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Newest Additions
Home for sale in Far Fan - Howard
$306,000
Large mountain farm, located in the highlands of Chiriqui in Cerro Punta.
$4,500,000
Coral Reef
$0
Grand Bay
$0
Modern condo close to everything
$200,000
6 HA working farm with Nearly 1/2 Km of River Frontage
$180,000
Fully equipped corner oceanfront unit
$0
Acreage with Stunning Mountain Views and springs just a few minutes from Penonome
$47,500
55 HA of Rural Land for sale with Creeks, Springs, and River
$99,000
New Orleans style house in Coronado
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Rental house in Altos de Panama
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Green Park
$133,800
Great apartment in Punta Pacifica
$350,000
Brand new condos with amazing views
$140,000
Fully equipped brand new condo close to everything
$0
Brand new condo in great location
$260,000
Aguadulce Farm
$266,000
Panama Pacifico - world-class commercial, business and Residential hub with Special Economic Incentives
$0
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Magazine encourages travel to Panama
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By Harold Davis - Greenwich Time
If a lower cost of living and great ocean views aren't enough for you to explore Panama, then Robert Leckie, of Greenwich, and Elspeth Anne Beier, of Wilton, hope to entice you to the Central American country with their magazine called Panama Q.
Leckie and Beier hope to show readers just what makes Panama an ideal locale for Americans to visit or even call home.
"Panama City is like Miami, Chicago and a little like lower Manhattan, and it's right on the Pacific Ocean. It's cooking," Leckie said, who is the magazine's publisher and has been visiting Panama for many years.
Starting a new magazine might seem risky in an economic downturn, as many print publications are cutting jobs and printing with less frequency, but Leckie said that the outlook for the magazine is promising.
Published quarterly, the magazine was in development for about 11Ú2 years before the arrival of its first issue in October. Running slightly more than 100 pages, the magazine is free and is supported by advertising.
Panama Q has a team of about 15 people working in offices in Ridgefield, Wilton and in Panama City.
"I knew full well of the deep, dark abyss we were heading into, but I had no fear with Panama Q since it was growing in leaps and bounds," said the 62-year-old Leckie. "I got offered to sell the publication two weeks after it was on the streets."
The next issue will come out at the end January. The publication targets high-end readers and is distributed in five-star hotels. Its content features adventure, dining and real estate, as well as "health tourism," for those looking for a peaceful place to recuperate after medical treatments.
There will be ongoing coverage given to the expansion of the Panama Canal, Leckie said.
Leckie and Beier bring a wealth of experience to the publication.
Leckie's background has run the gamut from a radio personality, serving as a manager for jazz legend Duke Ellington's last world tour, to starting a hedge fund, to owning restaurants.
He has also worked on four other publications over the years. Panama Q is his 15th business venture.
Beier has been a feng shui consultant for 30 years, a business which she still operates. Her designs and art direction have been seen in media outlets such as Fairfield County Home Magazine, ABC News and the "House Calls" television show.
Panama Q magazine has an online presence at www.panamaqmagazine.com. The current site provides basic information, but an updated version with more capabilities will be launched in the new year.
Future separate dining and health tourism editions will spin out once a year, Leckie said.
"You'll be able to buy it off the Web site and with your credit card and download it," Leckie said.
While embracing the online community is important, Beier said, the hard copy magazine is something to be experienced.
"It looks better when you have it in your hand. It's heavy, the colors just pop off the page, and it's intelligent and informative," Beier said about the magazine, which is filled with eye-catching photos.
Howard Polskin, a spokesperson from the Magazine Publishers of America in New York City, said that new magazines are continuing to be produced.
"Between January and September, 190 new magazines were launched in the first three quarters of this year, and nine of them focused on travel," Polskin said.
Interest in magazines has not wavered, he said, citing a study done by Mediamark Research & Intelligence, which said that 188.9 million adults are reading magazines in 2008, compared with 166 million in 1994.
"Magazine readership remains strong despite the proliferation of digital," Polskin said. "Consumers are connected to their magazines."
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Enjoying the Best of Boquete
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There are numerous destinations throughout Panama that are worthy of visiting and will provide wonderful vacation memories to last a lifetime. One such vacation destination is the charming and beautiful town of Boquete. Boquete is situated in the Chiriqui providence near the foot of Volcan Baru, the tallest mountain in Panama. The surrounding area is home to numerous coffee farms and is also within close proximity of Armistad International Peace Park.
