The perks of retiring to a Caribbean island—the warm weather, the laid-back lifestyle and the gorgeous surroundings—are as clear as the waters you’ll be swimming in there.
“I am in paradise,” says 73-year-old Julie Lea, who moved to Bequia in the Grenadines from Waterford, Va., with her husband in 1999. Lea, an artist who began visiting the tiny island in the late 1970s with her family, says the colors—the teal of the sea, the hot pinks and yellows of the flowers, the sometimes fierce sun bathing the land in light—drew her in. “I finally found a place where I could paint bright colors right out of the acrylic tubes, where I didn’t have to tone them down,” she says. “Virginia is misty and quiet and ladylike; here’s it’s wild.”
For Casey Callais, who left Beaumont, Texas, in 2008 to pursue volunteer opportunities on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, the people are a big draw. “There’s an openness and friendliness to the local people,” he remarks. “They do more than just say hi—they say hi, invite you into their home, cook for you, invite you to stay with them.”
But behind that friendly, postcard-perfect veneer, there are plenty of downsides to retiring in the Caribbean islands, among them health-care options that are often mediocre (typically you must travel to a large city to find a full-scale hospital), hurricanes, sketchy infrastructure, high prices for food and other staples, and language barriers. “Because they’re islands, they tend to be small and limited,” says Kathleen Peddicord, the publisher of Live and Invest Overseas. “If you don’t bring it with you, it might not be there.”
That means, for many, boredom: “If you are happy to swim, snorkel, fish, dive and lay in the sun, then the Caribbean is for you,” she says. “But if that only sounds fun for a while, then maybe not.”
Or, you may, as Lea does, need to make a lot of your own entertainment, as there may not be a ton of shopping and entertainment on the island you choose. She writes books, paints (and sells her work at a studio in town), teaches watercolor classes and gardens. And you can’t always fall back on TV and the Internet: “Internet access is slow at best,” Callais says. “A lot of people live a very unplugged or slowly plugged life.”
Retiring in the Caribbean can also be incredibly pricey. Beachfront properties on posher and more popular islands such as St. Bart’s and Anguilla often go for well over a million dollars—some topping $5 million. When you add up your housing, travel costs and the premiums of island living (many items, from food to electronics, have to be shipped in), retiring to the Caribbean can take a toll on one’s retirement nest egg. Plus, there are residency and administrative issues (like getting your Social Security check and banking) to consider—all of which can be a hassle.
The good news: Those looking for that quintessential, Caribbean island lifestyle in retirement—nice beaches coupled with good shopping, restaurants and housing stock, as well as plenty of expats to befriend—can still find it, and (relatively) affordably to boot.
Here are three places to consider …
Ambergris Caye, Belize
Though Madonna has traveled to every corner of the globe, it’s Ambergris Caye she dreams of, crooning in her song “La Isla Bonita” that it “is where I long to be … the beautiful island.” It’s easy to see why the pop superstar fell in love with this spot: Encircled by the second largest coral reef in the world, lined with mangrove and palm trees, and dotted with waterfalls and lagoons, Ambergris Caye looks like a real-life postcard.
For retirees, the island offers features that many of its other Caribbean Central American counterparts don’t. English is the native language; getting residency is relatively easy; the “expat community is very active, so there is a community of people to connect with for activities”; and the infrastructure is pretty developed, with plenty of restaurants (there’s even a wine bar with selections from around the globe) and other shops around San Pedro Town, the main town on the island, Live and Invest Overseas publisher Peddicord adds.
It’s paradise for outdoorsy retirees: The coral reef offers diving, snorkeling and fishing options (the island is the self-proclaimed dive capital of Central America); there are more than 500 species of birds on the island (you’ll frequently see people with binoculars glued to their eyes); and there is a championship golf course. And it’s easy to get around town, with golf carts the most common mode of transportation.
Yes, there are cheaper places to retire in Belize (Ambergris Caye is among the most expensive in this country) and in the Caribbean, but, for some retirees, those locales might mean roughing it a little too much. And the reality is that Ambergris Caye is still quite affordable: A two-bedroom oceanfront property can be bought for $225,000 to $300,000, Peddicord notes, and food—though much pricier than on the mainland—is still affordable: Dinner at a lower-end beach bar or pizza shop is often around $5 or sometimes less and at a nicer restaurant around $15 per person, says Peddicord. Plus, there is a 24-hour medical clinic (good for non-emergencies) with relatively affordable care (usually costing about $20 per visit).
To be sure, there are downsides. It’s not that easy to get to: You take a flight to Belize City and then another to the San Pedro airport. And some might find it a little too bustling (there are some new housing developments that many locals find distasteful, and it is the most visited area in Belize). Still, plenty of areas of the island haven’t been touched by big developments, so it’s unlikely to lose its charm anytime soon.
Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
You can still see Las Terrenas’ sleepy fishing village origins in the pastel-colored boats bobbing in the water and the quaint wooden cottages splashed with pinks and turquoises. But you’re now just as apt to feel you’re in a European village, thanks to the town’s thriving expat community—over dinner at one of the island’s charming casitas-turned-restaurants, you’re almost as likely to hear French and Italian as you are Spanish—and popularity with European travelers. During your morning stroll, you’ll wander by patisseries, fine jewelry shops and fruit stands, and observe chic women sipping cappuccino or ambling by on little ATVs, baguettes peeking from their baskets, while mopeds zip around them.
While this might all sound posh, this spot won’t break the bank. Dan Prescher, a senior editor with International Living, notes that the Dominican Republic is still remarkably more affordable than many nearby islands. A two-bedroom condo unit just steps to the ocean in Las Terrenas can be had for less than $200,000. Meals are pretty inexpensive as well (around $8 at a casual restaurant in town).
While the bohemian, cosmopolitan vibe appeals to many, it’s the beaches (as lovely as almost any in the region and refreshingly devoid of the megaresorts that choke some parts of the Dominican Republic) fringed with coconut palms and lapped by the aquamarine sea and trod upon by the occasional wild horse that make people want to stay. You have your choice of more lively beaches, like Playa Las Terrenas, which is the main beach in town, or far more placid ones, like Playa Bonita and El Portillo, as well as beaches where waves are sufficient for surfing and others whose waters are tranquil.
The area is also known for whale watching—roughly 10,000 migrating humpback whales pass the area between January and March—and the Parque Nacional Los Haitises marine park, a protected area of forest with mangroves, caves and more than 100 bird species. Plus, there is a medical clinic in town, and residency is relatively easy to establish.
While this hidden gem of a city on the island’s Samana Peninsula has plenty of upside, it comes with its issues as well. Driving here can be unnerving (no one seems to follow traffic laws); some parts are overly touristy (which means trinket shops and overpriced, mediocre food) and getting here from the U.S. isn’t always a breeze (though Las Terrenas does have a tiny airport, you’ll likely fly into Santo Domingo and then drive or take a shuttle bus for roughly two hours).
Bocas del Toro, Panamá
If lying on cotton-soft, alabaster beaches without another soul in sight and only the gentle lapping of the waves and throaty cries of the tree frogs to keep you company sounds like your idea of a dreamy retirement, Bocas del Toro may be just the place for you. “Here it’s all about the pristine beaches and the water—it can be any shade from turquoise to emerald to cobalt,” says Jessica Ramesch, International Living’s Panama editor, who notes that there are plenty of boats for hire that can take you to one of the nine main islands (imagine thick, emerald rainforests ringed by white-sand beaches), 52 cays or thousands of tiny islets, many of them completely uninhabited.
The forests and water make for a ton of outdoor activities, including fishing, kayaking, surfing, scuba diving, zip lining through the rainforest and boating. The island is also home to a Unesco World Heritage site, La Amistad International Park, the largest nature reserve in Central America, which is home to more than 200 species of mammals and 600 species of birds), as well as Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park, Panama’s first national marine park and home to endangered sea turtles (they nest here), monkeys, crocodiles and more.
While the dozens of essentially private beaches, outdoor activities and spectacular parks are the main draws of Bocas del Toro, there is plenty to do in Bocas Town, including more than 50 restaurants—everything from fresh-seafood spots to an Indian restaurant to a gourmet deli started by an expatriate from North America—plus the bustling Simon Bolivar Park, where artisans sell food and handicrafts, and nightlife that includes reggae bars among its live-music options. This is also the most popular island destination in the country for expats, and the town is easy to get around via bike, or even a taxi, which usually only costs about $1 within the town.
Perhaps the best part: It’s very affordable. A nice 700- to 1,000-square foot, one- or two-bedroom apartment within walking distance of the beach can be rented for just $600 a month, and it likely won’t cost more than $1,200 a month for a fancier one, says Ramesch—who notes that it’s better to rent here than buy because of title issues. And you can find a casual meal for around $5 to $8.
To be sure, Bocas del Toro is best suited for the more adventurous retiree and perhaps one who just wants to live here part-time, says Ramesch—thanks to less-than-stellar infrastructure and limited health care (there is a clinic on the main island, but you will need to head to Panama City for more significant health issues). But for the retiree who wants to commune with nature on the cheap—while still being able to grab a decent meal in town—this spot is one of your best bets.
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