Orihuela Costa is often sold as a holiday coast, but thousands of families live here all year round, and the choice of sub-area makes a real difference to daily life: the school run, how far the doctor is, whether the neighbours are still there in February. We sell and let homes along this coast every week, and the questions families ask us are always the same. In this guide we go through the schools (Spanish public and international), the parks, beaches and sports facilities, and what each sub-area – Playa Flamenca, Villamartín, La Zenia, Cabo Roig, Punta Prima and Campoamor – is really like for children, with honest pros, cons and approximate prices.
How public schooling works on Orihuela Costa
Public education in Orihuela Costa is run by the Generalitat Valenciana and is free. Children start Infantil the year they turn three, primary (Primaria) runs from 6 to 12 in a CEIP, and secondary (ESO and Bachillerato) is taught at an IES. The coast currently has these public centres:
- CEIP Playas de Orihuela – Calle Pino Piñonero, next to Playa Flamenca, in a newer building opened in the 2018/19 school year.
- CEIP Los Dolses – Calle Nicolás de Bussi 41, between Villamartín and Los Dolses; a genuinely international school with pupils of dozens of nationalities.
- CEIP nº 20 – Calle Níspero 8, Los Dolses, a new school created in 2025 (Decree 98/2025) in modular classrooms with room for about 450 pupils, split from Los Dolses and Playas de Orihuela to ease overcrowding.
- IES Playa Flamenca – Calle Orégano, the public secondary school for the whole coast, offering ESO, Bachillerato and vocational training.
Places are allocated by points, and living close to the school counts, so you will need to be registered on the padrón at your address. For the 2026-27 school year, applications for Infantil and Primary ran from 7 to 18 May, with final lists on 18 June (source: Conselleria de Educación, calendar published February 2026). Families arriving mid-year apply through the municipal schooling commission and are placed where there is space – not always the nearest school. Orihuela is a Spanish-speaking municipality, so under Valencian Law 1/2024 parents can ask for their child to be exempted from assessment in Valencian.
International schools within a short drive
Many British, Scandinavian and Eastern European families prefer a school that teaches in English, at least for the first years. The main options we see our clients choose:
- El Limonar International School Villamartín – founded in 1998, ages 3-18, British curriculum with IGCSE and A levels plus the Spanish Bachillerato route. For families in Villamartín and Los Dolses it is literally around the corner.
- Phoenix International School – in San Miguel de Salinas, roughly 10-15 minutes inland from Villamartín, ages 3-18, British curriculum with Pearson Edexcel IGCSE and A levels and small classes.
- King's College, The British School of Murcia – at La Torre Golf Resort (Roldán), around 35-40 minutes' drive; some families in Campoamor and Pilar de la Horadada make this journey.
Fees vary by age and change every year, so ask each school for its current fee sheet, and ask about school buses – several run routes along the coast, which can change which sub-area makes sense for you.
Playa Flamenca: the most year-round family base
If we had to pick one sub-area for a family relying on public schools, it would be Playa Flamenca. Both CEIP Playas de Orihuela and IES Playa Flamenca are here, so a child can walk or cycle from age 3 to 18. There are supermarkets, pharmacies, banks and cafés along the main road, and the well-known Saturday market. The Blue Flag beaches of Cala Estaca (Playa Flamenca) and Cala Mosca are a short walk from most streets; Cala Estaca has lifeguards, a promenade and a children's play area.
Housing is mainly townhouses, ground-floor bungalows and apartments in gated communities with a shared pool, built from the 1970s onwards, with newer blocks towards the inland side. Many residents live here permanently, so it stays lively in winter. Browse homes for sale in Playa Flamenca.
Villamartín and Los Dolses: golf, green space and schools on the doorstep
Villamartín and neighbouring Los Dolses sit a few kilometres inland, around the Villamartín golf course. For families the big advantage is concentration of schools: CEIP Los Dolses, the new CEIP nº 20 and El Limonar International School are all within a few minutes of each other. The Villamartín Plaza, with restaurants and a small playground, is the social hub.
Homes here tend to be a little larger for the money: townhouses and semi-detached villas with gardens, plus modern apartment developments with big communal pools and gardens around Los Dolses. The trade-off is that you need a car or a bike for the beach (about 5-10 minutes' drive) and for most shopping, although Zenia Boulevard is close. See current properties for sale in Orihuela Costa.
La Zenia and Cabo Roig: beaches, shopping and the health centre
La Zenia is home to Zenia Boulevard, the largest shopping centre in Alicante province, with around 150 shops, a cinema and bowling, playgrounds and free parking – very handy on rainy weekends. The small coves of La Zenia and Cala Cerrada are good for younger children when the sea is calm. Schools are a 5-10 minute drive away in Playa Flamenca or Los Dolses.
Cabo Roig, just south, is greener and more residential, with detached villas and quieter streets, and the Blue Flag beach of Cala Capitán. The Centro de Salud Orihuela Costa, the public health centre for the whole coast, is on Calle Mar in the Aguamarina area next to Cabo Roig, with paediatrics and a 24-hour urgent care service – a real plus for parents of small children.
Punta Prima and Campoamor: good options, with trade-offs
Punta Prima, at the northern end, borders Torrevieja. It has seen many new apartment developments with modern communal facilities, and its Blue Flag beach has lifeguards and a bus stop. Families here often use services in Torrevieja as much as those on Orihuela Costa, and the Hospital Universitario de Torrevieja is around 10-15 minutes away.
Dehesa de Campoamor, at the southern end, is the most upmarket part of the coast: large villas on big plots, pine trees, the La Glea beach and a marina, with Las Colinas and Campoamor golf courses nearby. It is peaceful and very safe-feeling, but it is quieter in winter and the public schools are a 10-15 minute drive, so it suits families who are happy to drive or who choose an international school with a bus service.
Sport, beaches and weekends with children
The Centro Deportivo Municipal Orihuela Costa in the Las Piscinas area (Calle Niágara) is the main public sports centre: a covered, heated 25-metre pool with swimming lessons from babies upwards, tennis and padel courts, multi-sport courts, an artificial-grass football pitch with a children's football school and a running circuit. Private football, tennis, dance and martial arts clubs operate across the coast too.
Five Orihuela Costa beaches – La Glea, Mil Palmeras, Cala Estaca, Punta Prima and Cala Capitán – received the Valencian Qualitur flag for quality and safety in 2026, and the coastal footpath linking the coves from Punta Prima towards Campoamor is ideal for scooters and pushchairs. For bigger outings, the pink lagoon and natural park of La Mata and Torrevieja is 15-20 minutes away.
What a family home costs, and how we can help
As a rough guide in autumn 2026, a two-bedroom apartment in a community with a pool costs approximately €180,000-270,000 in Playa Flamenca, La Zenia or Villamartín; a three-bedroom townhouse or quad house approximately €230,000-350,000; and a detached villa with private pool from approximately €450,000 in Cabo Roig or Villamartín, and considerably more in Campoamor. Long-term rents for a three-bedroom family home are typically in the range of approximately €900-1,400 a month, and good family rentals go quickly before September.
Tell us your children's ages and the school you have in mind, and we will shortlist homes within walking distance or on a school bus route. Start with our long-term rentals in Orihuela Costa or contact us directly. School dates and rules are general information and can change each year; always confirm with the school and the Conselleria before you move.