have to mean living a backward or burdened existence. 

Thanks to 21st-century technology, the self-sufficient life, including in Cayo, can also be comfortable, even fully appointed. This is a place for like-minded folks to be “independent together,” with some of Mother Nature’s finest work as the backdrop.

Author Kathleen Peddicord is Editor and Publisher of Live and Invest Overseas. She has covered the international beat for more than 30 years and is one of the world’s foremost authorities on overseas living and retirement. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 21, established businesses in 7, renovated historic properties in 6, and raised her children in 4. More info at liveandinvestoverseas.com.

Top 10 Best Places to Live Overseas in 2018

Author, Retirement and Real Estate Expert Kathleen Peddicord says, ‘These are simply the best places to be, regardless of your age or any other circumstances’

Paris, France – Live and Invest Overseas, the leading overseas investment, real estate and retirement resource for more than 400,000 people around the world, announced its 10 best places in the world for you to live better, reinvent your life and have a grand adventure in 2018.

“We aren’t identifying the world’s top retirement havens. At least, these are not only the world’s top retirement havens right now,” said Kathleen Peddicord, author and publisher of Live and Invest Overseas. “These are simply the best places to be, regardless of your age or any other circumstances.”

One. Lisbon, Portugal – This city on the Tagus, one of the oldest in Western Europe, was originally settled as a Phoenician trading post. It was in the 15th and 16th centuries, though, that Lisbon flourished. Awe-inspiring landmarks were constructed during this Golden Age of Discovery—the Jerónimos Monastery and the Tower of Belém, for example, and, on the waterfront, the Praça do Comércio.

I remember stepping through the triumphal arch onto this immense plaza my first visit to Lisbon. The enormity of the space and the height and grandeur of the structures on three sides around you almost take your breath away when you face them for the first time.

Imagine what it must have been like to be here, standing on this waterfront spot, 500 years ago. Imagine the activity... the trade... the money...From this spot, 500 years ago, Lisbon carried its culture to the four corners of the globe, colonizing Asia, South America, Africa, and the Atlantic islands...And then it carried back from these far-flung territories great wealth, much of which was invested in the betterment of what became one of the most glorious cities of its age.

Lisbon became Lisbon thanks to its strategic geographic position at the mouth of the Tagus River. According to a popular fado, Lisbon has always been in love with her river... because the river is the city’s lifeline to the sea... and Portugal very much identifies herself with the sea.

Lisbon is a noble and elegant city whose centuries-old, pastel-colored stone structures are bordered by jacaranda trees and set off by formal gardens and parks with elaborate fountains. Roads, walkways, and pavements are laid with small cobblestones in contrasting colors to create elaborate patterns and sea scenes that are like works of art, almost mosaics.

In other words, this is a very pleasant place to be and our top pick for city living in the Old World in 2018.

Two. Cali, Colombia – Cali, in the Valle del Cauca, south of Medellín, Colombia’s third largest city, with around 2.5 million inhabitants, is not the city you imagine.

First, it’s safe. Second, it’s a bargain… largely because for so long the world has been too afraid to spend time or money here. This is beginning to change, as tourists and investors are realizing that Cali is not what they’ve been led to believe it is.

Ignore the cautions and the historically negative press and come discover this pretty city where rents and much else can be 25 to 30 percent cheaper than in now much better known Medellín.

Cali is located near the Equator but at an altitude of almost 3,300 feet, so its climate is agreeable and changes little throughout the year. Afternoons can be hot, but with the approach of sunset a refreshing breeze sweeps through the city. Early mornings are crisp and perfect for being outdoors.

In Cali, urban development is not at the expense of natural beauty. Even in the heart of the city, you can fall asleep to the gentle chirping of tiny frogs and awake each morning to birdsong.

Towering palms run down the middle of wide boulevards. Shade trees drape themselves over the narrower streets. Everywhere, you encounter parks, paths, and green spaces, especially on the south side.

Cali’s charms extend to its people. Most Caleños are polite and friendly. They’ll bid you good morning or good afternoon when you pass, and they’re always up for conversation. Spending time here, you’re reminded how nice life can be when it’s built on these kinds of basic values.

This city is also the acknowledged world capital of salsa. If you can swing dance, salsa is easy enough to pick up, should you feel the urge. Just loosen up your hips and move.

Three. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – I've been hanging out in New World cities that Spain built for a long time.

Over the past 35 years, I've gotten to know old towns from Granada and León, Nicaragua, and Cuenca, Ecuador, to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, Antigua, Guatemala, and Casco Viejo, Panama...

Established in 1496, Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic predates them all.

It's the oldest European city in the Americas and the capital of Spain's first colony in this part of the world. Founded by Christopher Columbus' brother Bartholomew, colonial Santo Domingo might best be described as dignified. It feels more genteel than the cities built in other of Spain's colonies in the decades to follow.

The structures at the heart of this old town are classic Spanish colonial but simpler, statelier, and somehow more refined than their counterparts across the region.

Calle Las Damas, the first street of the original city and therefore the oldest street in all the Americas, is lined with 16th-century pale stone facades and runs into Plaza de España, the expansive open square at the harbor.

The highlight here is the colonial city's first palace, the private home of the first governor of the colony, Diego Columbus, Christopher's son. It's an exceptional example of classic Spanish-colonial architecture.

Diego's vice-regal residence marks one edge of the Plaza de España, at the water. At the square's other edge, alongside the old town, is a row of restaurants where you can dine alfresco and watch modern-day activity in this harbor that helped build the Americas.

In colonial Santo Domingo, Bartholomew and Diego created an administrative hub for the activities their sponsoring country imagined for the New World they envisioned. It was from this base that the Spanish managed their conquests of Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Guatemala, Peru, Florida, Colombia, and Jamaica.

In colonial Santo Domingo, the Columbuses built a customs house, a hospital, a cathedral, a university, a library... everything required to launch a new Spain.

During its golden age, this city's colonial structures stood as testament to the riches flowing through their benefactors' coffers.

Today, Santo Domingo, capital of the country with one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America, is chasing a new prosperity. The streets are lively, the harbor busy, and the city is the epicenter for tourism investment in this country. Recently opened are a JW Marriott and an Embassy Suites by Hilton. Under way are an Intercontinental and a Hard Rock Hotel, and Carnival is bringing a ship a day to Santo Domingo’s cruise dock.

All of this tourist growth is translating into impressive infrastructure improvements in and around the capital, as well as the continual development of new and better services, amenities, and conveniences. As a result, Santo Domingo is the most impressive Spanish-colonial city in the Americas now supported by all modern conveniences (everything from a new 911 service to new shopping malls, movie theaters, and five-star restaurants), making it a better place to think about spending time all the time.

Plus, the Dominican Republic offers the easiest and quickest residency and naturalization programs available anywhere. The country is rolling out the welcome mat for anyone interested in living here full time… or even becoming a full-fledged Dominican.

Four. San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize – My first visit to the little village of San Pedro on the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize, I climbed down the stairs of the eight-seater airplane, grabbed my duffel from nearby on the runway where it'd been placed by the pilot who doubled as landing crew and baggage handler, and carried it with me across the dirt road to the hotel where I had a reservation.

There I was met by the real estate agent who had promised to show me around. He wore shorts, a T-shirt, and no shoes.

"Welcome to barefooted paradise," he greeted me.

I was 23-years-old.

Ambergris Caye, likewise, was but a young girl. San Pedro town, the fishing village around which development was just beginning, consisted of three parallel roads, all unpaved. The hotel where I stayed that first visit and the several that followed over the next few years, the best on the island, could generously have been described as two-star. Amenities included towels in the bathroom (some days), a telephone at the front desk (that worked sometimes), and a front-line position on the Caribbean Sea.

It was the beachfront situation, of course, that people, including myself, came for. There's only so much Caribbean seafront, and, as they say, nobody's making anymore of it.

Thus, what there is tends to be pricey. I came, therefore, all those years ago, to Ambergris Caye in search of affordable Caribbean seafront.

And I found it. My first several visits, that same real estate agent (who never did invest in footwear) toured me up and down the coast of the island in his small boat. We had to go by boat, as the single road that continued up the island beyond San Pedro town didn't continue very far. The only way to see what the island had to offer beyond San Pedro was on foot (tough going, through untouched jungle that grew in most places up to the water's edge) or from offshore.

I was young and inexperienced, but even I could recognize pristine beauty. The beaches of Ambergris were (and are) far superior to those of mainland Belize. They compete with the best the Caribbean has to offer, and, back then, more than a quarter-century ago now, they were a steal.

They were also utterly undeveloped. If you didn't bring it with you from the mainland, you likely were going to go without it on Ambergris Caye. I remember a couple of beachfront bars and grills and a single small shop where you could buy cold Cokes and toilet paper. If you wanted to own a stretch of the sandy Caribbean, this was a good place to shop for it cheap. If, though, you were in the market for a Caribbean beach home, you had to be the rugged, self-reliant type to make a happy go of it here.

More than three decades later, Ambergris Caye has come of age. The three original town roads are paved... and a number of others have been carved out. A central island roadway continues nearly from end to end, meaning that, now, you don't have to travel by boat to see the length of the island. You can go by golf cart (the preferred means of transportation these days).

The hotel where I stayed years ago is still there, but, today, it shows four stars in its materials (probably deserved). These days, the coast is also dotted with five-star hotels and resorts, along with high-end condo communities, restaurants, art galleries, supermarkets, delis, wine shops, and golf cart rental agencies.

The best part is that it's not as bad as all that might make it sound.

Ambergris Caye has grown up, yes, but she's managed to keep much of the charm of her youth. San Pedro town hasn't matured into a tourist haunt. Rather, this unassuming Caribbean outpost has evolved into a cozy and welcoming community. This is neither tacky Cancun nor prim, proper Bermuda. This is a small town of expats from all over the world working together to create the life they all came in search of. They're opening businesses, indulging artistic interests, planning community events, inviting each other over for beach bar-b-ques...

You wouldn't describe property prices today as a steal, but they can be a bargain compared with elsewhere in the Caribbean. However, if your dream of a new life overseas is all about soft white sand, lapping azure sea, and swaying palm fronds, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, should be at the top of your I’m-going-to-go-have-a-look list.

Five. Saint-Chinian, France – The south of France is not very big, but it is in two parts. Provence is very known and very expensive. Alongside it is the other south of France, Languedoc, not known and not expensive.

And in Languedoc is little Saint-Chinian, the quintessential French country village where everyday life is like something out of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.”

This town is notable for two things in particular…First, its property prices, which are half those of Provence and the Côte d’Azur. The second reason for the growing popularity of this region is its wine.

For decades, the Languedoc produced vast quantities of quaffable vin de table, but nothing very notable. However, over the last decade or so, growers have specialized and built on the AOC status (appellation d’origine contrôlée) created in 1982 and are now producing world-ranking red wines from the original Carignan, Cinsaut, and Grenache grapes, with the addition of Syrah and Mourvèdre varieties.

Indeed, wine is the village economy. Saint-Chinian is home to 1,900 inhabitants and 200 wine makers.

Sitting on a hill in Saint-Chinian (a very pleasant thing to do, by the way) you can think you are in the middle of nowhere. But, in fact, Spain is near enough that you can pop over for dinner… and Paris is just three hours away by TGV.

Thanks to the excellent train and bus service, you can live in Saint-Chinian without a car. If you find you do need a lift somewhere, ask a neighbor. The people of Saint-Chinian are very friendly and always ready to help out. Americans often think of the French as rude and aloof. In Saint-Chinian, the reality is nothing to do with the stereotype.

Six. Citta Sant’ Angelo, Italy – As you ski lazily down a gentle slope, a ray of sunshine hits your face, and you look down to the coastline. The sun is glittering on the Adriatic. Between you and the sea is an expanse of vineyards and olive groves that leads down from the mountains to the beaches.

