Indifferent to the political convulsions that are shaking Nicaragua and to the international sanctions against the government, dozens of Europeans or Americans have taken over a small town on the Pacific coast of the country whose beauty, tranquility and security they praise.
140 km south of the capital Managua, San Juan del Sur has established itself as the main tourist center of this country regularly singled out for human rights violations, thanks to its bay with turquoise waters haunted by whales and its white sand beaches.
“I like the lifestyle in Nicaragua,” said Christina Alty, a 37-year-old American who arrived here on vacation ten years ago to practice surfing, and who now devotes herself to to real estate.
Despite international condemnations, from Washington and Brussels in particular, targeting President Daniel Ortega, re-elected without interruption since 2007 in contested elections, foreigners are happy to live happily in a haven with beaches, restaurants, bars and shops. an environment that offers sumptuous landscapes on land and sea.
“Here, there are many possibilities for those who like to live outdoors,” says Christina Alty, mother of two children who attend a bilingual school in the small town of nearly 17,000 inhabitants.
“My clients are probably from all over the world. A lot of them are American, or Canadian, and they also appreciate a different lifestyle (…) much quieter than where they come from”, adds- She.
As she walks on the beach, strangers enjoy the view sitting on armchairs, others are lying on the sand, playing sports or bathing in the blue waves.
The children of expatriates in San Juan del Sur have the choice between two bilingual schools that combine lessons and outdoor activities.
“We are in a very natural environment. We are four kilometers from the center of San Juan del Sur. All around, we have mango trees, almond trees, cirouels”, boasts the American director of the “Adelante” school, Jaime Lynn Hunter.
“I think parents like to enroll their kids here because they can relax, run around, be kids,” adds the 38-year-old schoolteacher, who arrived in San Juan del Sur 13 years ago to teach English. .and remained for the beautiful eyes of a Nicaraguan.
This school, which has 170 bilingual English-Spanish primary and middle school students, was founded in 2016 with the support of American NGOs and the cooperation of Japan.
Thirty percent of the students are foreigners. They follow the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education program for eight hours a day, one week in English, another in Spanish.
“We are happy that our children are here, safe, and able to study in an environment like this, without fences or locked doors, and safe from serious events like the shootings that often occur” in American schools, says the principal of the school, herself a mother of two children.
The other bilingual school, the “San Juan del Sur Day School” welcomes 175 students, 43% of whom come from 17 different countries or are binational. Mainly from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Spain, Russia and Costa Rica.
In addition to these foreign residents, the passengers of about thirty cruise ships from the United States, Canada and Europe benefit each year from the pleasures of the city, according to the tourism services.
“Here everything is beautiful and cheap and the people are adorable,” says Mark Guitler, a British tourist. “It’s a beautiful country, the climate is perfect, I love the people, I love the sea, so… what more could you ask for?” he adds.
06/05/2023 13:09:13 – San Juan del Sur (Nicaragua) (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
