Study in L'Alfàs del Pi, Spain

About L'Alfàs del Pi

L'Alfàs del Pi (Alfaz del Pi in Spanish) is a coastal municipality on the Costa Blanca, in the province of Alicante and the Valencian Community, between Benidorm and Altea. It had 21,080 registered residents on 1 January 2025, according to Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE). The municipality includes the seaside district of El Albir (Albir) and has long had a large community of residents from northern Europe, especially Norway.

For students, L'Alfàs del Pi is a place for schooling rather than higher education. There is no university or language school in our directory here; families come for international and Norwegian schools, often while living on the Costa Blanca for a few years.

Studying in L'Alfàs del Pi

This directory lists three active schools in L'Alfàs del Pi, all of them primary or secondary schools. Two are Norwegian schools abroad and one is a British international school:

• AIS International School: British international school with a Steiner-Waldorf-inspired model, from Year 1 to A levels
• Den norske skole Costa Blanca (DnsCB): Norwegian school founded in 1972, with primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education
• Den Norske Skolen Albir (DNSA): small Norwegian school for compulsory education in El Albir, with places for 60 pupils

AIS International School opened in 2012 and moved in 2016 to El Cautivador, a rural site on the edge of the municipality. It combines the National Curriculum of England and Wales with Steiner-Waldorf teaching ideas and mindfulness practices, and pupils take IGCSE and A level exams. The school states that it is accredited by the British Council through the National Association of British Schools in Spain (NABSS) and authorised by the Valencian education department, and that it has about 270 students. Admission starts with an online enquiry form and a visit to the school.

Den norske skole Costa Blanca is a private school with state funding, approved by the Norwegian authorities and owned by the Fundación Noruega Costa Blanca. It follows the Norwegian national curriculum with Norwegian teachers, from year 1 to year 10 (up to 204 pupils) and in the three-year academic track of upper secondary school (VG1 to VG3). Den Norske Skolen Albir started in the 2001-02 school year and has been in its current building in Carrer Estrella Polar since 2004-05, the year it was approved by the Norwegian authorities.

The Norwegian schools are not open to everyone. Norwegian schools abroad can only admit pupils with Norwegian citizenship, and Swedish citizens only if there is no Swedish school nearby, according to Den norske skole Costa Blanca. Families of other nationalities should look at the international school.

Cost of living and school fees

School fees differ widely between the two systems. AIS International School lists annual tuition of €6,600 for primary and €7,350 for secondary, paid in ten monthly instalments from September to June, plus an annual registration fee of €525 or €609 and a deposit; A level courses cost €3,087 a year per subject. At Den norske skole Costa Blanca, the Norwegian state covers 85% of costs, according to the school. Its fees for the 2026-27 school year are €205 a month for the first child in years 1 to 10, and €2,275 a year in upper secondary, including a €900 enrolment fee.

No official source publishes typical rents for L'Alfàs del Pi. Housing ranges from flats near the beach in El Albir to houses inland, and prices vary by season, so it is worth comparing long-term rentals before the school year starts.

Getting around and daily life

The TRAM d'Alacant coastal line has stops at L'Alfàs del Pí and El Albir, linking the municipality with Benidorm, Altea and Dénia, and, with a change in Benidorm, with Alicante. Outside zone A in Alicante, TRAM fares depend on the number of zones: from 1 October 2026 a single ticket costs €2.00 for one zone, €2.90 for two and €4.00 for three, and a 10-trip ticket costs €9.00 for one zone. Between 1 October and 31 December 2026, the youth 10-trip ticket (Bono 10 Jove) has a temporary 50% reduction, according to FGV, the company that runs the TRAM.

Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport is the nearest airport. Den norske skole Costa Blanca says it is about 20 minutes away by car, and Alsa's Airport-Calpe bus stops in Alfaz del Pi and Altea, according to Aena. Bus line C-6 links the airport with the centre of Alicante every day of the year.

The climate is dry and mild, like the rest of the Alicante coast. At the AEMET station in Alicante, further south on the same coast (normals for 1981-2010), the average temperature is 11.7 °C in January and 25.5 °C in July, with average daily highs of 30.3 °C in July, only 311 mm of rain a year and about 2,850 hours of sunshine.

Frequently asked questions

Can a non-Norwegian child attend a Norwegian school in L'Alfàs del Pi?

In general, no. Norwegian schools abroad can only admit pupils with Norwegian citizenship, and Swedish citizens if there is no Swedish school nearby. Other families usually look at AIS International School.

Which international school is in L'Alfàs del Pi?

AIS International School follows the British curriculum with a Steiner-Waldorf-inspired approach, from Year 1 to A levels, and has its campus at El Cautivador.

How much does school cost in L'Alfàs del Pi?

AIS International School lists €6,600 a year for primary and €7,350 for secondary tuition. At Den norske skole Costa Blanca the 2026-27 fee is €205 a month for the first child in years 1 to 10.

How do I get from Alicante airport to L'Alfàs del Pi?

Alsa runs an Airport-Calpe bus with a stop in Alfaz del Pi. Alternatively, take bus C-6 to the centre of Alicante and continue on the TRAM d'Alacant towards Benidorm and the coast.