We are a Nicaraguan/American family with three children ages 9, 13, & 17. We have chosen to raise our children in San Juan del Sur and create something amazing for other worldschooling families! This charming little fishing village is my husband’s home town. Since he  grew up here, our family is woven into the fibers of this community. Everyone knows each other and supports each other.  We have been worldschoolers all our lives! I grew up abroad and traveled the globe as a backpacker. I met my husband here in San Juan while volunteering in the local health clinic. He worked for the Spanish school I was attending. Twenty years later, we are still traveling the world with our family, raising global citizens.

We are a super flexible traveling family who drove all the way to Nicaragua on an epic adventure in our camper! We are minimalist and nature enthusiasts! We had the time of our lives driving through and exploring Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras! We world schooled through six countries during the pandemic. We are so excited to share our slice of paradise with YOU and truly hope you will be able to receive all the beauty Nicaragua has to offer. Come with an open mind!

We live an extraordinary life and we’d like to share with YOU! The vision is to create a place where families can come together as a community, learn about another country, culture, and language with other traveling families, enjoy the beaches, and have a really great time living a simple life filled with incredible moments. Come with the intention to make life long friendships. Come with your heart filled with joy and SHARE it! Come knowing you are going to be out of your comfort zone and challenged to learn and grow!

We are not in the hospitality business. We are not here to serve or cater to you. We are in the business of being hospitable. We are opening up our lives to you and your family. We are here to help you create incredible memories and learning opportunities for your family. We welcome you to join us on our adventure packed days. We have no experience in running a business, a hotel, a school, or a restaurant. But, somehow that’s what we find ourselves doing; learning how along the way. We need your help, your feedback, and you support as we create this for you and your family. Please be kind and patient while we discover the best ways to help your family and others have an amazing experience here in Nicaragua.

Please take a look at our FB page and scroll back to find out more on who we are, what Nicaragua is like, and the types of experiences you’ll be having during your time here. We are all worldschoolers and with that comes the responsibility to do your own research on the country you’ll be visiting. You need to ask yourself serious questions about how you feel living with other people who are different from you. If you are not accepting of others, this is NOT the place for you. Will you able to handle diversity and adversity of adjusting to living with others in a foreign  country. Expect to encounter differences, and expect to GROW from it!

We welcome people from ALL different backgrounds, religions, races, genders, and beliefs. No matter what path you walk in life, even though it is different from my own, we welcome and respect your choices. We do not tolerate racism, sexism, or any form of discrimination. There are no vaccine requirements to join us. Please do not try to impose your way of life on anyone else. I expect that all members of community act accordingly. If you are unable to comply with the above request, you will not be able to attend. We treat all members with respect, compassion, and understanding. Rude, ungrateful, or disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated. You will be asked to leave if you cannot comply with the above. Kindness is an absolute requirement. We will be conducting interviews to learn about your family and see if you are a fit for visiting our community. We will be talking about expectations. There is nothing American about this experience. There are no American foods or products in Nicaragua. Please leave all of your expectations at home, knowing that you will be in a developing country. Come with an open heart, ready to receive all the simple gifts Nicaragua constantly offers. 

Nica World School is a place for families to learn and grow TOGETHER. We offer several activities and classes where children and adults learn at the same time. This is a place to slow down and connect to each other. We will be doing TONS of learning together about Nicaragua, its people, and each other! We do not adhere to a traditional school schedules or curriculums. We will be outside immersed in nature for most of our day. We have no rush or hurry because we allow learning and fun to occur organically. Our goal is to expand your knowledge in Spanish, science,  geography, and anthropology through our activities, classes, and excursions. I want to hear laughter echoing in the air as we play, learn, and grow in community. I want you to feel safe, relaxed, and free here in Nicaragua! It is literally one of the best place to be in the WORLD right now given the pandemic.