The gently rolling hills are ablaze with blossoming cherry and peach trees, while lavender, daffodils, iris, and crocus are beginning to peak out after a short and temperate winter, punctuating the landscape like a colorful Renoir.

Arriving back down to the ski resort, you have a restorative espresso and meander back toward the coast. An hour later, you’re enjoying fresh clams and white wine at a beachside café, to be followed by handmade pasta topped with today’s catch.

After a leisurely lunch, you take a walk on the beach, maybe settle in a quick nap on the sand, reveling in the warm springtime sun. Perhaps you take a quick dip, though the waters are still shaking off their winter chill.

This is life in Abruzzo, Italy.

Abruzzo, historically one of the poorest regions in the country, had fallen off the national map until just a few decade ago. Since the 1950s, however, Abruzzo has seen steady economic growth. In the 1990s, its growth surpassed that of any other region; its per-capita GDP expanded to become the highest in the country. The construction of new highways made it more easily accessible from Rome, opening the region up domestically and attracting state and private investment the likes of which Abruzzo had never seen before.

Today, the per-capita GDP well outpaces that of the rest of southern Italy (and is a healthy 84 percent of the national average). Today, this is the richest region in this part of Italy.

New development is taking place, especially in Pescara, where a new bridge is under construction and large-scale housing communities are underway along the seaside, and small, historic towns are working hard to attract investment to save their historically significant but nearly deserted streets.

Nowhere is this more true than in Città Sant’Angelo, our favorite spot in this welcoming region.

The Abruzzo Tourism Board is working hard to attract more tourism, both domestic and international, more foreign investment, and more general recognition. While the region is still several years away from being a recognized vacation spot, and perhaps even further from being the household name that Tuscany is, the tide is turning. I predict it won’t be too much longer until the world begins to pay Abruzzo the attention it deserves.

Meantime, right now, you could say that Abruzzo is Italy’s best-kept secret.

Abruzzo has everything Tuscany offers and more—at a fraction the cost. A couple could live here comfortably on US$1,400 per month or less, including rent... meaning your monthly budget could be much less if you own your own home.

Seven. Ljubljana, Slovenia – Slovenia, the second richest of the 13 Slavic countries, is nestled among Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia in the heart of Central Europe.

This is a mountainous country, with 47 kilometers of Mediterranean coastline and a rich aquifer system, much of it underground, that cuts through the limestone in subterranean rivers, and impressively bio-diverse, occupying an enviable position at the center of four major geographic points: the Alps, the Dinaric Alps, the Pannonian Plain, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Though this is certainly a First-World country, it’s also refreshingly rural and largely forested.

Slovenia’s past is long and turbulent. This piece of earth has been shuffled among major world powers starting with the Roman Empire, then the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg monarchy. The country was annexed by Germany during World War II, made a socialist republic under Yugoslavia, and finally emerged an independent nation with multiparty democracy in 1991. It went on to gain EU membership in 2004.

This is a nation of resiliency and adaptability, its population hardy and determined.

Charming, Old World capital-city Ljubljana is the heart of the country, both literally and figuratively. It’s a small city of 272,000 people, but, with easy access to both beaches and ski resorts, it offers the best of all worlds in terms of lifestyle options.

Ljubljana is also a modern city with all the amenities of 21st-century living that manages to retain a small-town charm. Local farmers bring their produce to market in wooden carts each day.

An historical crossroads and key trade route, Ljubljana is home to Germanic, Slavic, and Mediterranean cultures and influences. Venice is only two-and-a-half hours away, and the country’s small coastal villages are undistinguishable from those of northern Italy.

The architecturally stunning Ljubljana boasts important Baroque, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco structures and landmarks, even though the city has been rebuilt several times over, after earthquakes.

From Ljubljana, the coast is only an hour away. Head south to enjoy the olive groves, the breathtaking ocean views, and clean, clear water of the Adriatic... or head 45 minutes north of the city to experience Lake Bled, its small island (Bled Island), the pristine mountains and forests that surround the area, and medieval Bled Castle.

What cost all this Old World charm supported by top-notch, real-world infrastructure? A couple could live comfortably in Ljubljana for less than US$1,500 a month.

Yet, despite having so much to offer, this country remains off the world’s radar. Tourists to date are mainly European, and the few expats who have found their way to this corner of Europe are British retirees.

We hope to help change that. Ljubljana deserves a whole lot more attention than she’s been getting.

Eight. Playa del Carmen, Mexico – Playa del Carmen is a little beach town that sits about an hour south of Cancún on Mexico’s Riviera Maya. Once a sleepy fishing town, the port was inadvertently put on the map by Jacques Cousteau in 1954 when he filmed an underwater documentary of the Great Mayan Reef just offshore of Cozumel Island—which lies about 12 miles offshore of Playa del Carmen.

Divers began seeking out these Caribbean waters for themselves, and in the 1970s a port was built to ferry the tourists from the mainland to Cozumel. In the following years Playa del Carmen (or "Playa" to the locals) became more globally known, but only as an access point to Cozumel, the real star.

Simultaneously, 60 kilometers to the north, Cancún was being born. The first expats to Cancún in those early days were mainly European, but once the resort city became overly saturated by tourists, many of these first settlers started heading south to Playa del Carmen. In the 1990s the population was growing so rapidly that Playa was the fastest growing city in Mexico... and growth has continued strong in the 2000s.

These days Playa is thought to be home to over 10,000 foreigners—expats make up 7% of its total population—including many Europeans, Americans, Canadians, Argentinians, Venezuelans, and many more nationalities.

Expats aside, there is a significant amount of "domestic immigration" to Playa. Many Mexicans feel that this region of their country is one of the safest, so they come here to vacation or live with peace of mind. Plus, this coast is responsible for 30% of the country’s tourism income; the regional economy is stable and jobs are plentiful.

Foreigners can work here too, making it an attractive destination for those needing or wanting to earn an income to help support their Playa adventures. We’ve known expats in Playa who own and operate bars, teach English, teach at or run schools, and manage real estate offices.

Many are also raising families. This town is growing and has lots of niches to fill. The international school here was founded by expats who recognized that they and other expat parents needed a good option for education.

