- My husband and I retired to Cuenca, Ecuador, but we always wondered which other options were there.
- We spent time in Cancún and Playa del Carmen to see why many American immigrants retire in Mexico.
- We were surprised and amazed by the weather, shops and more in every place.
In 2010, we left the United States and retired abroad in Cuenca, Ecuador.
Although we are lucky to enjoy a wonderful life of pension abroad, we have always wondered if there is an even better place for us there.
So, over a decade later, we set out for an adventure that lasted more than two years to explore other potential pension points across the globe to discover.
Our journey began in Mexico, a popular place for American retirees partly due to its proximity to the US, generally lower living costs and its warm weather.
As it was there, we spent two weeks each in Cancún and Playa del Carmen, two of the popular Caribbean holiday points.
Although we chose heavy tourist cities, we tried to get a taste of daily life by staying in the neighborhood outside the main holidays and hotel areas.
We were pleasantly surprised by cancún
Cancún is more than hotels and tourist spots. Wiskay/getty images
Located on the northeast coast of Yucatan Peninsula, Cancún is a major tourist destination in Mexico. That said, Cancún has a “hotel area” along the beach that is miles away from the city itself.
Most visitors (like us on an anniversary trip years ago) arrive at the airport, get a transfer to their hotel and never leave the proximity before leaving home.
However, on this trip, we rented an Airbnb in a downtown residential section to try to see what it could be like to live there.
We found it in the center of the city of Cancún to be quite different from the miles of fancy resorts, boutiques and eateries in the hotel area.
As we walked around, we spent numerous modest homes with a family and shops and restaurants in local owned. We liked that in the city center there was everything we might need for everyday life within the distance.
In addition, the area had several well -known American chains, such as Walmart, which had a surprisingly impressive selection of affordable products and products.
Plus, there is a large international airport only 20 to 30 minutes away from the city center – ideal for American immigrants who want to visit their family at home.
Our apartment was miles away from the beach, but a free bus trip made a premature to get there. However, after reaching the miles of public beaches, we were disappointed to find very few entry points.
It was more difficult to get to the beach than we expected, especially after we would have been used to walking from an ocean coastline hotel in the sand when we would stay in Cancún as tourists. This was definitely an obstacle, but not an insurmountable.
However, in general, we were pleasantly surprised how he felt in the center of the city of Cancún in our current neighborhood.
Playa del Carmen seemed to offer the best of both worlds for American immigrants
Playa del Carmen has beaches, businesses, shops and more. Arturo Peña Romano Medina/Getty Images
Located about an hour south of Cancún is the coastal city of Playa del Carmen. Unlike Cancún, Playa del Carmen does not have an isolated hotel area separated from its residential areas.
This city has beaches, the famous 5th avenue of some blocks away, and then local shelter and businesses to the main highway that goes from last tulum.
I liked that nearby neighborhoods could easily enter the beach and spots known as 5th Avenue. The living area was felt like the version of Mexico of the Bourbon Street in New Orleans, filled with tourists, sellers and live music. It was fun, though I was worried that it could eventually be annoying to navigate as you try to do things and direct action every day.
Even so, the area felt overflowing with extraordinary food and purchase opportunities.
In addition to local offers, we found well -known American chains such as Walmart, Sam’s Club, Office Depot, and many chained restaurants in the area and US migrants missing home would probably enjoy.
Although Playa del Carmen does not have its own international airport, it is only about an hour in Cancún.
In general, we can see why retirees would choose each country
It was exciting to see what else is there for other Americans seeking to retire abroad.
We appreciated how Playa del Carmen and Cancún both felt beautiful and walking, with a very easy access to airports, which is great for pensioners leaving the family.
We can definitely understand why warm weather, beaches and other skills would bring immigrants to each country.
That being said, we also realized that the generally hotter temperatures of the area were not quite suitable for us. For now, we still call it home.