Thread: Living in Coronado

At the beginning of the year I felt the need to relocate. After reading the near orgasm posts about Belize on their forum I thought I'd check the place out.
The flight I took there connected from Panama where I spent a night waiting for the connection. Once in Belize it took me exactly 15 minutes (Ambergris key, Belize's crown jewel) to want to get the heck out. My return trip was going through Panama again and instead of the 2 days I originally planned spending there doing shopping I changed to be 5 cutting the torture called Belize short.
In those 5 days after spending some time reading posts and articles I figured I wanted to be in Coronado so I arranged for a realtor to take me here and look at houses, land and condos.
The trip from Panama City took about an hour on a highway I was most impressed with expecting pothole galore à la Belize. I loved the roadside businesses selling lawn art, building supplies and everything in between. Arriving at Coronado you will find a nice shopping area where you will find everything you need as far as banks, food, utilities, dentist, insurance, restaurants, doctors, hardware store and a million other goes. Driving past the shopping area, clinic, restaurants and horse stables you arrive at the entrance to the gated community where even Pancho Villa would have no problem gaining entry since the guards are only for show. Past the gate and police station you will notice the road turning to shit and more shit the farther you go. Gated community roads are not the gov's problem in any country so....
I found a nice condo to rent after realizing homes and land for sale all have sellers on drugs, prolly LSD since they seem to hallucinate when they appraise their property. Since I know prices will drop as the market is crashing I will just rent until they come to their senses. I am right on the ocean high up so that I can see the curvature of the Earth and the mountains behind me. The weather is hot and muggy and it rains daily usually in the afternoons but I am used to muggy weather and with electricity being $0.12/kwh using A/C around the clock in the rooms we are using is not filling me with dread. Paid $90 for last month's consumption which is at par with my cable/Internet bill pretty much. Water and cooking gas is included in the rent and so is cable by the way. Going to any of the 2 (soon to be 3) supermarkets outside the gates is a bone jarring tooth rattling 7-10 minutes drive which I am pretty much used to by now. Having a 4x4 that you can fly through potholes with is a must. (See my Hilux post for more).
During the week the community is pretty much a ghost town, just the way I like, on weekends and holidays the place tends to fill up since it really is a weekend getaway for well to do Panamanians. I am so far up no music bothers me not that I would mind loud music at night.
I found a nice pre-k/school for my 3 years old son 30 miles away which is a pain in the ass but others in the area go there too so we car pool.
If I feel the need for more civilization or mall prowling we drive to Panama City where you will find most all you ever need including the essential indoor choo choo trains and merry go round life would be impossible without. (If in doubt ask my son).
The condo grounds are teaming with workers keeping the place and the pool in top shape with 24 hour security patrolling at night. We feel very safe and love the place.
I love tennis and tons of opportunities and places exist if you play. Golf club membership is around $15k but it is for life and you can also pay per day if you are not a member.
The ocean is warm year round and although the black sand is not the prettiest I have seen, it is pretty clean and the water is clean too.
Mosquitoes are not flying in clouds like in Belize nor are snakes and alligators abound. If I were to buy I'd buy outside the gates and build which I am considering if all goes to plans.
Anyway, we are not depending for our living on interacting with Panamanians and the ones we do we find friendly if not the most educated but ignorance is multinational so...
All in all we like the place.

$0.12/kwh ?????

Just checked my last bill, it went up and is $0.15966/kwh.
By the way the new Machetaso supermarket across the highway is open and a bunch of other stores I will check out later on today.

I think its north of 20 c PKW.
Machataso is great.

The new Machataso is great - that whole new area (The Village) is looking to be a nice addition to the area. The only big issue is going to be traffic on weekends. It's already a cluster out there Friday/Saturday/Sunday, so I'm not pumped for what's going to happen.

I don't know if you've checked it out, but I've heard very good things about Five Stars Academy in Santa Clara.

The Gorgona area just north of Coronado has had a bad reputation in the past, but is getting better and better now. We've got some awesome properties for sale there that are some of the nicest homes I've seen in Panama. The reputation of the area doesn't match the reality anymore, but it keeps the prices down compared to the rest of the area.

I will scan my bill so you can see it. 5 stars is indeed good.

Originally Posted by wolfeflow

The Gorgona area just north of Coronado has had a bad reputation in the past, but is getting better and better now. We've got some awesome properties for sale there that are some of the nicest homes I've seen in Panama. The reputation of the area doesn't match the reality anymore, but it keeps the prices down compared to the rest of the area.

Did Bahia, a two-tower project in Gorgona, get built?

Bahia Resort Panama

Originally Posted by BalaBeacher

Did Bahia, a two-tower project in Gorgona, get built?

Bahia Resort Panama

Never mind. I see construction photos on their site of the first tower. But, did it get finished? I don't see much for sale, which is surprising. Maybe I'm just missing them.

A lot fo stuff is selling in Gorgona.
There is a brand new tower, just starting now.

Did Bahia, a two-tower project in Gorgona, get built?

A couple of years ago I looked at a condo in a building that I think was next door. The guy was going to default and it was on the 6th floor going for $168,000 if I took the contract over. Having problems formatting text at the moment.



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