Playa’s population is incredibly eclectic for such a small town. Tourists, but also residents, are of all ethnicities and represent all parts of society. From young couples to retired couples, from families to groups of students, it seems to appeal everyone alike. It’s also a welcoming destination for the LGBT community, with several gay bars around town.

Plus, nearly everyone in Playa seems to speak English. If you feel you may never master a second language, Playa could be a good option for you.

La Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue) is the pedestrianized street that runs parallel to the beach, one block up. Acting as the town’s boardwalk, this buzzing strip is the heart of the town’s entertainment. Music rolls out of the open storefronts as you walk down the street... Led Zeppelin, then Jimmy Buffett, then salsa...

Around 10 p.m., as many of the older crowd head home after a long day in the sun and a few cocktails with dinner, the rock and roll gives way to club music. Taking their place, the younger crowd starts to fill the streets, and they’re just getting started for the evening. The party here lasts well into the night, with music going strong until the early morning hours.

When it comes to day-to-day living, you’d have no trouble finding anything you’d want or need. And you can get pretty much anything you’d have gotten back home, this little town has 12 supermarkets and 2 Walmarts.

Nine. Bali, Indonesia – Bali enjoys a well-deserved reputation as one of the most beautiful tropical islands in the world. The jungle is lush, with an immense variety of ferns, palms, flowering plants, and trees in a thousand shades of green. Volcanoes raise their heads above the clouds, and terraced rice fields cascade into the valleys.

Multi-tiered Balinese temples adorn even the smallest villages. The locals are unfailingly friendly and some of the most serene and pleasant people you are likely to find anywhere.

The coastline is a picture postcard, and the ocean, which is never far away, offers world-class diving, surfing, snorkeling, parasailing, and all other manner of water sports.

Bars, dancing, and discotheques are all convenient. Festivals and cultural events are staged almost weekly. Dining options range from excellent street food (for a pittance) to white-glove and five-star.

Golf, climb a mountain, go to the zoo, visit galleries, talk with artists, commune with monkeys, study yoga or meditation, take a cruise… there are always many interesting options for how to fill your days.

Honest and respectful curiosity will serve as your passport into Balinese culture. Sincere and interested foreigners are frequently welcomed into tiny villages, private homes, and local gatherings. Bali can be an easy place to make friends and, for all the reasons I’ve mentioned, a difficult place to leave.

On the southwest side of Bali is the small town of Sanur, an unpretentious suburb of the larger city of Denpasar. Quiet and laid-back, Sanur feels far removed from the crowds of tourists who flock to Bali for vacations and honeymoons. Even during the height of the tourist season, Sanur never seems to attract much attention…. Making it an ideal place to think about spending time in this part of the world as something other than a tourist.

Sanur can be an affordable place to live, but it’s also possible to indulge in a five-star, luxury lifestyle. Whatever your budget, you'll find that you can live substantially better for less money in Sanur.

Consider Sanur if you like the thought of living by a pretty beach on a gorgeous, world-renowned island, enjoying easy access to fresh and organic foods, eating at great restaurants, making friends with the genuinely welcoming locals, and meeting plenty of like-minded foreigners who have become enchanted with the laid-back lifestyle this town excels in.

Ten. Da Nang, Vietnam – Women ride sidesaddle on the backs of motorbikes, even when wearing pants or jeans, legs dangling over the side, chauffeured by their colleagues or family.

Some don the traditional Vietnamese ao dai, the colorful two-piece outfit with the top extending all the way to the ankles, a long slit down one side, and long white pants underneath.

Other women wear elbow-length gloves to add a bit of class while protecting from the elements. Even the poorest find ways to show their sense of good taste and elegance.

All the retro-style class and sophistication lends an aura of yesteryear. Sometimes I feel like an old movie is playing in front of me.

The roads and architecture are modern, but most of the businesses are still family run, with almost no big international brand names, fast food joints, or coffee shop chains present. You can feel the entrepreneurial spirit, energy, and enthusiasm. It’s everywhere.

There are vendors all along the streets, mostly elderly women offering fruit, vegetables, sandwiches, and snacks. Some wear the stereotypical cone-shaped Vietnamese hat and carry their wares the old-fashioned way, in baskets balanced on long poles over their shoulders.

They’re nearly all lean, almost scrawny from all that walking around, faces creased from the sun and wind. Men linger on street corners beside their motorbikes, ready for customers needing a short, quick ride. Others work as bicycle taxi "cyclo" drivers pedaling tourists around the streets. They live hand to mouth, as their parents and grandparents did. They have no long-term view; today is the only day.

But that perspective is changing in real time.

This is Da Nang, third-largest city in Vietnam behind capital Hanoi and business hub Ho Chi Minh City. Da Nang is big but still provincial. Were it not for the skyscrapers, bridges, malls, endless stream of motorbikes, and the whir of air conditioners, today’s Da Nang could easily be 1960s Da Nang.

Da Nang is equidistant between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the former to the north, the latter to the south, both about 800 kilometers away. Migrants from the countryside are streaming into Da Nang because it’s the closest big destination for those in largely impoverished central Vietnam.

Young people from neighboring rural areas come to seek out a better life in the big city and then send money home, just like in developing countries the world over. Those who have an education and some English easily find a job in retail or the tourism industry.

In recent years, Da Nang was elevated to "centrally governed status," putting it on equal footing with Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, and two industrial areas, Haiphong and Can Tho. Da Nang is the designated tourism jewel of Vietnam, a gorgeous destination itself with several UNESCO World Heritage sites nearby, including Hoi An to the south, the ancient capital Hue to the north, and the ruins of Hindu temples at My Son in neighboring Quang Nam province.

Da Nang is managed. It’s organized, well planned with a strategic view. I recently saw a plan entitled "Da Nang Master Planning Vision—2030 to 2050." If that’s not forward thinking, I don’t know what is. I’ve never heard of such a long-term city-planning view anywhere in the world, never mind in a developing country.

Signs and symbols of progress everywhere.

