The district of Manilva on the Costa del Sol is a fantastic place to bring up kids. The weather is warm, the sports facilities are incredible (and cheap) and there are lots of great schools in the area. The Spanish culture is so family orientated that kids are welcome everywhere and really feel the love from everyone around them. Kids are able to play outside more and have more independence than you’d tend to find in the bigger towns and cities and with community pools and the beach nearby, there’s always fun to be had.
When you move to a new country with a young family, education will always be top of your list of priorities, so in this post, we wanted to give you a run down of the options for schooling in Manilva and Sabinillas and others within easy reach of this area.
State schools in Manilva
Manilva boasts three state primary schools and one state secondary school. Two of the primary schools are located in Sabinillas (San Luis and Maicandil) and one is in Manilva Village (Pablo Picasso). There are also state nurseries available in Sabinillas, Castillo de la Duquesa and Manilva Village. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a primary school in nearby Casares which accepts students from outside their area and comes highly recommended.
Here’s a little introduction to each school in Manilva.
Colegio San Luis De Sabinillas, Calle Duquesa De Arcos, s/n, CP 29692
This school is right on the seafront promenade in Sabinillas, with an amazing beachfront location. They have their own kitchen and a large dining room for school lunches, playground and sports areas and classrooms which are suitable for each age group. Checking out their website, you’ll also find an impressive list of educational aims to inspire the kids to reach their full potential.
Colegio Maicandil, Calle De La Paz, s/n, CP 29692
This school is also in Sabinillas, but located on the other side of main coast road from the beach, a few blocks behind the main post office and Mercadona. It is a relatively new school, which opened in 2006. It has become popular with newcomers to the area with low levels of Spanish, as the school is better set up to deal with English speaking parents and students. It’s large and has good facilities – don’t be put off with the outside of it, which looks like a prison, it’s nice inside. They have an infant block, a primary block, good sports facilities, a dining area, library and even a little allotment garden.
Colegio Pablo Picasso, Calle Ocaña, 12, CP 29691
This school is tucked away in the small streets of Manilva Village and has been expanded recently by adding an extra floor to deal with demand. It’s a very sweet village school, with a real community feel and while there’s not much English spoken there, it does seem to be improving and there’s now a large mix of nationalities present. There’s an infant’s block and a primary block, with two playgrounds for the different ages and for sports. There’s also a gym and dining hall, a small library and a classroom area for students with special needs.
Instituto Las Viñas, Calle Del Peñoncillo, s/n, CP 29692
This is the only high school to serve Manilva, Sabinillas, Duquesa and Casares. It’s a large secondary school, which also offers professional training courses for older students. These include electronics and administration. There are school buses to transport kids from the different areas. There are mixed reviews online about this school from parents in the area, many do great there, others struggle, but as we know secondary is a tricky time, so you might find it’s a good fit with your child.
State Schools in Casares
Centro De Educación Infantil Y Primaria Blas Infante, Lugar Puerto De La Cruz, 0 S N, 29690 Casares, Málaga
There is one school in Casares for infants and primary aged students. Unusually, it also covers the first three years of secondary school, before students must move to Las Viñas to finish their studies. It is located in Casares Village and there are school buses to transport students. There are around 400 students and they are well equipped to support children with special educational needs, with a separate classroom and a unit which helps with integration and adaptation for children who need some additional support. There’s a dining hall, indoor gym space and library, a playground and even an allotment. Some families who are unsure about Las Viñas, choose this school to have more time in a smaller school environment and develop their Spanish, before finishing high school at Las Viñas or an international school.
After School Activities
All the schools offer after-school activities and there are also a host of excellent sports activities organized by and heavily subsidised by the Town Hall. Manilva has exceptional sports facilities, including a championship level climbing wall, basketball, padel tennis courts, a large football stadium with a very popular and active club. Kids can choose from a huge array of sports to play after school and it’s a great way to integrate into the community and improve their Spanish, so we’d highly recommend it. It’s also incredibly good value – around 100€ per school year for 2 classes a week.
There’s also an excellent music school which offers theory and practical lessons, as well as group music and movement classes for younger students and there’s a dance school which offers flamenco, ballet and jazz dance classes down in Sabinillas.
Private schools in Manilva
There’s one private nursery in the Sabinillas/Manilva area called Ravira, which takes children from 0-6 years old. It’s very close to the Parque del Duque and is very useful for any working parents who also want to give their younger children a head-start with Spanish.
There are also several places that can help with language development, or with homework, such as Aula 47, which has centres in Sabinillas and Manilva. Spanish schools have a lot of homework, which can be very difficult for parents who don’t speak the language to support their children with. The homework club at school, or these study centres and tutoring services can really help you out. There are many online options as well, to support your child to do their very best in a new language and system.
International Schools near Manilva
Due to the very high numbers of international families living on the Costa del Sol, as well as Spanish families who want their children to become fluent in English, there are lots of international schools available in the area. These schools are private and their fees vary considerably, but if your children move to Manilva at a later age, or you may return to your home country and need continuity of syllabus, they can be an excellent option.
The most prestigious international school near Manilva is Sotogrande International School. This is about a 15-minute drive away, enables children to go through from 3-18 years old and follows the IB curriculum. It has exceptional facilities, is very strong in the arts and sports and is very supportive with the kids and parents.
On the other side of Manilva you have Queens British Grammar School and the new Atlas American School, both near Estepona. Queens takes children from, 3-17 and follows the British curriculum, whereas the Atlas school follows the American curriculum and is applying to be authorized to provide the IB diploma programme.
Also in Estepona is a Spanish private school San Jose, which teaches classes in the early years almost exclusively in English and then adds more and more Spanish into programme as students progress through the school. This is a good school for highly academic students to be pushed.
There are many, many more options for an international education in a wide range of languages in Marbella, Fuengirola, Benalmadena and Malaga. There’s even a forest school nearby! International families should find something suitable for their needs. However, the ones above are within 20 minutes of Manilva, for an easy commute.
Manilva a paradise for families
We hope this article has given you a feel for what Manilva and Sabinillas has to offer families. It really is a great place to bring up children!
Please contact us if you’re looking for a family friendly property in Manilva to buy and we can advise you on the right property within easy reach of the schools and leisure options. As area experts we’d also be happy to answer any questions you may have and you can find area guides and further information on our blog.