Journal
International Schools Near Moraira, Benissa & Calpe
By Elia Living ·
Families looking to buy in the Moraira–Benissa–Calpe triangle often put schools high on their checklist. With two established British international schools within a short drive, plus respected state secondaries in both Calpe and Benissa, this stretch of Costa Blanca North is better-served than most buyers realise.
What's less obvious is how the school you choose shapes where you should look for a property. This guide runs through the main options, realistic door-to-door drive times, and what each choice means on the ground.
The Two Main International Options
Lady Elizabeth School — Cumbre del Sol, Benitatxell
Lady Elizabeth School (LES, part of the Laude group) sits at Cumbre del Sol in El Poble Nou de Benitatxell — making it the closest international school to the heart of this triangle. The Junior and Senior schools both now operate from the same campus following the Secondary School's move to Cumbre del Sol in 2018.
LES follows the British National Curriculum from Nursery (age 2) through to A-Levels, with around 1,400 students currently on roll and approval to expand to 1,800. Annual fees for 2025/26 run from approximately €8,100 in Primary to €13,200 in Upper Secondary, plus a one-off enrolment fee of €1,500 and an annual registration charge of €1,000. It is firmly established as the go-to choice for the Moraira and Benissa communities.
A school bus service operates from Moraira and Calpe (separate routes for Primary and Secondary pupils), as well as from Jávea, Dénia, Alfaz del Pi and beyond. Contact [email protected] for current routes and pricing.
Approximate drive times to LES:
| Departure point | Drive time |
|---|---|
| Moraira (central) | 10–12 min |
| Benissa town / Benissa Costa | 12–15 min |
| Calpe | 18–22 min |
Xàbia International College — Jávea
XIC operates two campuses in Jávea — one for Infants and Primary, one for Secondary and Sixth Form — and has built a strong reputation for community feel and academic quality. The school follows a British curriculum with a notable English-immersion emphasis.
Importantly for families in this triangle, XIC's school bus explicitly covers Moraira, Benissa, and Calpe for 2025/26 at €170/month for all routes outside Jávea. Families willing to add a little extra journey time compared with LES will find a genuine, smaller-school alternative that suits many children very well.
Approximate drive times to XIC:
| Departure point | Drive time |
|---|---|
| Moraira | 15–20 min |
| Benissa town | ~20 min |
| Calpe | 25–30 min |
The State-School Route: Free and Locally Integrated
Both Calpe and Benissa have well-regarded state secondary schools. IES Ifach serves Calpe and IES Josep Iborra serves Benissa, each with CEIP primary feeders in the same municipality.
State schooling is free, and academic standards across this part of Alicante province are solid. The key trade-off is language: instruction is in Spanish and Valencian. Children of primary age — roughly five to ten years old — typically integrate quickly and can become genuinely bilingual within two to three years. Older children arriving mid-schooling find the transition considerably harder.
The state route makes most sense for families buying with a long-term or permanent residency in mind and a genuine commitment to local integration. It also makes certain property choices natural: a home close to Calpe town centre keeps IES Ifach within easy reach; a village or semi-rural property in Benissa places IES Josep Iborra just a short drive away.
Further Along the AP-7: Two More British Schools
Two additional British schools are worth knowing about for families weighing secondary options or considering a commute southward:
- Sierra Bernia School, Alfaz del Pi — approximately 30–35 minutes from Moraira or Calpe. Long-established with a tight-knit feel.
- Elian's British School, La Nucía — approximately 35–40 minutes. Modern facilities and a growing academic reputation.
These options work particularly well for families also looking at urbanisations a little further south, or those who anticipate regular travel towards Benidorm.
What Your School Choice Means for Where You Buy
This is the practical question most local agents never raise.
If LES is your priority: Moraira and the wider Teulada municipality give you the easiest school run — around ten to twelve minutes door-to-door on the CV-737 coastal road. The urbanisations of Benissa Costa (Fanadix, Baladrar and the Benissa–Jalón-road area) sit a similar distance away, generally at lower price points than Moraira. Properties within the Benitatxell municipality itself — including Cumbre del Sol — are within five minutes of the school gate. Calpe at twenty minutes is perfectly manageable and works smoothly with the school bus if a daily self-drive is not what you want.
If XIC is your priority: Moraira again comes out best, with Benissa Costa close behind. Calpe sits near the outer practical limit for a daily self-drive; the school bus route makes it workable, but confirm the current Calpe stop locations before committing to a specific urbanisation.
If state school is your priority: Buy in or close to the relevant town. Calpe's residential neighbourhoods suit IES Ifach; Benissa town and its immediate surroundings suit IES Josep Iborra. Both towns offer good family-sized property at lower per-square-metre prices than Moraira, which makes budget stretch meaningfully further.
One nuance worth noting: some families split the difference by choosing a property in the Benissa Costa strip — Fanadix or around La Fustera beach — which sits roughly equidistant between LES and XIC at around twelve to twenty minutes to each, and keeps state-school options in Benissa open for younger children. It is one of the most practical yet under-discussed locations for school-focused buyers in this part of the coast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the closest international school to Moraira? Lady Elizabeth School at Cumbre del Sol, Benitatxell is the nearest, at around 10–12 minutes from central Moraira — closer than Jávea and significantly closer than Benidorm or Alicante.
Does XIC run a school bus from Calpe and Benissa? Yes. For 2025/26, XIC's bus service covers both towns at €170 per month. Contact [email protected] to confirm current stop locations and timetables before deciding where to buy.
Does LES run a school bus from Calpe? Yes. LES operates separate Calpe routes for Primary and Secondary pupils. Contact [email protected] for current schedules and monthly costs.
What are the state secondary school options in this triangle? IES Ifach serves Calpe and IES Josep Iborra serves Benissa. Both are free to attend, with teaching in Spanish and Valencian. They suit families committed to long-term residency and full local integration.
How do fees compare between LES and XIC? LES 2025/26 fees run from approximately €8,100 per year in Primary to €13,200 in Upper Secondary, plus a €1,500 one-off enrolment fee and €1,000 annual registration. XIC fees are broadly in the same range — request current fee schedules directly from each school's admissions office.
Which area gives the best access to both international schools? The Benissa Costa urbanisations — particularly Fanadix and the La Fustera area — are roughly equidistant from LES and XIC, at around 12–20 minutes to each, and at noticeably lower property prices than Moraira.