By Sorrel Downer
Panamainfo Newsletter

The steamy glamour and air of infinite possibility that lure people to Panama in search of a new life is not exclusive to its capital, Panama City. High-end residential developments up the Pacific coast and on the islands scattered off it promise to deliver the requisite combination of oceanfront setting, high-tech communication systems, stylish architecture and cosmopolitan multiple home-owning neighbours.

Until last year the stickiest property honey-pots were Bocas del Toro, an archipelago close to the Costa Rican border on the Caribbean side, and the cool, misty mountains around Boquete.

Much of Bocas is beyond redemption, an erstwhile backpacker haven now overcrowded in parts, overpriced and polluted after a frenzy of amateurish property speculation and budget development.

And Boquete, synonymous with retired North Americans in gated communities while affordable, with plenty of two-bedroom villas still under $200,000) comes up short on desirable properties. hedonistic pura vida and tropical Oomph.

But Central American Panama has more to offer, and lately it