Ojo de Agua, Panama

Graciela in Venao Bikini Contest

Here is a short video I produced for my good friends Dexter and Graciala.  Dex’s girlfriend Graciela entered the bikini contest held during the weekend of the Quicksilver surf contest.

Enjoy Dex!

Pucha Garcia Calendar Shoot

I filmed and produced a video for my lovely girlfriend while she shot her 2010 bikini calendar.  It displays many of the beautiful beaches in our area.

The video is broken down into small sections for the youtube upload limits.  Relax and watch them all.

Enjoy!

Pucha Garcia 10X Panamanian Womens Surf Champion

I am happy to announce that my girlfriend of two years, Sonia “Pucha” Garcia,  earned her tenth surfing title here in the Republic of Panama.  She placed second in the final contest of the year held in November at Playa Venao securing the women’s title.

Check out the short video of her accepting the trophy.

Felicidades mi amor!

Kids Surf Contest in Venao Nov 2009

The Quicksilver contest at Venao this November had a grommet’s division.  I edited a short video of the kids going at it.  My girlfriends son, Kalani, placed second.

Enjoy!

Pedasi Christmas 2009

Video of the annual Pedasi Christmas Parade.  

Christmas in Panama, what fun!

Enjoy!

BusinessWeek’s recent article “Retirement: Why Panama Is the New Florida” takes a very objective (and compelling) look at retiring in Panama.  “Panama’s quality health care, low costs, and proximity to the states are attracting American professionals as a retirement haven.”

Among the many benefits highlighted, some standout advantages of retiring in Panama include: First World healthcare at a fraction of the price, tax discounts and waivers on virtually every for seniors as well as the best whether in Central America along with low crime rates.

A complete blood workup at Panama City’s gleaming new Hospital Punta Pacifica, managed by Johns Hopkins Medicine International, is $36. A checkup with a physician is $50. Boomers who say they would have had to pay roughly $1,200 a month in the U.S. for health care say they are paying roughly $800 a year for coverage in Panama.

Interested in buying property in Panama?

Contact us for information on real estate in Panama -  in the coastal town of Ojo de Agua on the Azuero Peninsula.  We”re good stuards of the land and aim to provide a cultually and environmentally sustainable lifestyle . . . with a Pacific ocean view!

UPDATE: ONLY ONE LOT LEFT – Contact us now

Whoopee!!

We just sold our first parcel here in Ojo de Agua. Here is what our new neighbors had to say about their new home in Panama:

“The beauty of Charlie’s community is awe inspiring. We are excited about his commitment to sustainability and to protecting the beauty of this pristine paradise. We looked in Costa Rica for 2 years before coming here. As soon as we saw this property we knew it was exactly what we wanted.”

Laurie and James

Safety Harbor, FL

They are excited to invest in real estate in Panama and are going to start building their dream home right away. I look forward to helping them realize their dreams and watch as they set the standard for the rest of the community.

Thanks James and Laurie for your beautiful compliment and your trust in me and my vision of the development.

Welcome to the neighborhood.

Charlie Botts

Here are some photos from the public boat ramp in the small town of Cañas. This is the nearest boat ramp to Ojo de Agua and one of the most protected ones in the area. There is already one private boat storage and another under construction near the launch. Notice the grass hut in one of the pictures. This is the neighbor next to the completed boat storage. Panama, land of contrasts.

Cañas is a small town located on the mainland near the mouth of the Cañas Estuary. If searching a map, Cañas is just north of the eastern tip of Cañas Island, roughly centered between Playa Venao/Venado and the town of Bucaro. Cañas is a typical small Panamanian town that has a Catholic church, public school, hardware store, a few small tiendas (general store), a few restaurants and plenty of cantinas.

This public boat ramp was recently constructed and is only a few minutes from the property in Ojo de Agua. The Cañas estuary is one of the only protected waterways in this part of Panama. Shielded from the waves of the Pacific Ocean by Isla Cañas, the protected estuary offers a great place to launch. Due to the extreme tidal fluctuations here in Panama, one most launch and retrieve their boat around medium or high tide. Once launched mariners navigate about 40 minutes westward through the mangrove lined estuary which merges with the Tonosi and Viejo rivers near where their mouths spill out into the Pacific Ocean near Bucaro, a small local fishing village located between Tonosi and Guanico.

I also included a photo of the sign announcing that the road is to be repaved from Cañas to Tonosi. Ojo de Agua is two kilometers to the west of Cañas heading towards Tonosi. Those of us that drive this road everyday know that it is one of the worst main roads in the area. I have been hearing for two years that this road is going to be rebuilt. The new road will cut the time down by half to go to Tonosi. Finally! The government has erected the official sign and roadwork has started.

When in the area take a drive through Cañas or catch a boat and visit the island for turtle watching, I may see you there.

Take Care,

Charlie

quebrada: gully, ravine, stream

There are many quebradas around the property, many deeper and larger than others. Too steep to haul out lumber from cut trees and to rocky for cattle to graze, quebradas are some of the rare areas in this heavily deforested part of Panama that are still relatively untouched. Quebradas are diverse ecological pockets where monkeys, iguanas, birds, and other species of local wildlife live. Fortunately, these shady, cool, reprieves from the tropical sun, are public right of ways and legally protected by the Republic of Panama.

The property in Ojo de Agua is bordered on three sides by very deep quebradas. Although I have briefly explored some of these valleys before, I never took the time to really appreciate their natural beauty. Yesterday, I decided to take a break and hike in the bottom of one and snap some photos to share.

Soon, we will start clearing trails through and around the quebradas, offering special areas for owners and guests to exercise, bird watch, hike, meditate and relax. I will keep everyone posted as we make progress. For now I hope everyone enjoys the photos.

Charlie

Lot 1 Pacific Ocean View

A good friend with a much better camera than mine took a walk around the property snapping photos from different angles. He was kind enough to give them to me so I would like to share them. Here are some of the photos he took with my descriptions.

I highly recommend clicking on the photos for a detailed view. Wow! What a difference a good camera makes.

Balsa Trees less than one year old

These Balsa trees sprouted in disturbed earth on the fill slope at the entrance of the drive to Lot 3. Although hard to tell in the photo some of these trees are over 20ft tall. I originally planned to plant grasses on this slope to avoid erosion. Luckily for me nature has away of taking over and thankfully I did not have to do any planting.

Drive/Road

This photo and the one below are both of the same part of the road just from different ends. The above photo is from the entrance of Lot 1 looking back towards the entrance of Lot 2. The ocean is visible in the background.

Drive/Road

This photo is from the entrance of the Lot 2 homesite towards the homesite of Lot 1. The large flat area at the end of the road is the main homesite of Lot 1. Notice the leftside of the road is lined with a tall grass. Locally called Valariana, it looks like a tall sawgrass and is known for its erosion control use. The roots spread out to 3 meters and it will grow in almost any type of soil. I planted this to control erosion of the fill slopes of the road and to create a visual barrier for those not accustomed to driving in the mountians. It has performed incredibly! To get an idea of the size of the homesite, look close, I am walking at the end of the drive.

Fruit Trees

This is one of the hillsides above Lot 1 and Lot 2 planted with various fruit trees; Mangos, Oranges, Guavas, Papayas, Cashews and more. These trees will attract many local birds and other indeginous animals.