In Southeast Asia we’re used to anarchy on the roads. In Da Nang, the powers that be are working to address driving and parking challenges.

At the end of last year, the authorities eliminated motorbike parking in the evenings along Bach Dang, the broad riverside promenade on the Han River that runs through the heart of Da Nang.

Sure enough, promptly on the evening of Jan. 1, scores of policemen were out, all along the promenade, helping motorbikes move along, explaining where they could park on side streets, giving directions, leading the way.

The two rivers that cross through Da Nang are spanned by seven bridges. Now work is under way on a tunnel under the river at the Han River Bridge. It’s not that traffic at this spot is overwhelming today. It’s that city officials are looking ahead and preparing for future traffic.

To many in the West, Vietnam conjures up images of a backward communist country, top heavy with red tape, clogged with inefficiencies.

This stereotype couldn’t be further from the truth in today’s Vietnam. The advent of "doi moi" in the late 80s and early 90s has brought about the intended "socialist oriented market economy." It’s the equivalent of the Soviet Union’s "perestroika"... a restructuring.

The result is an economy on fire, led by forward-thinking executives, many educated overseas, with an entrepreneurial spirit unparalleled in the region.

Developing countries in Southeast Asia are known for sluggish service in shops, restaurants, and hotels and demotivated employees. Again, this is not the case in Vietnam. Vietnam is not your typical developing Southeast Asian market.

Vietnam has everything going for it and is catching up quickly to its Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) counterparts in terms of foreign tourist arrivals.

In 2016, Vietnam saw more than 10 million foreign tourist arrivals for the first time; that was a stunning 24% increase over numbers for 2015.

-Kathleen Peddicord

About Live and Invest Overseas

Based in Paris, France and Panama City, Panama, LIOS is the leading resource for people who want to live, retire and invest overseas. Headed by Kathleen Peddicord and Lief Simon – who collectively have more than 40 years’ experience visiting, living and investing in foreign countries – LIOS and its free e-letter service, the Overseas Opportunity Letter have more than 400,000 regular readers. More info available at www.liveandinvestoverseas.com.  

Here Are The 12 Best Places To Retire In 2016

The secret to taking control of your retirement in 2016 and making this phase of life a grand adventure, even if your retirement nest egg is modest, is expanding your horizons. Take your retirement global and you can maximize your quality-of-life return for every dollar spent.

Where should you go?

Here are your 12 best options for where to retire overseas this New Year:

#12 City Beaches, Panama

One of Panama's greatest assets is its beachfront. This is a little country with two long coasts and several clusters of outlying islands, meaning lots of different beaches, Pacific and Caribbean, touristy and undiscovered, developed and emerging, accessible and remote.

Among them all, the most convenient and comfortable is the stretch of Pacific coastline known as the “City Beaches,” thanks to their proximity to capital Panama City.

This strip of Pacific beach communities stretches from Chame to Playa Blanca. These are the beaches you can most easily escape to on a regular basis, and many Panama City residents do, driving out on Friday afternoons and returning Sunday evenings (making for mega-traffic headaches on the Pan American Highway and crossing the Bridge of the Americas during those times).

The most developed, established, and fully appointed beach community along this stretch is Coronado, about two hours from Panama City. This fast-growing coastal region offers a high quality beach lifestyle with all amenities and services you could want. Coronado town has developed into a busy commercial center that makes for a turn-key retirement choice, and, indeed, this is the direction this former weekend retreat is evolving into a full-fledged retirement community with an established population of full-time foreign residents supported by a developed infrastructure, including good medical facilities.

Coronado is an affordable place to live but not as cheap as other top beach choices in this country. The trade-off is access. The more affordable choices are also more distant from Panama City.

One of the biggest advantages of the City Beaches area is that it’s in Panama. Panama has held the position of world’s best country for retirement for more than a dozen years. Panama uses the U.S. dollar for its currency, meaning retirees with retirement incomes in U.S. dollars have no currency-exchange risk or worry. Medical care, particularly in Panama City is international-standard and affordable. And the country offers a gold-standard retiree residency visa program.

Coronado, only about an hour outside Panama City, offers the most turn-key and most expat-ready ocean-front lifestyle available in Panama. Foreign retirees living in Coronado have already paved the way, making it easy for other retirees to follow and retired here. And it's not necessary to learn to speak Spanish.

#11 Granada, Nicaragua

A Spanish-colonial city can be a great choice for retirement, and Granada, Nicaragua, is perhaps the queen among all Spanish-colonial city options. At the heart of this city, radiating from the central square, is a great variety of classic and charming Spanish-colonial homes with high ceilings, painted tiles, and private center courtyards. The best part is that you can own one for as little as $40,000. 

Founded in 1524, Granada claims to be the first European city founded in mainland America, so it's a truly old colonial city rather than a semi-modern lookalike. It's named after the ancient city of Granada, Spain, and shares some of that city's Moorish architectural influence.

Granada sits at the north end of Lake Nicaragua, with beaches near town and a group of small private islands just offshore, and just south of Lake Apoyo, Nicaragua's largest volcanic crater lake. The international airport at Managua is a little less than an hour to the north, and the Pacific Ocean lies a little more than an hour to the west. 

It's obvious as soon as you arrive: Granada is one of most carefully restored and preserved colonial cities in the Americas. It sees a good number of international travelers and has a sizeable expat community. These two things combine to account for the city's wealth of upscale hotels, fine restaurants, and well-kept buildings, making living here comfortable and interesting. Granada enjoys many services and amenities that a city of 120,000 would not ordinarily have.

Granada is completely walkable. Everything you need is close at hand via attractive, level streets. The city enjoys good connections to the United States from the nearby airport in Managua; Miami is but two hours away.

Perhaps best of all, Granada still feels authentically Nicaraguan. You see old oxcarts lumbering through the streets, restaurants serve local delicacies, and street vendors offer pottery handmade according to traditions that date back centuries and have been passed down generation to generation. The city is a unique blend of native Nicaraguan city life and expat amenities.