I want to attract people who are committed to learning together and being a part of community. People who are accountable to each other and to keeping the community running smoothly. Your family will have to help put food out at the buffet and clear their dishes. We all need to help out a bit. There will be times when a child need help. Help them. We all look out for each other.

You have autonomy over your lives. There is scheduled class/activity time, but there’s also lots of unscheduled time that allows us to create something beautiful together. Each one of us possesses a gift or a talent. Each family will be asked to teach a class once a week. It can be anything you want! It’s just an excercise for you to connect with each other and share part of yourself! I plan on dancing, laughing, and relaxing with you all as the kids drift off to sleep and we share our amazing life & travel stories. I plan on learning from you and listening to you. I plan on our community growing and changing based on the unique personalities and goals of our members. We ask that you remain open minded and flexible during your stay. Life is laid back here in Nicaragua and things operate differently. Sometimes there are no bananas or mangos or mani-mahi available because the farmer didn’t come to town that day or fisherman didn’t catch anything that morning. Life is simple. Please don’t put stress on the community because you want things to go your way. We don’t cater to the individual, we serve each other. We don’t run on a tight schedule. We run on Nica time and you will need to adjust to the slower pace while you’re here. You will need to embrace how to live in the moment. I understand it might take you minute. I will be patient with you just as you are patient with me.

I realize some of you will have to work during your time here. That being said, you will still be responsible for your own children and their safety at all times,  unless they are in a supervised activity or class. We do not provide child care. There is a pool, an elevated yoga floor, and stairs. Quiet working space is limited but we do have good wifi. You can try to work in the community space, but the sounds of children playing and learning will echo throughout. There is a hotel 5 minutes away that caters to digital nomads that you can work at. Some choose to skip the excursion and stay home to work while things are quiet. The choice is always yours.

To clarify, this is not an all inclusive resort experience. There are no babysitting services. You are here to experience AUTHENTIC Nicaraguan life. No one will be walking around with piña coladas or room service. We will eat our meals together buffet style in the community space. You will need to help put the food out, take your own dishes to the kitchen, and wash them. You are not at a restaurant, you cannot order food. You are welcome to purchase your own snacks, drinks, alcohol, food, and prepare something if you do not like what is being offered. We will not be able to cater to your personal palate, but will offer healthy food and vegetarian options.

Nicaragua is a developing country with limited resources. We need to be mindful of our water and electricity consumption. Power does go out at times. There is a large water tank so you will not have to experienced shortages like the rest of the country, but we still want to be mindful. When the water goes out, we will need to switch the pump on in the tank so the water can be restored. All you have to do is let us know. Personal laundry is not included, but is available off site. Price is measured per kilo and is affordable. We can help you arrange to get your laundry done whenever you’d like. Turn around is about 1-2 days. We will offer to wash and change your sheets & towels once a week. If you’d like to change them more often, it will be at your expense. You can even bring your own sheets & towels if prefer a higher thread count. We will provide bath towels, but you will need to bring your own beach towels.

All staff, instructors, drivers, and teachers are Nicaraguan. They deserve our utmost respect. They are an integral part of making our community run smoothly. Feel free to interact with them and practice your Spanish!

My intention for all of us to make amazing memories and friendships that will last for years to come. My intention is for you to connect to nature, each other, and the community we live in. I would like to offer a service component. We have been doing beach clean ups at the various beaches. Maybe we could create a project while you’re here that each following session of Nica World School could add to & subsequently continue long term?? We’ve got lots of co-creating to do together!! My intention is for this experience to be amazing and for you to have a role in helping to create it!

Nature is at the center of everything we do. We will be spending our days surrounded by beautiful tropical plants, listening to the call of exotic birds and monkeys! You can expect to see scorpions, cool bugs, huge toads, and animals while surrounded by the jungle. There are also kitties and chickens that wonder about the property as well as my own hypoallergenic puppies. Be prepared to see lots of incredible animals and beautiful flowers! The national flower of Nicaragua is the Sacuanjoche. You may know it as plumeria. It is beautiful and fragrant. If you look closely, you can observe cute little Howler monkeys and their babies swinging from bough to bough. It’s one of our favorite pass times. Sloths are hard to spot slowly climbing in the tree tops! There is no greater experience than watching Olive Ridley sea turtles lay their eggs or releasing their tiny hatchlings at La Flor Turtle Preserve when in season! Its absolutely amazing! Nicaragua has so much to offer and learn from! It’s the BEST classroom!

