Escape Global Chaos In These Overseas Safe Havens

19.02.2024 - 18:37 / forbes.com

With the dawn of another election year, even a cursory glance at the headlines serves as a reminder of how volatile and divisive U.S. politics have become. Add to that a string of global crises and conflicts, and the desire to somehow escape from the chaos becomes easily understandable.

As the founder of Live And Invest Overseas, I’ve long been on a mission to identify the best places for North Americans to move to outside their home borders.

Of course, each location I recommend will, like anywhere, have its upsides and downsides, and depending on individual preferences and priorities—for example health care, cost of living, language spoken—will make more sense for some than others.

Take my husband and me, for example. We divide our time between France and Panama.

In France, Paris is home. We have family there, adore the food, culture, and walkability… the architecture, parks, and chateaux… and look forward to every chance we get to spend time in the City of Light.

In Panama, our head office is in bustling Panama City but our home and escape from the world lies a few hours west, on the coast of the country’s Azuero Peninsula. A former cattle ranch, today this 425-acre site, named Los Islotes, is where we’re building a unique community of likeminded souls who value privacy, security, freedom, independence, and elbow room.

Los Islotes is one of the safest havens imaginable in today’s world. It offers ocean views, tranquility, and stability, as well as every creature comfort. For those looking for their own slice of paradise such as we’ve found on Panama’s Sunset Coast, here are a few solid options…

I first drew my readers’ attention to the many charms of Belize in 1987. Back then, it was pretty rough around the edges and primarily attracted scuba divers, sport anglers, and free spirits.

A year later, in 1988, 60 Minutes correspondent Morley Safer traveled the Belize River in a small wooden boat and declared, “The good news from Belize is… no news from Belize.”

The sentiment stuck and still holds true all these years later. Nothing much happens in this sleepy Caribbean nation—and that’s just the way the folks here like it.

Today, at Live And Invest Overseas, Belize is our number-one retirement haven in the Caribbean, attracting people from all walks of life.

It offers white-sand beaches, azure waters, swaying palms, a low cost of living, investment opportunities, and a welcoming English-speaking community.

It’s a tiny country—about the size of Massachusetts—with a small population of just over 400,000.

On a global scale, it attracts little attention… which, in today’s world, is a big plus.

It remains the perfect place to escape the world’s troubles, and for Americans, that peace of mind can be accessed