Community Info

Boquete

A US style home can be built here for around $45 per square foot.
Finished 2500 square foot older homes are available for $70-80,000.00.
Land prices are low starting at under $1000 per acre.
Unskilled labor is $6.40 per day.
A full time live-in maid costs $120 a month.
A beer at a bar costs 35 cents, a cup of coffee 30 cents.
Breakfast is $1.30 in a restaurant and lunch $1.50
A haircut and shave is $1.00.
An afternoon at a beauty salon is $8.00.
A first run movie is $1.75.
There are no taxes on food and non-alcoholic drinks.
A 25% discount is had at any restaurant or movie theater for pensioners.
A 25% discount on all airfare originating in Panama to anywhere in the world for pensioners.
Electricity is about 10 cents per kilowatt-hour and you don't need air conditioning.
Water bills run $18 per year max.
Telephone is $24 a month.
DSL Internet access is available.
Cellular telephones are dropping.
Direct TV runs about $30 a month.
Shoes and clothing are dirt-cheap.
Cars are the same or a little less than the US.

Boquete News:

Articles: Boquete just featured in at least four major newspapers in three months: Los Angeles Times, New York Times, the Dallas Morning News and South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Infrastructure Improvements: The bridge reconstruction by the Panamonte that leads to Palo Alto is complete.

The downtown Duran yellow bridge has been completely taken down and the replacement project is full on its way. The new bridge now will be two lanes instead of one with beautiful street lights and space in the middle of the bridge with benches for people to sit down and appreciate the astonishing Caldera River. This is the bridge that joins downtown to the fairgrounds.

Buildings: Construction has just begun on the three story office and apartment building (The Fountain) downtown across from Boquete Country Inn and next to Punto de Encuentro known to locals as “Olga’s” restaurant. Edificio Kadini, The new three story office and/or apartment building and new home of Global Bank is moving closer to completion.

Roads: Ruta Sur, the major road project between Boquete and the Volcan area, is moving quickly and well into the Palmira area.  Phase II of the road is to be finished by 2008, the road project is been built by Bagatrac road construction company. One other project that is well on its way and progressing is the  road leading through the El Salto area of Boquete.

Shopping:The new shopping center Plaza San Fransisco at the entrance to Palmira is also on its last stages and planned to be completed by the ends of December of this year.

Restaurants: Boquete has been seeing a number of new restaurant openings lately. Two examples are the new crepes restaurant (Le Crepes) now open on Avenida Central and New York Sicilian & Italian food place (Papa Ricco’s) now open next to Machu Pichu downtown (adding to the quality pizza and Italian food option of Pianista in the Arco Iris/Palo Alto area) and Roxette’s Bar and Grill on the main street close to Texaco gas station bridge. There are several more restaurants getting ready to open soon.

Hotels:Valle Escondio and Los Molinos recently opened new luxury hotels and restaurants in their Boquete developments.

Panamonte Inn and Spa just announced expansion plans that include new rooms and a convention center.

Health:Open 24 hours, a private health center and lab  is now in the center of town with a wide range of medical services.