# Retiring in El Valle de Antón

El Valle de Antón is a village inside the crater of an extinct volcano, at about 580 m (1,900 ft), about 2.5 hours from Panama City. UN Tourism named it one of its Best Tourism Villages in 2024. It rains much more than on the coast below: about 3,000 mm a year.

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[Photo: Cristhian Carreño, Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/green-grass-field-and-brown-mountain-during-daytime-285W2J_4Eu4?utm_source=iurispa&utm_medium=referral)· [Unsplash License](https://unsplash.com/license)

## Living in El Valle de Antón

El Valle is a walking town. The trails include the 30 km Caldera route, La India Dormida and Cerro Gaital, above 1,000 m. There are more than 300 bird species and the golden frog, a market of organic produce and crafts, an orchid garden and a butterfly house.

- [Tourism Authority of Panama, visit page](https://www.tourismpanama.com/places-to-visit/valle-de-anton/)

## Population

The El Valle district counted 7,595 people in the 2023 census; the wider district of Antón, 59,194.

- [INEC, 2023 Census, table 10](https://www.inec.gob.pa/archivos/P0705547520231109105354CUADRO%2010.pdf)

## Climate

The El Valle station, at 580 m, recorded about 3,000 mm of rain a year. January to April is dry, December is a transition, and October is the wettest month, with 554 mm on average. There is no official temperature series for El Valle.

| IMHPA station | Altitude | Average | Months under 100 mm of rain |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| El Valle De Anton (136-001) | 580 m | 3,018 mm of rain a year | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |

- [IMHPA station El Valle De Anton (136-001)](https://www.imhpa.gob.pa/es/clima-historicos-data?id=136001&tipo=LLUVIA)

## Getting there

The drive is about 2 hours on the Inter-American Highway to Las Uvas and 45 minutes more up the side road. Buses leave Albrook every 30 minutes. The nearest airport is Río Hato.

- [Tourism Authority of Panama](https://www.tourismpanama.com/places-to-visit/valle-de-anton/)

## Health care nearby

El Valle has a Ministry of Health center with beds. The reference hospital is Aquilino Tejeira in Penonomé.

- Centro de Salud de El Valle (MINSA, centro de salud con cama)
- Hospital Aquilino Tejeira (MINSA), Penonomé

- [Ministry of Health, list of health facilities 2023](https://www.minsa.gob.pa/sites/default/files/publicacion-general/listado_de_instalaciones_de_salud_ano_2023.pdf)

## Cost of living

There is no official cost of living figure for Antón: the district is not part of the Ministry of Economy and Finance food basket.

- [Ministry of Economy and Finance, basic food basket, July 2026](https://www.mef.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/MEF-DAES-Canasta-Basica-Familiar-de-Alimentos-JULIO-2026.pdf)

## Your 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.

- [Who qualifies](/eligibility/)
- [Documents](/requirements/)
- [Retiree discounts](/benefits/)

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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## Planning your retirement in Panama?

Book a free 15-minute call. We will check your pension and tell you exactly what you need.

[Book your free call](/contact/)[Message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/50761970238?text=Hi%2C%20I%20would%20like%20a%20consultation%20about%20the%20Panama%20Pensionado%20visa%20(from%20panamapensionado.com).)