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," Christina Alty, a 37-year-old American who came here on vacation a decade ago to practice surfing and now focuses on real estate, told AFP.

Despite international condemnation, including from Washington and Brussels, of President Daniel Ortega, who has been re-elected continuously since 2007 in disputed elections, foreigners are happy to live happily in a haven with beaches, restaurants, bars and an environment that offers sumptuous landscapes on land and sea.

Tourists on the waterfront in San Juan del Sur, on April 25, 2023 in Nicaragua © STR / AFP

"Here there are many opportunities for those who like to live outdoors," says Christina Alty, a mother of two who attend a bilingual school in the small town of nearly 17,000 people.

"Quiet pace of life"

"My clients are probably from all over the world. Many of them are American, or Canadian, and they also enjoy a different lifestyle (...) much quieter than where they come from," she adds.

While she walks on the beach, strangers enjoy the view sitting on armchairs, others lie on the sand, play sports or bathe in the blue waves.

Tourists on a beach in San Juan del Sur, on April 25, 2023 in Nicaragua © STR / AFP

The children of expats in San Juan del Sur have the choice between two bilingual schools that combine classes 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, curls," boasts the American director of the "Adelante" school, Jaime Lynn Hunter.

"I think parents like to enroll their children here because they can relax, run, be children," adds the 38-year-old school teacher, who arrived in San Juan del Sur 13 years ago to teach English. and remained for the beautiful eyes of a Nicaraguan.

The 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.

A teacher teaches foreign children at a bilingual school on April 25, 2023 in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua © STR / AFP

Thirty percent of the students are foreigners. They follow the curriculum of the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education for eight hours a day, one week in English, another in Spanish.

"Safe children"

"We are happy that our children are here, safe, and that they can 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, said the school's principal, herself a mother of two.

The other bilingual school, the "San Juan del Sur Day School" has 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.

Tourists arrive at the port of San Juan del Sur, on April 25, 2023 in Nicaragua © STR / AFP

In addition to these foreign residents, passengers on about thirty cruise ships from the United States, Canada and Europe enjoy the city's pleasures every year, according to tourism services.

"Everything here is beautiful and cheap and the people are lovely," said Mark Guitler, a British tourist. "It's a beautiful country, the climate is perfect, I love people, I love the sea, so... What more could you ask for?" he adds.

© 2023 AFP