| Altos del
María |
| Live In
A Garden In The Mountains Of Panama |
| The temperature
is 75 degrees, there is no humidity, I can see for hundreds of miles,
out over the oceans, both oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific, there are
flowers and trees everywhere, two rivers, hiking trails, dozens of creeks,
beautiful houses, excellent neighbors, paved roads, electricity, telephone,
internet connections, Direct TV, pine trees, waterfalls, a heliport, and
I'm 20 minutes by car from the beach and 20 minutes from a golf course.
I'm in paradise,
right?
The building
lots average a half acre in size, they range in price from $20,000 to $70,000,
you can get in for ten percent down with low interest financing, building
costs are under $35 a square foot and as the photos on this page indicate,
the construction is terrific. Wait, I'm just getting started. You
are one hour from Panama City. |
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| You can own
horses, the area is a garden paradise with more species of birds than almost
anywhere on earth, there are no earthquakes, no floods, no crime, no hurricanes,
no tornados, and no taxes.
Over 3,800
acres in size, Altos is the most ambitious real estate development
in Panama. What it has that most other developments don't have is
proximity to Panama City, cool temperatures in a 24/7/364 mountain-top
guarded and gated community.
It also may
end up being Panama's most prestigious address, as it is being bought up
by Panama's most influential movers and shakers, including the current
Panamanian President, Mireya Moscoso, who has already purchased two very
choice lots in Altos.
Altos has views
that are breath-taking, perfect year round temperatures, crystal clear
mineral water, a flawless infrastructure, plus roads, flowers, trees, and
garden-like landscaping within its vast common area that is lovingly maintained
364 days a year by a crew of very dedicated groundskeepers. |
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| Altos sets a very high standard
for gated communities worldwide, especially in such an affordable price
range. As it is, the parent company, Grupo Melo, has invested millions
of dollars to create a very fine residential community in a garden setting.
They've built over 42 Kilometers of paved roads, roads which are maintained
daily by the Altos' maintenance crew.
Consisting of over 3,800 acres of
land that is rich with indigenous trees, plants and flowers, Altos consists
of several distinct sections, four of which are already up and running.
The
first four sections consist of 680 lots, 350 of which have already been
sold. The project consists of wide 'green areas' upon which there
will be no construction. Respect for the ecology of the area was the initial
and ongoing concern of Grupo Melo. There are 25 Kilometers of natural trails
in the area, five kilometers of which have been improved with the addition
of suspension bridges, stairways, walkways and buttresses. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| Yes, you can own horses and you
can ride for miles without ever crossing a public road.
There will be a limit of 2,500
lots sold, all consisting of approximately one half acre, which means
that upon completion the majority of Altos will be green wilderness area.
Of course many people are buying more than one lot.
The upper sections have 180 degree
views of the ocean on the Pacific side, and from some of the top sections
views of the ocean on the Atlantic side as well. There is also a
valley in the center of the property through which flow two rivers and
several creeks. There are lots available with creeks on them and
I've seen some pretty creative construction on those lots. I should also
mention that I have not seen any lot that didn't have a spectacular view
of one sort or another.
The temperature is another great
attraction. Panama lowlands can be hot and humid at certain times
of the year. Altos has perfect year round temperatures, with averages
in the high and low seventies depending on the elevation of your house.
[I am told it gets down into the sixties, but I haven't been up there in
the evening yet so I cannot verify that statement.] |
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| I understand that it gets cool enough
at night that many residents have fireplaces, a rarity in Panama, though
they are more for pleasure than necessity; neither air conditioning nor
heating is a requirement in Altos — one of the reasons the area was chosen
for the project. Many houses have pools which can be used year round,
although you are only 20 minutes from several beaches, so one has the choice
of pool or beach any day of the year.
There is excellent grocery shopping
in the beach area, plus a number of other facilities discussed on the
next page, and also major shopping in Panama City, including numerous fine
restaurants, theaters and a fair range of entertainment.
The four main beaches are Punta
Chame, Gorgona, Coronado and Punta Barco. [See Matt Atlee's article
on the beach and recreation surrounding Altos.] |
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Offshore
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| There is also the resort town of
El Valle in close proximity to Altos, which is connected by paved road,
and which is also accessible by horse back or four wheel drive through
the back side of Altos.
I noticed two types of construction
going on in Altos. Much of the construction is a completed house
as in the photos at the top of this page, and a lesser amount of the construction
is resort type as seen directly above.
Many of those who have opted for
the second type of construction have purchased more than one lot and build
weekend cabins on one section with the intention of building a more permanant
residence or retirement home on the second section at a later date. The
cabin above has a million dollar view. It is a deck-over cabin and
was constructed for only $40,000. This type of cabin works exceedingly
well as a weekender or summer cabin as one can sleep inside or outdoors
on the deck year round if one is of a mind to. There are no dangerous
animals in Altos, and absolutely no crime. Building costs for
most construction, including this cabin, are approximately $35 to $40 a
square foot.
Altos is a gardeners' paradise as
everything grows in the rich volcanic soil. While the soil is volcanic,
there are no active volcanos in Panama, nor have there been for all of
recorded history. They are a thing of the far distant past. No earthquakes
and no volcanos is the reason that Panama was picked as the location for
the canal and not Nicaragua. There are flowers everywhere, and in areas
where there are not indigenous trees, pines have been planted, making large
areas of the upper sections into pine forest. See photo above. Many
houses had potting sheds, and the project itself has its own greenhouse
for residents and for common area maintenance. See the photo of one
resident's potting shed below right.
In addition to Altos being a gardener's
dream come true, the resort town of El Valle just a short drive away has
a major nursery that is famous throughout Panama. [See: El Nispero
Plant Nursery & Zoo sidebar below.] There is also a weekend street
market in El Valle where fresh produce, nursery products and a wide range
of handicrafts are sold. The soil from this region is sold all over
Panama. It is a black soil so rich that when ranchers put fence posts
into the ground the fence posts grow branches and leaves. (I know
this sounds like the wildest hyperbole, but I'm willing to bet anyone reading
this five hundred dollars that it is a fact.) It is the best soil I have
ever seen and it has not been subject to pollution, over population, nor
pesticides. Panama is an ecologically sound nation with one of the
lowest population density to land mass ratios in the Americas if not the
world.
In addition to its purity, Panama
is also the most stable nation in Latin America and it has a very welcoming
attitude towards foreigners and expatriates. I am convinced that
it is the nation of choice for those seeking a home away from home. Everywhere
I look in Panama I observe long range planning, new highways, improved
infrastructure, better telecommunications, and an excellent attitude towards
business and commerce.
Click
Here to see more photos and to read more about Alto del Maria on the next
page -
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