Study in La Cañada, Spain

About La Cañada

La Cañada (La Canyada in Valencian) is a residential area of houses and gardens in the municipality of Paterna, in the metropolitan area of Valencia. Paterna as a whole had 76,019 registered residents on 1 January 2025, according to Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE); La Cañada itself has no separate official population figure. The area lies north-west of the city of Valencia and is linked to it by the Metrovalencia network.

La Cañada is not a university town. Students do not come here for degree courses or language schools; families come for schooling. The area has several private international schools, which attract families who move to the Valencia region for work and want their children to study in English or in several languages.

Studying in La Cañada

This directory lists three active schools in La Cañada, all of them primary or secondary schools. They differ in curriculum, age range and teaching method:

• British College La Cañada (BCLC): private, co-educational and non-religious British school, founded in September 2008, for pupils from 2 to 18
• Mammolina Montessori International School: small private school with a multilingual Montessori programme in English, French and Spanish, for children from 3 to 12
• Escuela La Travesía: small British school with an international outlook for children from age 3

British College La Cañada follows the National Curriculum of England and Wales together with Spanish language and culture subjects. According to the school, its pupils can obtain both the British A levels and the Spanish Bachillerato, which helps with access to Spanish and foreign universities. Admission includes tests for pupils joining primary or secondary, depending on the stage they apply for.

Mammolina Montessori is authorised by the Valencian education department (Conselleria de Educación, GVA) and accredited by NEASC, a US accreditation body. In the primary years, about 20% of teaching hours follow the Spanish and Valencian curriculum, and the rest is taught by English- and French-speaking guides. Its campus is in Montecañada, Paterna.

Escuela La Travesía describes itself as a British school with an international outlook and a project-based, personalised approach. Its website states that it teaches children from 3 to 11 and planned to open the first secondary years (Key Stage 3) from September 2025, so families should ask which year groups are open for the current year.

Older students who want university, vocational or Spanish language courses usually look at schools in the city of Valencia or elsewhere in Paterna, such as the business and vocational training centres of the Parque Tecnológico.

Cost of living and school fees

School fees are the main cost for most families. British College La Cañada lists fees for the 2026-27 academic year from €6,040 a year (€604 a month) for Nursery to Year 1 up to €8,010 a year (€801 a month) for Years 12 and 13, plus a one-off, non-refundable enrolment fee of €925. Mammolina Montessori lists a full-day monthly fee of €595 for its Children's House (ages 3 to 6) and €650 for Primary (ages 6 to 12), paid over ten months, and a non-refundable admission fee of €620. Meals, school transport and exams are charged separately, so ask each school for a full quote.

No official source publishes typical rents for La Cañada. The area consists mainly of family houses, and many families compare housing here with flats in Paterna and the city of Valencia before choosing.

Public transport is affordable. According to Metrovalencia's tariff pages, checked in October 2026, a single one-zone metro ticket costs €1.50 and the SUMA Mensual monthly pass, valid on Metrovalencia, EMT buses, MetroBus and Renfe Cercanías, costs €35.00 for one zone. Young people under 31 with Spanish nationality or legal residence in Spain can use the Móbilis30 / SUMA Mensual Jove pass, which gives unlimited travel for 30 days; until 31 December 2026 it costs €14.90 for one zone.

Getting around and daily life

La Cañada has its own Metrovalencia station, La Canyada, which links the area with the centre of Valencia. Within the residential area distances are long and streets are numbered rather than named, so many families rely on school buses or a car. Escuela La Travesía, for example, offers a school bus from Valencia to La Cañada at the start and end of the school day, and British College La Cañada also runs a transport service.

Valencia Airport, in Manises, is connected to the centre of Valencia by Metrovalencia lines 3 and 5, according to Aena. For longer trips, Renfe runs AVE and Avlo high-speed trains from València Joaquín Sorolla station to Madrid.

The climate is Mediterranean. At the AEMET weather station at Valencia Airport (normals for 1981-2010), the average temperature is 10.5 °C in January and 25.5 °C in July, when average daily highs reach 30.6 °C. Annual rainfall averages 461 mm.

Frequently asked questions

Which international schools are in La Cañada?

British College La Cañada and Escuela La Travesía follow the British curriculum, and Mammolina Montessori International School offers a multilingual Montessori programme in English, French and Spanish.

Can pupils take the Spanish Bachillerato at a British school in La Cañada?

British College La Cañada states that its pupils obtain both the British A levels and the Spanish Bachillerato, which helps with access to universities in Spain and abroad.

How much does an international school in La Cañada cost?

Fees vary by school and age. For 2026-27, British College La Cañada lists €6,040 to €8,010 a year depending on the year group, and Mammolina Montessori lists €595 to €650 a month over ten months, before meals and transport.

How do I get from La Cañada to Valencia by public transport?

Metrovalencia has a station at La Canyada with trains to the centre of Valencia. A single one-zone ticket costs €1.50, and people under 31 with the youth pass pay €14.90 for 30 days until the end of 2026.