Finally, Granada qualifies as one of the world’s most affordable retirement havens. A retired couple could live here comfortably on a budget of as little as $1,200 per month. And Nicaragua offers the world’s most affordable retiree residency visa program; you qualify with as little as $600 per month of retirement income.

#10 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Mexico is a big country with two long coasts, mountain towns and colonial cities, plus Mayan ruins, jungle, rain forest, rivers, and lakes. It's also the most accessible "overseas" haven from the United States. You could drive back and forth if you wanted.

For all these reasons, Mexico is home to the biggest established populations of American expats in the world, making it a great choice if you seek adventure with the comforts of home. Mexico is no longer a super-cheap option, but it is our top pick for enjoying a luxury coastal lifestyle on a budget, in Puerto Vallarta. Puerto Vallarta is more expensive than other places where you might consider living or retiring overseas, but in Puerto Vallarta that's not the point. This isn't developing-world living. This stretch of Mexico's Pacific coastline has already been developed to a high level.

Life here can be not only comfortable but easy and fully appointed, with world-class golf courses, marinas, restaurants, and shopping. This is a lifestyle that is available only on a limited basis worldwide, a lifestyle that is truly (not metaphorically) comparable to the best you could enjoy in southern California if you could afford it. Here you can afford it even on an average budget.

Until the 1950s, Puerto Vallarta was a small fishing village, modestly popular among Mexicans as a beach resort. In 1963, "The Night of the Iguana" was filmed just south of Puerto Vallarta. The film's star, Richard Burton, was involved with Elizabeth Taylor at the time. She followed him on location... and the paparazzi followed her. Suddenly Puerto Vallarta was all over the news—and on the map, as far as Americans were concerned—and it's remained there since. 

At about this time, the Mexican government began to invest heavily in infrastructure making Puerto Vallarta more accessible and attractive as a destination. Luxury hotels began to spring up, and Americans began to flock here. It is also one of Mexico's most cosmopolitan beach resorts. Fully half the population works in the tourism business, so English is widely understood, a boon for those of us who speak little or no Spanish. A whole range of services has sprung up to cater to English-speakers, including everything from gourmet shops and restaurants to clothes design and medical care.

As a result, Puerto Vallarta today is home to more than 40,000 expats and foreign retirees. This is one of the biggest and most welcoming expat communities of expats anywhere in the world.

You probably won’t be able to live well here on Social Security income alone; however, if your retirement budget is a bit bigger and you dream of retirement on the Pacific Ocean, Puerto Vallarta deserves your attention.

#9 Chiang Mai, Thailand

Thailand has some of the best beaches in the world, lush mountains and jungles, a laid-back, welcoming culture, and a foreigner-friendly infrastructure. Thailand also has one of the world's lowest costs of living. For these reasons, tens of thousands of foreigners have settled in this country, including in Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai offers not only a super low cost of living, as does Thailand in general, but also great weather, less typical in this country. The high-quality health care and health-related services are also big pluses for foreign retirees, as are the city’s modern infrastructure and abundance of Western amenities.

Chiang Mai is a place where it can be possible for foreign retirees to find work if they're interested in supplementing their retirement nest eggs or simply looking to become involved in their new community; many Westerners are employed in Chiang Mai in language schools, universities, medical facilities, and tourist-related industries.

It used to be possible to stay indefinitely in Thailand with a tourist visa, making visa runs to a neighboring country every month or so. However, the relevant laws were changed a few years ago. Now a foreigner who wants to live in Thailand long-term needs a visa. No problem, as Thailand now offers several attractive residency visa options.

#8 Cuenca, Ecuador

If you're looking for to retire overseas on a budget and live better for less, Cuenca, Ecuador, can be hard to beat. This is a beautiful colonial city in a fascinating and diverse country. The historic center measures roughly 12 by 20 blocks, big enough to be interesting but contained enough to be manageable without having to invest in owning a car.

Many of the Spanish-colonial structures that line the streets of central Cuenca are given over today to cafes, restaurants, bars, and bookshops, operating alongside the traditional butchers, tailors, repair shops, and bakeries. At the heart of the city is the town square, anchored by the original cathedral at one end (dating to 1557) and the “new” cathedral at the other (dating to the 1800s).

Perhaps the biggest appeal of Cuenca is its cost of living, which is among the lowest in the Americas. Real estate prices, too, are rock bottom, if you’re interested in owning a home of your own in retirement. The health care is high quality, honest, and, like everything else here, inexpensive. The climate is temperate 12 months a year, and the city’s large and growing expat community is one of the most diverse and well-blended in the world.

Cuenca offers the retiree the interesting and engaging colonial-city lifestyle it has long offered. However, for 2016 it does not rank among our top 5 picks. A soaring U.S. dollar makes other more fully appointed lifestyle options more affordable than they’ve been in many years and more affordable than Cuenca is today. In addition, the infrastructure of Ecuador in general cannot compare or compete with that in Portugal, Colombia, France, or Italy, all of which do make our top 5 for 2016.

#7 Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic

The final landing place in the New World for Christopher Columbus and his crew in 1493, today the Dominican Republic is a white-sand haven that is surrounded by warm turquoise waters and enjoys year-round sunshine. This affordable island paradise boasts not just beaches—both remote and resort—but also virgin jungle and mountain hideaways (often with ocean views). 

The Dominican Republic is the Caribbean but more, a melting pot with an eclectic population and a diverse history informed by Afro-Antillean, European, North American, and Latin cultures. This not-so-little island is one of the most affordable spots in the whole of the Caribbean, a place where you could embrace a white-sand retirement even if your retirement nest egg is nothing more than a monthly Social Security check. If you can swing a travel budget, island-hopping around the Caribbean could be your new retirement hobby from this convenient base. 

The Dominican Republic makes establishing residency easy, and the country embraces—even rewards through incentives—foreign investors. Residents are eligible for local home financing, can import household goods and a car tax-free, and can qualify for citizenship (and thus a second passport). As a fun bonus, residents pay for higher education in pesos, while nonresidents pay in dollars. If you're looking to take a class or two in retirement, the cost would be trifling. 

