May or June
Corpus Christi
Ritual dances of devils and sawdust carpets in La Villa de Los Santos and Parita, on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage since 2021. In 2027 the main Thursday falls on May 27, by our calculation.
Official sourceRetiring in Chitré
Chitré, the capital of Herrera, is the largest town on the Azuero Peninsula, with a district of nearly 61,000 people. It is hot and dry, about 28 °C (82 °F), with a dry season from December to April, and it has two public hospitals and an airport.
Living in Chitré
Chitré is the gateway to the folk festivals of Azuero. From here you reach Pesé, on the sugar cane and rum route, 27 km away, and La Villa de Los Santos, whose Corpus Christi dances are on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage.
Population
The district of Chitré counted 60,957 people in the 2023 census, 9,022 of them in the town center.
Climate
The Los Santos station, at 16 m, averages 27.9 °C (82 °F), the warmest in this guide. February averages less than 1 mm of rain; the station recorded about 1,070 mm a year.
| IMHPA station | Altitude | Average | Months under 100 mm of rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Santos (128-001) | 16 m | 27.9 °C (82 °F), monthly averages 27.1 to 29.2 °C | |
| Los Santos (128-001) | 16 m | 1,066 mm of rain a year | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
Getting there
Chitré is 270 km from Tocumen airport, through the Divisa junction at km 100. The Chitré airport has domestic flights from Albrook.
Health care nearby
Chitré has the Cecilio A. Castillero hospital of the Ministry of Health and the Gustavo Nelson Collado hospital of the Social Security Fund.
- Hospital Cecilio A. Castillero (MINSA), Chitré
- Hospital Dr. Gustavo Nelson Collado (CSS), Llano Bonito, Chitré
Cost of living
Chitré is part of the “rest of urban areas” food basket of the Ministry of Economy and Finance: B/. 343.81 in July 2026, for 50 items. There is no figure for Chitré alone.
Festivals and seasons
September
National Mejorana Festival
One of the main folk festivals of the country, with music, dance and crafts, in Guararé. In 2026 it ran from September 19 to 28.
Official sourceYour residency, wherever you live
The Pensionado visa is the same in every province: the US$1,000 monthly pension, or US$750 with a property of more than US$100,000, and the same documents, wherever you plan to live. The discounts of the retiree law apply all over the country.
Choosing where to live before you apply? Tell us the town and we will check what changes for your case, if anything.
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