Big World Villas is a planned luxury ocean front development located in Santa Catalina, Veraguas, Republic of Panama. Located on the Pacific Coast of Panama, close to Coiba island, this area is regarded as having some of the best diving, surfing and fishing in the world. It is the first such development in the area and offers investors a laid back lifestyle surrounded by a pristine coastline and endless opportunities for outdoor adventure.

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Once completed, Big World Villas will boast several multi-villa structures positioned perfectly to allow all of them stunning views of 4 paradise islands close by, and the Veraguas coastline. The first phase will consist of 48 villas in six octagonal shaped buildings with a modern feel, each with its own roof top social area allowing for breathtaking 360 degree views. The architecture makes light and space a priority, including enormous Brazilian hardwood decks on each villa and over sized windows to maximize views. With high quality finishes, modern coastal furniture packages, and unique floor plans, it’s easy to imagine yourself enjoying the advantages of this well planned ocean-front destination.

The Big World Villas development includes: Restaurant, Lounge, Infinity Pool, Coconut Tree Top Daquiri Bar, Yoga and Massage Zone, Cliff-line Terrace, Hammock Park and Heliport among other facilities.

It is said that its name comes from the indigenous word Veracua or Viragua and this is the only province in Panama that has coasts in both seas. In Veraguas you can find a great variety of flora and fauna, as well as traditions, customs and legends.

Veraguas, inhabited by Guaymíes Indians, offers to the visitor a close contact with the nature, forests, mountains, coasts and islands where there are more than 200 varieties of orchids; more than 400 species of birds, besides mammals, reptiles and insects. Along the water you will find beaches such as Playa Catalina, one of best in America for the practice of surfing and Playa de Mariato, Malena and Torio.

With worries of Panama’s city condo market overheating, investors are looking to lesser-known destinations throughout the country where more affordable property prices exist. While an argument can be made for some of established Panama real estate hot spots, the following is my personal list of the most current “in” and “out” investment areas.

OUT:

Panama City – Prices may not yet have peaked, but the glut of condos about to come on to the market has this writer wary that the upside may be shrinking…and fast. Many claim that new buyers arriving daily from places as diverse as China, Venezuela and Spain can keep this afloat, but I think there are safer bets out there. There is a silver lining: in the near-term, those who expect their pre-construction condos delivered soon will find the market for short and long-term rentals to be very appealing.

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Aerial view of over-developed Playa Coronado

Playa Coronado – While proximity (50 mins) to the city would seem like a benefit, this location suffers from sharing much of the same overbuilt vibe as the Capital. It’s basically Panama City – at the beach. Developers are building too big, too ugly and too fast for this destination (and the boring, copycat projects at nearby beaches) to have any chance at sustaining value or any interest from discerning vacationers.

Boquete, Chiriqui – Panama’s first retirement destination success story is unfortunately, a victim of its own success. Services and infrastructure just haven’t been able to keep up with the soaring prices. It sure is lovely, but with the skyrocketing prices, it’s easy for a buyer to convince themselves that ‘paradise’ can be found more affordably.

IN:

Boca Chica, Chiriqui – This Pacific coastal area is in my opinion, the most attractive section of shoreline that’s also highly accessible from the growing David International airport. It has fantastic fishing, dozens of islands to explore and terrain that’s seemingly ideal for marina development. Some smart investors are already working on plans to take this region very big, very soon.

Santa Catalina, Veraguas – A long-shot only because of accessibility, this area is among Panama’s most virgin and beautiful Pacific spots. It also is very close to Panama’s greatest nature spot, Coiba Island. Watch for this to become Panama’s best known eco-destination over the next few years.

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Surf photographer at recent competition in Venao

Playa Venao, Los Santos – Anyone who has read my articles knows that I’m a big believer in the Azuero Peninsula. This surfing beach reminds me very much of a handful of once-sleepy beach towns in Costa Rica. Today, those beaches (Manuel Antonio, Jaco, Tamarindo) are well known among the non-surfing crowd. As they became popular to the masses, infrastructure improved land prices naturally rose. The regional airport in Pedasi is now receiving regular flights and the roads in the area are excellent. Bigtime investment is entering the region and I could almost smell the excitement (or was that Panama red?) about the possibilities at the recent surfing competitions. In addition to the famous waves, the Frailes Islands offshore offer solid tuna fishing.

Who knows what the next 2-3 years holds for Panama real estate trends? For now, only one thing is certain – Plenty of investors are betting large and on very different destinations.

source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Panamas-Next-Real-Estate-Hot-Spots&id=1083372

Veraguas is located in the central provinces area of the Republic of Panama, it has the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the South. To the east it has Colon, Cocle, Herrera and Los Santos and to the west it has Chiriqui and Bocas del Toro. It is made up of 11 districts: Atalaya, Calobre, Cañazas, La Mesa, Las Palmas, Montijo, Río de Jesús, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Santiago and Soná. Its name comes from the term “Veracua”, which is how the indigenous people called this territory. It is also the only province in the republic that touches both oceans, and it has a great diversity of flora and fauna in its jungles and mountains.

Santiago being the capital of Veraguas is still a small town vibrant in traffic with a recent increase in banks like Banco General, Multi Credit Bank, BanIstmo, Caja de Ahorros, Banco Nacional de Panama and Credit Corp Bank among others. Presently the city has about 55 thousand inhabitants.

Veraguas has for a long time being a gateway to Chiriqui. It is almost always a stop for travelers going to and coming from Chiriqui. There is a McDonalds (very clean by the way) on the main highway and a KFC restaurant there.

Santiago, is also a marketing centre for the rice, coffee, corn, livestock, and other products from the hinterland. It also has a modern bus terminal, where you can find buses to take you to the different cities around the country. The buses to Panama City leave every 30 minutes during the daytime. An airport is being built now to accomodate people wishing to fly in instead of driving.

The city’s saint is apostle Santiago, and it celebrates on the 25th of July every year with catholic walks, parades ,parties and other religious activities that take a turn to show off folkloric customs . This celebration is not just a religious celebration but also an opportunity to celebrate the history of the town and its legacy in the panamanian culture.