In addition, residents can and do work here. Some expats own and operate gyms, hotels, boating and surfing schools, restaurants, boutiques. Others capitalize on skills from previous lives and careers, skills that are often much needed and valued locally (pool building, architecture, mechanics, etc.). Others offer consulting services for overseas clients or run websites with overseas client-bases. These enterprises often fully fund the expat's local lifestyle.

Las Terrenas, once a hamlet and still largely unknown among North Americans, was discovered in the 1970s by Europeans looking for an affordable Caribbean getaway. Today, Las Terrenas is a vibrant international community with residents from all over the globe, including French, German, Polish, Swiss, Italian, Dutch, and British expats. The eclectic population means you can find exotic food imports from Europe in the supermarkets, freshly made Swiss cheese and German sausage at the local shops, excellent international restaurants, and an active and mixed group of folks to welcome you to their well-established community.

Despite its thriving foreign population, costs in Las Terrenas have remained local. A couple could live well here on just $1,200 a month, 

The Las Terrenas property market bubbled through 2008 then crashed, and prices remain down. You could buy a loft-style apartment, ready to move into, for less than $100,000, a townhouse in a gated community for less than $200,000, or a private villa for as little as $250,000. 

#6 George Town, Malaysia

Penang in general and George Town in particular have a great deal to offer the would-be expat and foreign retiree. The natural surroundings are beautiful, and you have many options for how to spend your time. In addition, Malaysian immigration laws are welcoming, including for retirees. For these reasons, thousands of foreigners, both working and retired, have settled in the area, creating a network of support for others who'd like to follow in their footsteps.

Historic George Town, the capital of the state of Penang, got its start in the 18th century, when the British established a colonial outpost to control trade in the Straits of Malacca and exploit a thriving opium market. Commerce prospered and, by the 19th century, George Town had developed a busy financial district, an active seaport, and scores of wholesale shops. Immigrants flooded the town hoping to improve their fortunes.

The city has grown a great deal in the 200 years since, but it has not lost its colonial flavor. Wandering around the historic downtown, it's easy to imagine yourself living in another era and, as well, another place. Here, you're in old China. Around the corner, you could be in India. Another neighborhood is reminiscent of an old Malay village. Impressive British-colonial buildings serve the same functions as they did more than a century ago; they are banks, churches, and residential mansions. Many of the dilapidated Chinese shophouses have been scrubbed, painted, and renovated into attractive hotels, community centers, cafes, galleries, and private homes. 

The city is home to at least a dozen museums. Venues for indulging in high culture include the Penang Philharmonic, ProArt Chinese Orchestra, Performing Arts Center, and the Actors Studio at Straits Quay. Free concerts are offered in various locations across Penang Island during the summer months. Jungle parks reveal secluded beaches and indigenous wildlife. Amusement parks provide family fun. Expat clubs meet regularly to serve the large and growing foreign community. And everywhere are eateries serving delicious and inexpensive gourmet fare. When the sun goes down, cooking smells permeate the air and tables fill with enthusiastic diners from around the globe. Unless you're eating in an upscale restaurant, you can eat very well for about $3 per person. 

Indeed, the low cost of everything is a big part of George Town’s appeal. In some Asian cities, it’s easy for a foreigner to feel something akin to a walking wallet. Not in Malaysia. Foreigners pay the same prices as the locals.

In addition, health care is first-rate, public transportation is modern and efficient, and the tap water is safe to drink. Beautiful beaches are just a short drive or flight away, cool mountain retreats can be reached in less than an hour, and the thriving city-state of Singapore is easily accessible in a few hours by car, train, or bus, or an hour by plane.

#5 Abruzzo, Italy

It’s hard to think of a lovelier corner of Italy than the Abruzzo. The beaches are golden, and the sea rolls out like a giant bolt of turquoise silk. There are mountains, too, meaning that, living here, you’d have both skiing and beach-combing on your doorstep, depending on the season.

This region is one of Italy's secret treasures. No over-crowding, no heavy industry, only castles, vineyards, and villages made of stone. Life in the Abruzzo hasn't changed much over the years, and exploring here is like wandering into a gentler, kinder yesterday, a time with little or no crime and neighbors who watch out for one another. 

Old ladies in pinafores bring their chairs outside and sit in gossipy groups, stringing onions into plaits. Instead of playing computer games, young boys are outside playing soccer. Families shop at open-air markets, not hypermarkets, and if they don’t produce their own wine, they buy it from local vineyards.

Relatively unknown to foreign visitors, the sparsely populated Abruzzo is where central Italy merges into the languid realms of the deep south. Even though many parts of the area are only an hour’s drive from Rome, it clings onto its secret feel.

The main town in the region, Pescara, has one of the best city beaches in Europe and not far away is some of the best skiing outside of the Alps. In spring, it’s possible to combine a morning on the Apennine ski slopes with an afternoon at the beach.

Food is important in the Abruzzo, as it is everywhere in Italy. In most trattorie, everything is home-cooked and just like nonna (grandmother) used to make. In fact, sometimes, nonna still makes it. On the coast, dishes feature fish; inland, the cuisine becomes heartier, based on roast kid, baby lamb, and wild boar.

This delightful and culturally rich region of Italy is also one of Europe’s best bargains. A couple could retire here on as little as $2,000 per month or less, including rent.

#4 Pau, France

No border marks the entry to the Basque region, but you’ll know when you’ve entered this part of France. The most obvious change is the architecture. Every house is painted white with accents of Basque red. You buy the paint at any Home Depot-type store; the can will be labeled “Basque Red.” In this part of the world, there’s just one red. This collective approach to home decor has the effect of making everything appear pristine and cared for. The Basque people also have their own language, music, dance, sport, cuisine (one of the best in France), myths, flag, and even alphabet typeface.

France’s Basque region is made up of seven provinces that sit astride the French-Spanish Atlantic border. The geography is intense, bringing to mind a young child’s drawing of the countryside where every type of geographic feature is squeezed onto one sheet of paper. Small steep valleys, rolling hills, towering mountains, meandering rivers, a wild coastline, forests and woodland, all crammed into about 31,000 square feet and all gloriously green and lush.