People from all over the world come to San Juan del Sur to SURF! We have great waves and tranquilo vibes! Our children are OBSESSED with surfing! We head to our favorite beach, Playa Remanso, almost everyday. The kids surf or boogie board and we chill in the sun drinking fresh squeezed passion fruit juice from the ranchito. It’s the perfect place to learn to surf. The waves are good, but small enough that you won’t get pounded. There are surf instructors on site with rentals available for surfboards, boogie boards, paddle boards. There are restaurants in case you get hungry and the sunsets are to die for! If you are interested in learning to surf, lessons are easily arranged on any given day! Lessons are typically around USD$25-$35 and include board rental. If you are already an experienced surfer then head to Playa Maderas and surf with the pros! Playa Maderas is located north of our community and requires a drive up a rather steep hill and 4WD is required to make it through the terrain.

FOOD. We serve traditional Nicaraguan foods along with some international cuisine. Sample menus include eggs, gallo pinto, queso frito, fried plantains, and tortilla for a typical Nicaraguan breakfast. Fruit & pancakes will also be available in case anyone doesn’t appreciate the cultural cuisine. Peanut butter, fresh baked bread, and jam are available along with other staples like pasta and quesadillas. Lunch/dinner will offer rice, beans, veggies, salad, and a protein. Examples include fresh Mahi-mahi caught locally, ceviche, and pollo a la plancha, tostones con queso or carne. There will be choices for vegetarians, but we cannot offer a vegan menu. An enormous basket of fresh fruits and veggies is available for snacks anytime. There no processed foods or sodas available. You are welcome to purchase what you’d like. There are also TONS of restaurants in our cute town if you decide you’d like to go out to eat. The daily menu will be posted early morning so you can make your decisions to dine with us or to hit the town! The choice is yours! Again, it’s not a restaurant; you cannot order anything, but you can certainly help out in the kitchen or cook something you’d like.

Nica World School will provide transportation to all scheduled activities and excursions. We have rented a 16 passenger microbus along with our trusted 4-Runner. We will have to make 2 trips sometimes. Most of our afternoon activities are field trips to the various beaches along the Pacific Coast for surfing, swimming, and boogie boarding fun. Twice a week there will be an opportunity to go into town to get your errands done, go shopping, have happy hour at sunset in the bay, go for ice cream, or explore. All personal travel or errands you need to run outside these arranged times are at your expense. We have several taxi drivers we recommend that can meet your needs.  Renting a car is a wonderful option if your family would like more flexibility.

 We also offer transportation to and from the airports in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The capital of Nicaragua is Managua (MGA). The airport is located there. It’s approximately 2.5 hours from our community in Southern Nicaragua (in the charming fishing village of San Juan del Sur). Transportation from the airport in Managua directly to Nica World School is USD$140/family. We also offer transportation from the Costa Rican border for USD$75. We are approximately 45 minutes from that border. The closest airport is in Liberia, which is 1.5 hours from the border, making your total travel time from Liberia Airport to Nica World School nearly 2.5 hours (plus the border crossing).  We recommend a company called Costa Rica Ground Transfers (costaricagroundtransfers.com) for your transportation needs in Costa Rica. We can make the reservations for you directly. They are actually part of our family and will treat you very well. They offer service from the airport in Liberia to the border for approximately USD$110/family of 4 and and $10/each additional person. We will then meet you on the other side of the border once you’re done with customs. San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica and is located 5 hours from the border. Transportation from SJO airport to the border is approximately USD$300/family of 4 ($10/each additional person).