Central America
San Juan del Sur
Rivas · Nicaragua
Sanctuary Score
59 / 100
#88 in the Americas
“A horseshoe bay on Nicaragua's Pacific where the sunsets are famous and the dollar stretches further than almost anywhere — a budget surf town with a loyal expat following.”
The ten pillars
Each scored 1–10 by hand. Their sum is the Sanctuary Score.
Nature7 / 10
Walkability6 / 10
Food5 / 10
Healthcare6 / 10
Climate stability5 / 10
Air & water6 / 10
Safety6 / 10
Connectivity4 / 10
Community7 / 10
Beauty7 / 10
At a glance
Tracked separately from the score — these describe the place, they don't rank it.
- Climate
- Tropical
- Sensory load
- 5/10 · balanced
- Cost
- $
- ~$400/mo · 1BR
- Expat community
- Medium
Sources
Scores are set by hand against cited public sources — the curation stays auditable.
Is San Juan del Sur your sanctuary?
The Index says life is good here. The assessment tells you whether it fits the way your nervous system actually works.
Find your sanctuary