The water in many parts of the bay is shallow, giving rise to spectacular surf. This coastline, specifically Biarritz, was the birthplace of French surfing in the late 1950s.

France is recognized by the World Health Organization as having the world’s best healthcare.

The retiree who has dreamt of France but who can’t afford Paris should consider Pau. A couple could retire here on as little as $2,000 per month.

#3 Medellin, Colombia

Twenty years ago if you told suggested that drug- and crime-ridden Medellín would be cleaned up and considered one of the world’s best places to retire just two decades later, no one would have believed you. But that is the case.

Medellín is not only no longer unsafe or unsavory, but it is establishing a name for itself as one of the world's most progressive cities. In 2012, The Wall Street Journal made it official by naming Medellín the Most Innovative City in the world for that year. 

What makes Medellín so innovative? It is a combination of unique public transit infrastructure, well-used and much-loved public spaces, and the accessibility of technology and Internet throughout the city. In addition, Medellín is a city of parks and flowers, pretty, tidy, and architecturally pleasing. Most every building is constructed of red brick and topped with red clay roof tiles. The overall effect is delightful.

Medellín is both an industrial, economic, and financial center for this country and a literary and artistic one. Newspapers, radio networks, publishing houses, an annual poetry festival, an international jazz festival, an international tango festival, an annual book fair, and, back in 1971, Colombia's answer to Woodstock, the Festival de Ancon, all have chosen Medellin as their base.

Thanks to its mountain setting, Medellín is one of a handful of cities around the world that bill themselves as lands of eternal springtime. This means no heating or air condition required and, therefore, controlled utility costs. Furthermore, the medical care in Medellín is excellent, with 5 of the 35 best hospitals in Latin America located here.

The European undertones in Medellín are strong, from the way the women dress to the way people greet you in passing on the street. This is South America, not Central America, and the differences between the two regions can be striking.

Thanks to the current exchange rate between the Colombian peso and the U.S. dollar, all of this is available to the U.S. retiree at a dramatically discounted cost. At the current exchange rate, Medellín is a more affordable place to live and to purchase property than Cuenca, Ecuador, for example, long recognized as one of the world’s most affordable retirement havens. It’s possible today to enjoy a luxury-level retirement in Medellín on even a modest retirement budget. Medellín stands alongside Portugal’s Algarve in offering one of the world’s most appealing and also most affordable retirement options.

#2 Cayo, Belize

Belize is one of the quirkiest countries in the world. Geographically, Belize is in Central America, yet its strongest ties are to the English-speaking Caribbean. Belize is Caribbean, Central American... and, thanks to its history as a former colony, British. Belize City's roadways are built around a system of roundabouts, but shops alongside them sell rice, beans and tortillas still ground by hand.

Everyone you meet speaks English (it's the country's official language), but this belies the stories of their origins. The 350,000 people populating Belize today are descendants of migrants from Britain, yes, but also, more so, the surrounding Central American countries. You've got Mexicans, Guatemalans, Hondurans and Nicaraguans mixed with current-day generations of the Maya who originally inhabited this land, the pirates who came later, the Mennonite farmers who began arriving on the scene in the 16th century, the British who ruled until 1981, and each other.

Belize is a nation of independent thinkers and doers, a country where you make your own way and where, while you're doing it, no one, including the Belize government, is making any attempt to thwart your efforts. This is a poor country. The government doesn't have enough money to get up to any real trouble.

Arriving in Belize, especially in its interior Cayo District, it doesn't take long for any other reality you've brought with you to fade. In this frontier land of rivers and rain forest, your mind and your body are occupied with challenge and discovery from sunup until you fall exhausted into your bed each evening.

Belize is a sunny country that's easily accessible from the United States and where the folks all speak English. It's also one of the easiest places in the world to establish foreign residency, as well as a banking and a tax haven. You could live and run a business here tax-free.

On the other hand, this is a small country where the infrastructure is most kindly described as "developing." The cost of living can be affordable, even low, but not if you want to live a more "developed world" lifestyle that would mean buying lots of things not available or produced locally. Anything imported comes at an inflated price.

#1 Algarve, Portugal

For the third year running, Algarve, Portugal, is our pick for the world’s best place to retire, thanks to its low cost of living, low cost of real estate, great weather, established expat community, user-friendly and low-cost retiree residency program, and endless options for how to meaningfully fill your days and evenings.

In addition, you can get by speaking only English (thanks to the region’s strong historic and cultural links with England), and I’d say that the stunningly beautiful Algarve coast is one of the safest places on earth right now.

The Algarve is home to more than 100,000 resident foreign retirees, all here embracing the best of Europe, from medieval towns and fishing villages to open-air markets and local wine. This is a land of cobblestoned streets and whitewashed houses with lace-patterned chimneys, surrounded everywhere by fig, olive, almond, and carob trees.

Thinking more practically, the Algarve also offers great weather, with 3,300 hours of sunshine per year, meaning more sunny days than almost anywhere else in Europe, and some of Europe’s best-kept sandy beaches. The Algarve’s 100 miles of Atlantic coastline is punctuated by jagged rock formations, lagoons, and extensive sandy beaches, many awarded coveted Blue Flags from the European Blue Flag Association. In addition, the region boasts 42 golf courses in less than 100 miles and is generally recognized as a top golfing destination in continental Europe and the world.

Health care is international-standard in this part of the world, and medical tourism is a growing industry.

The cost of living in Portugal is among the lowest in Western Europe, on average 30% lower than in any other country on the Continent. The affordable cost of living and of real estate is compounded right now by a weak euro, meaning a retired couple could live here comfortably on a budget of as little as $1,500 per month. With a budget of $2,000 per month or more, you could enjoy a fully appointed lifestyle in the heart of Old Europe.

Author Kathleen Peddicord is editor and publisher of Live and Invest Overseas. She has covered the international beat for nearly 30 years and is considered the world’s foremost authority on overseas living and retirement. More info at www.LiveAndInvestOverseas.com.