Hikers, in particular, love Boquete for the fabulous hiking opportunities that abound here. Volcan Baru is the tallest mountain the country and provides breathtaking opportunities for hiking. The Los Quetzales trail is known to be one of the most beautiful in the country and offers treks all the way around the north side of the mountain, providing ample opportunities to observe a wealth of natural beauty. Nature lovers can also enjoy safe, leisurely bike rides throughout the local countryside as well.
The local coffee culture and plantations should certainly not be missed during your trip. Even if you are not a coffee drinker, it can still be quite entertaining to tour the coffee plantations and find out more about how the beans are grown, harvested and processed. Of course, if you are a coffee lover, there is simply nothing better than taking a coffee plantation tour and enjoying delicious sample tastings.
Whitewater river rafting is another extremely popular local activity. The different rafting options in the local area are renowned throughout the world for Class III through Class IV rapids. The surrounding thick jungle and steep canyon walls only add to the exhilaration.
Birding opportunities abound throughout the local area as well. If you are a birder, you will certainly want to take advantage of the opportunity to catch sight of some of the most beautiful species in the world during your trip. Be on the lookout for species such as black cheeked warblers, quetzals, pale billed woodpeckers, zeledonias, peg billed finches and masked duck.
Beyond exploring the natural beauty of the area and exploring coffee plantations, you can also simply sit back and relax while enjoying the soaring mountains and long winding rivers that make up the beauty that is exclusively Boquete.
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Panama's rating could rise to "investment grade" in 2009
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According to at least one US pundit Panama could be rated internationally as “investment grade” late 2009. The country is currently rated Ba+ by Moody’s Investor Service and BB+ by Standard & Poor’s both one level below investment grade.
Making the prediction, Alberto Bernal, head of emerging-market search with Bulltick Capital Markets in Miami, recommended investors buy Panama’s 6.7 percent bonds maturing in 2036 because Panama’s credit rating is “likely to rise to investment grade and will be less vulnerable to declining commodity prices and a global slowdown.”
Meanwhile one of the world’s top credit rating agencies, Moody’s Investor Services recently issued the Panama Canal Authority ( ACP) with a grade A2 credit rating. This is the first ever credit rating the Canal Authority has ever received and it classifies the ACP as “ upper-medium grade and subject to low credit risk”.
ACP Administrator, Alberto Aleman Zubieta commented that the announcement was a source of national pride to Panama and the result of the business model used to manage the Canal to ensure its efficiency, safety, and profitability. He went on to say that it further underscores the dynamic growth and development of Panama. The booming economy combined with the Canal expansion project all contributed to the high score the ACP received.
Moody’s Investor Services’ rankings are used by international investors to analyze the conditions of more than 100 countries, 12,000 companies and 29,000 public institutions.
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Trump Ocean Club sets sales record
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Trump Ocean Club, probably the most talked-about building project in Panama to date, has established a record in terms of progress. Two years before its scheduled completion in 2010 it has already sold nearly 79% of the project’s units. Furthermore, in the second quarter of 2008, its Schedule Performance Indicator, which measures the amount of work completed in relation to the original forecast went up to 102%, an unheard of occurrence at a time when nearly all projects in Panama City are months, even years, behind schedule
As of July 31 Trump Ocean Club’s sales had reached US$356.1 million and receivables $271.5 million while the company announced price increases of 5-10% in all of its products. This at a time when the global real estate market is in difficulty.
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San Fernando Clinic opens in Coronado
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Clinica Hospital San Fernando opened a 24-hour Clinic in Coronado last month, marking a major milestone for the Pacific coast’s development and infrastructure. The clinic is the first major medical provider to establish in the area.
According to Cynthia de Cabassa of Clinica San Fernando, the main focus of the facility is to treat emergencies. An observation room and a critical area for intensive care are ready to treat patients in immediate need of attention and to stabilize them for transport to Panama City aboard an ambulance service called Ambulancias Vive.
Outpatient treatment is also available for the treatment of minor illness and consultation. A dental clinic and an optometrist are also on the grounds. The clinic’s laboratory, ultrasound, cat scan and x-rays are all digitally connected to the main San Fernando clinic in Panama City.
The San Fernando Clinic has been operating in Panama City for the last 59 years. It is located at the end of Via España in the Hato Pintado neighborhood. The direct phone number for the Coronado clinic is 240-1646.
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