My Move To Panama
Ask About Our
​White Glove Service
US: (214) 431-5235
​Panama: +(507) 6270-4333
  • Home
  • Buy
    • Condos for Sale in Casa Bonita, Playa Bonita Resort >
      • Playa Bonita Resort
      • 23N Casa Bonita Penthouse for Sale
      • 23M Casa Bonita Penthouse for Sale
      • 21P Casa Bonita Penthouse for Sale
      • 20-o Casa Bonita Penthouse for sale
      • 19L 2 Bedroom Condo at Casa Bonita High Floor
      • 18A Stunning view of the ocean at High Floor
      • 16J Casa Bonita for Sale
      • 15G Casa Bonita 1-Bedroom Condo for Sale
      • 15F Large Condo with 2 Master Suites
      • 13D Casa Bonita 1 Bedroom
      • 12e Casa Bonita
      • 10i Casa Bonita for Sale
      • 10KL 3 Bedroom Condo at Casa Bonita High Floor
      • 6F Casa Bonita Large 2 bedroom
      • Casa Bonita New Apartments
    • Condos for Sale in Panama City >
      • La Maison Fendi Casa Panama
      • Matisse Costa del Este Panama
      • Armani Nuovo Luxury Apartment >
        • Nuovo Armani Casa
      • Hyde by Wanders and Yoo
      • Downtown Double Penthouse
      • Vista Marina
      • Winston Churchill 3 Bedroom Paitilla
      • Seawaves apartment at the heart of Panama City
      • Amador 2 bedroom
      • Vista del Mar 1 bedroom
    • Condos for Sale in Coronado >
      • Royal Palm, Gorgona, Panama
      • Coronado Golf Tower >
        • Coronado Golf 14th floor
        • Coronado Golf Tower 1-Bedroom
      • Casamar Beach Community >
        • Perlamar at Casamar - 1 and 2-bedroom condos
        • Altamar at Casamar - 3 bedroom condos
      • Bahia Resort, Nueva Gorgona, Panama >
        • Bahia Resort 1 Bedroom
    • Priced-to-Sell Beach Properties >
      • Las Islas, Punta Barco-Panama
    • Houses for Sale >
      • Penthouse in Amador (30% discount)
      • Villamar at Casamar
      • Villamar 14
      • Marinazul at Casamar >
        • Marinazul Masterplan
        • Marinazul #4
      • Vista Mar Villa
      • Costa del Este House
      • Oceanfront Home in Majagual, Panama
      • Oceanfront Home in Malibu Beach, Panama
      • Coronado Farm $1.2 MM
    • Land for Sale >
      • Boquete House Plus 10 Hectares
      • Absolute Beachfront Lots Pedasi
      • Farm Land for Sale
  • Rent
    • Rental Book
    • Penthouses at Casa Bonita >
      • FAQs About Renting at Casa Bonita
      • Casa Bonita 21P Penthouse
      • 23N Casa Bonita Penthouse for Sale
      • Casa Bonita 23o Penthouse
      • Casa Bonita 24N Penthouse
      • Casa Bonita 24o Penthouse
      • Casa Bonita 24P Penthouse
    • Rent at Casa Bonita >
      • Playa Bonita Resort
      • Casa Bonita 6e 1 bedroom
      • Casa Bonita 6F
      • Casa Bonita 7D
      • Casa Bonita 7e 1 bedroom
      • Casa Bonita 7F
      • Casa Bonita 7i
      • Casa Bonita 8A
      • Casa Bonita 9e 1 bed
      • Casa Bonita 10i
      • Casa Bonita 13B 1 Bedroom
      • Casa Bonita 14B 1 Bed
      • Casa Bonita 14J
      • Casa Bonita 15B
      • Casa Bonita 17J
      • Casa Bonita 18e
      • Casa Bonita 18F
      • Casa Bonita 18G
      • Casa Bonita 19D
      • Casa Bonita 19L
    • Renting in Panama City >
      • Winston Churchill 3 Bedroom Paitilla
      • Parque Urraca 2 Bedroom Rental Apartment
      • Solaris 3 Bedroom Rental Apartment
      • Vista del Mar 1 bedroom
      • Villa del Mar 2 bedroom apartment
      • Amador 2-bedroom
      • Amador 3-bedroom
      • Rental Book City Apartments
    • Renting in Coronado >
      • Coronado Golf 1-Bedroom Golf Course View
      • Coronado Golf 2-Bedroom
      • FAQs About Renting at Coronado Golf
      • About Coronado Golf Tower
    • Rental Terms & Conditions
    • Fun Facts About Panama
    • Resources for Renters
  • Visit
    • Why Panama?
    • Things to Do in Panama >
      • Monkey Island Panama
      • Fish Market Panama
      • Best Restaurants in Panama City, Panama
    • Areas to Visit >
      • Amador Causeway
    • Foodie Tour
    • Gift Videos
    • French People Moving to Panama >
      • Porquoi les Français s'installent-ils au Panama
  • Concierge
    • Premium Services
    • Property Management
    • Moving to Panama >
      • How to Buy Property in Panama
      • Getting Money into Panama
      • Opening a Bank Account in Panama
      • Getting a Bank Mortgage in Panama
      • Bringing Pets to Panama
      • Checklist for Bringing Your Dogs & Cats to Panama from the US
      • Schools in Panama City Panama
    • Testimonials
    • What Do Renovations Cost in Panama?
    • Condo Remodeling >
      • Remodeling - Panama Penthouse
      • Renovations in Panama-Double Apt
      • Redecorating in Panama 1 Bedroom City
      • Redecorating in Panama Amador Causeway
  • Books
    • The Panama Affair
    • FREE Book
    • The Expat Files Panama >
      • Meet the Characters of The Expat Files >
        • Jessica James
        • Savannah Grant
        • Jack Sharrone
        • Benicio Braga
  • Contact
    • About Us
  • Blog

