When the time comes that you can choose where you want to live, when your priorities have shifted from punching a time clock to preserving the quality of your life, when you can finally indulge your passions, then you should visit Natchitoches (pronounced Nack-a-tish).  It is a retirement location that offers life in a university town with a cornucopia of outdoor activities.  Natchitoches has repeatedly been rated one of the nation’s top retirement spots; it is a town rich in history, abundant natural beauty and Southern hospitality. 

With its location directly on the 36-mile Cane River, and close proximity to many other clear-water streams, bayous, rivers and lakes, residents of Natchitoches enjoy fishing, boating, swimming, tubing, trapping and hunting.

Do you prefer “land-based” sporting activities?  Easily accessible forest, open flatland and gently rolling hills provide endless walking and hiking trails, camping, bird watching, biking, hunting, horseback riding and many other activities.  Natchitoches also offers golf, tennis, bowling, skating, a shooting range, and of course, a movie theatre.  It is an area where truly there is something for everybody.

Here, one also has ready access to the educational and cultural facilities afforded by being near Northwestern State University (NSU).  The University’s ongoing program of cultural and artistic activities includes a symphony, dinner theater, plays and musical recitals – all of which enhance the quality of life enjoyed by area residents. If you follow college sports, Northwestern’s football, baseball, softball, basketball, track and field, tennis, volleyball, soccer and rowing teams provide ample opportunity to come out and support your local team. Do you have an interest you want to indulge?  NSU is proud to offer a number of learning opportunities for retirees, including credit courses for a nominal fee - International Relations, anyone?  It also offers non-credit classes each semester covering topics such as wine tasting, e-mail, word processing and Internet basics, swing dance,  French for travelers,  how to write a novel or learning how to use a cellular phone.  Louisiana Technical College in Natchitoches also offers a wide variety of vocational training programs.

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) has a chapter in Natchitoches and matches retirees with numerous volunteer opportunities in the community – in local schools, churches, libraries, museums, civic organizations and the Natchitoches Regional Medical Center.

Natchitoches retains the Old-World influence of its early European settlers through its architecture, heritage and lifestyle.  The city’s 33-block National Historic Landmark District, part of Cane River National Heritage Area, includes many historic Queen Anne and Victorian-style homes, churches and structures from the mid-19th century as well as Creole townhouses.  At the heart of this district lies historic Front Street, a weathered-brick avenue that runs along the meandering Cane River and is lined with wrought-iron-laced buildings, stately oak and magnolia trees, shops, boutiques, galleries and restaurants.

If you are searching for a quiet, peaceful place to retire, where there are an amazing number of diversions to occupy one’s time, where the weather is moderate year-round, where housing is affordable and the cost of    living is roughly 15% below the national average …then you may well discover that Natchitoches is the perfect answer.

For more information about retirement, please visit www.retirenatchitoches.com or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .