We are often asked, ‘What’s your favorite travel destination in retirement?’
We never know how to answer that because we crave variety, and we still have many more countries to visit.
But we aren’t “country counters.” We like to go slow, one country at a time.
Travel destinations in retirement:
Latin America: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala
Europe & UK: Portugal, Italy, Spain, England, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Greece
Northern Africa: Morocco
SE Asia: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia
Latin America
- Mexico
- Mahahual (Chetumal, Xcalak)
- Tulum (Playa del Carmen and Cancun)
- Campeche
- Sabancuay (Ciudad del Carmen)
- Puerto Vallarta
- Yelapa
- Huatulco
- Puerto Angel (Zipolite and Mazunte)
- Puerto Escondido
- Ajijic/Chapala
- Mexico City
- Guadalajara
- Tijuana
- Rosarito Beach
- San Cristobal de las Casas
- Tuxtla Gutierrez
- Oaxaca City
- Zihuatenajo
- Mazatlan
- La Paz
- Cabo San Lucas
- Belize
- Corozal
- San Ignacio, Cayo District
- Caye Caulker
- Ambergris Caye
- Guatemala
- Peten
- El Remate (Isla de Flores, Santa Elena)
- Tikal
- Guatemala City
- San Pablo, Lake Atitlan (Tzuzuna, Panajachel, San Marcos, San Juan)
- San Pedro, Lake Atitlan
- Tecpan
- Antigua
- Acatenango Volcano
Europe & UK
- Portugal
- Lisbon (Sintra)
- Porto (Gaia across the river)
- Italy
- Rome
- Lerici (La Spezia, Tellaro)
- Cinque Terre (Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore)
- Florence (Siena, Gimignano, Pisa)
- Venice (Burano, Murano, Torcello)
- Ancon
- Spain
- Barcelona (Figueres, Girona, Tarragona, Montserrat)
- Tarifa & Algeciras
- Seville
- United Kingdom
- London
- Greenwich
- Croatia
- Zagreb
- Split
- Omis (Supetar and Splitska)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Sarajevo
- Montenegro
- Kotor (Dobrota, Perast, Orahovac, Jaz Beach, Budva)
- Albania
- Tirana
- Saranda (Butrint)
- Greece
- Athens
- Corinth
- Rio & Patras
- Lefkada Island (Nidri, Kathisma Beach)
- Corfu Island (almost every place on the island – 10 villages minimum)
- Kalavryta
Northern Africa
- Morocco
- Marrakesh
- M’hamid
- Erg Chigaga (*Sahara desert*)
- Ouarzazate
- Casablanca
- Fez
- Chefchaouen
- Tangier
Southeast Asia
- Singapore
- Malaysia
- Penang: George Town, Tanjung Bungah, Batu Ferringhi
- Kuala Lumpur
- Melaka (Malacca City)
- Vietnam
- Hanoi
- Lan Ha Bay
- Cat Ba
- Ninh Binh
- Phong Nha
- Dong Ha (Cam Lo and Khe Sanh)
- Hue
- Danang (Ba Na Hills)
- Hoi An (An Bang)
- Nha Trang
- Dalat
- Can Tho/Mekong Delta
- Cu Chi
- Ho Chi Minh City
- Thailand
- Pai
- Chiang Mai
- Phuket
- Krabi (Klong Muang, Ao Nang)
- Hua Hin
- Bangkok
- Pattaya
- Cambodia
- Phnom Penh
- Siem Reap
- Indonesia
- Katu, Semanyak, Legian
- Lovina
Before these travel destinations in early retirement, we also visited Costa Rica, Nicarauga, and Panama on vacations from work.
In fact, those vacations showed us this low-cost travel lifestyle was possible. We considered them successful short “test runs.”
We also kept track of our expenses during those glorious vacations to see exactly what it would cost to live like a long-term traveler instead of a short-term tourist.
We hardly ever stayed in big resort compounds. Where’s the adventure in that?!
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