As the airfares and difficulty of travel get worse, many seniors are abandoning their winter residents in Costa Rica, Panama and Mexico and considering a winter home or retirement in the mountains of Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico is part of the United States, more than a US 'territory', Puerto Rico enjoys 'Commonwealth' status, which means retired US Citizens get Medicare, can own property and residents pay local income tax instead of the IRS. Allthough PR income tax is roughly equivalent, property taxes are still considerably lower. Certainly there's no heating bill nor is air conditioning nessessary, (unless one lives in San Juan or the coastal plains.) Ponce and the southwest coast are very hot.

There is an ideal climate for everyone in the hills of Puerto Rico and no passport is needed.

Vieques and Culebra Islands have a great number of snowbirds and retirees from North America, great beaches but no mountains.