Visiting the Colon Tax Free Zone

5/21/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Visiting the Colon Tax Free Zone in Panama has been on my to-do list since I arrived in Panama. I'm not sure why it took me so long to go, but two years later I finally decided it was time to check it out.

Colon is a mere hour from Panama City along brand new toll roads. The drive reminded me of the coastal roads in southern California. You can't see the ocean, but you are surrounded by green trees as you gently weave through hilly terrain as you go from the Pacific Ocean side of Panama to the Caribbean side.

To get into the Zona Libra you typically you typically need to get your passport stamped at a nearby custom's office. We hired a "tour guide" at the entrance to sit in the car with us while he drove us through the gates. His fee was $20 for about 3 minutes. (Not a bad gig... I wish I had thought of it.) 

Although I heard that tourists come in by foot and walk from store to store, Zona Libre is the size of Disneyland and I didn't feel like walking. It was worth the $20 to have our car inside the zone and not have to stamp our passports. 

The inside of the zone is part outdoor mall and part warehouse dock. Many of the stores have splashy window displays showing their shoes, handbags, designer clothes and house ware items. International brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, La Perla and Westinghouse were juxtaposed with banks, logistics companies, and tire stores.

Big trucks jammed the small streets and made speed impossible. The lack of street signs meant we made several wrong turns onto one-way streets. This is definitely an insider's club where you're supposed to know your way around.

After driving around to get the lay of the land, we stopped at a jewelry store that looked intriguing... and had a front-row parking spot. We were buzzed in by a very handsome young man who spoke a decent amount of English. It turns out this particular store was owned by two brothers from Venezuela who sell silver jewelry from Italy. I was offered a beverage, and I felt just like I would if I were at an exclusive boutique on Rodeo Drive. 

For you shopaholics out there, playing in a wholesale boutique is a whole different level of fun. We were taken upstairs to vault-like room lined with thousands of drawers. Our guide spent 30 minutes opening drawer after drawer of silver jewelry. Instead of a few items per drawer, there were literally hundreds of items in each drawer. I'd hit utopia. Hundreds of items per drawer times thousands of drawers. I wondered how long I could stay before they kicked me out. I was alone with three handsome men--my Brazilian fiance being one of them--and thousands of pieces of jewelry. If I could get takeout and a soft pillow, I might be tempted to stay for a week. 

I had gone into the jewelry store looking for something for myself, but the sparks in my brain ignited when the handsome Venezuelan jeweler told me the prices. Starting at just $1, these solid silver baubles could be readily sold in the US for a huge markup. Plus, with a $500 minimum purchase, someone could launch themselves in the jewelry business for a very small investment.

Just before noon, my sweetheart started to get the look in his eyes that meant he needed food, and he pulled me reluctantly from the jewelry store. We found a central place to park and walked for a while, dodging street vendors, workers and other bargain hunters. 

One street vendor was selling freshly squeezed orange juice, shouting to passersby that his oranges were the sweetest you would ever taste. It smelled so good I almost stood in line, but my sweetheart was on a mission for real food. Kleriston tried a sample of meat a gyro vendor offered and was hooked. I'm not a fan of street food, so I sat at on a plastic stool while Kleriston's gyro was created. My plan was to hold out for a sit-down restaurant. I watched them make the gyro, and my mouth watered. Surprisingly, everyone at the cart used sanitary habits. They used a knife to cut the meat onto a tray and wore plastic food gloves. 

When the gyro was delivered stool-side, I took a bite, and it was both fresh and delicious. I had been watching one of the men at the cart make falafel balls, and I couldn't hold out any longer. I asked for an order and got 7 steaming falafel balls covered with a spicy yogurt dip. It was the best falafel I've ever tasted. Plus, it was actually quite pleasant sitting on a plastic stool in the shade, enjoying a slight breeze and chatting with the street vendors. But the best part was the lunch for two--including two canned sodas--cost just $11. 

I left the Zone without buying anything for myself, but I gained a wealth of knowledge. Plus, I had an interesting day and met a few new friends.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Melissa Darnay is a marketer, a serial entrepreneur, and a relocation concierge in Panama. Learn more... 

    Archives

    July 2021
    July 2020
    May 2019
    April 2019
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    August 2017
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Copyright 2015-2021 Choose Panama Inc. All Rights Reserved. ​This site is owned and operated by Panama Relocation Concierge Corp, a Panama corporation.