Panama began to appear as one of the best countries in the world to retire. The change was profound. And in doing so, they helped thousands of Panamanians to prosper. Thanks to bets like theirs, the country went from being an unknown layover to becoming a wonderful destination for tourism or a place to retire. But they choose Panama as their home to invest their dreams and visions. And in that choice, they help us discover what we are capable of being. As evening falls in El Valle, I feel this sense of gratitude. Walking through the Casco Antiguo, he discovered an architectural jewel with immense potential where he saw the possibility of creating a hotel capable of competing with the best in the world. Thus, Valle Escondido was born, a project that combined residences, hospitality, and spaces for foreign retirees. What followed was a domino effect. That hotel raised the bar. New residents arrived, restaurants opened, real estate development was awakened, and Boquete began to be mentioned more and more in international publications specializing in retirement. And that intuition helped transform not only Boquete, but Panama's image for thousands of people looking for a new home. They did not wait to see lines of buyers or tourists to start. Two men, from different places and at different times, decisively contributed to putting Panama on the world map of international retirement and high-profile tourism: Sam Taliaferro and Chris Lenz. The revolution in Boquete began when Sam Taliaferro arrived in Boquete. He found a charming town, surrounded by mountains, coffee plantations, and a privileged climate. There is another silent force that has also shaped our international reputation: that of foreigners who looked at the country with fresh eyes, detected extraordinary opportunities, and decided to bet their capital, their talent, and their lives here. Today I want to remember two of them. They did something powerful: they believed in Panama when many still doubted its potential. I turn my gaze and feel happiness. The air is fresh, it smells of mountains, the greenery is majestic, and in the distance, the clouds are seen in the firmament of the ancient volcano as if someone had decided to move the sky a little closer to the earth. And then the thought comes to me that someone had to imagine first that there are places like this in my country that deserve to be shown to the world. And as Sam once told me, not all retirees are looking for mountains; some also look for beach areas and the capital city. Years later, another visitor would arrive by sea and have a similar revelation. Chris Lenz, a Canadian entrepreneur, was sailing the world with his family when he anchored in the Bay of Panama. Few outside the region could locate it on the map. Sam saw something bigger. The local economy was dynamized, jobs were generated, and the small agricultural town gave way to a cosmopolitan community that is now a benchmark in Latin America. Sam understood before many that modern retirement does not mean isolating oneself, but living better. He attracted a different kind of visitor: the cultural traveler, the lover of heritage, the tourist who seeks authenticity with excellence. But Chris's vision went beyond the capital. The result was La Compañía, a project that rescued historic structures and turned them into a sophisticated hotel experience, deeply linked to the Panamanian cultural narrative. It was “I invest… and they will come.” Sometimes heroes are not born here. Staying there is not just sleeping in luxury; it is walking through centuries of history through its spaces. It was beautiful, yes, but it was still a well-kept secret. I am sitting on a terrace in El Valle de Antón at the La Compañía El Valle Hotel. There he undertook the purchase and transformation of the traditional Hotel Los Mandarinos into the La Compañía El Valle resort, which today competes in standards with properties of international fame. Partner in Development Bahia since 1984, one of the main real estate project promotion companies in Panama, with luxury condominiums, office buildings, and hotels. The opinions expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author. In El Valle de Antón he found another treasure: lush nature, a cool climate, unique landscapes inside a volcano's crater. The impact is repeated again: employment, local suppliers, greater international fame, and a new category of tourism for the area. Sam and Chris are heroes without a uniform. They demonstrated that our mountains, our history, and our biodiversity can be world-class economic engines. Sam and Chris saw a famous phrase from entrepreneurship that summarizes the spirit of the pioneers: “build it and they will come.” They cannot be considered as a position of this medium. What satisfaction for me to see tourists from a variety of countries staying at the hotel and to observe 150 young locals attending to the tourists, speaking to them in English. Build, and they will come. In addition, Octavio Vallarino Arias is a Mechanical Engineer, graduated from Texas A&M University. He understood that that environment could become the ideal place for a new form of retirement: active, social, surrounded by nature, with quality services. He did not wait for guarantees on his investment or guarantees of demand. It was not “when they come, I invest.” Gratitude for those who bet. Gratitude for those who believed. They invested, risked, built.
