Living in Ondara with Children: The Local Family Guide

Mums in the Marina Alta - the local guide to actually living here with kids.

RENVIDA's office is right in the centre of Ondara, so this isn't going to be another list of tourist attractions copied from the internet.

It's the useful stuff.

If you're thinking about moving to Ondara with children, or you've already arrived, this is our growing guide to the things families actually need to know.

Schools. Babies and toddlers. Sports. After-school activities. Holiday programmes. Birthdays. Local events. Fiestas.

And somewhere you can have a coffee while your child is safely occupied.

Let's go.

Got a baby or toddler? Start here.

Bebeteca - yes, there's actually something for the really little ones

Ondara's Children's Library runs Bebeteca, with sessions specifically aimed at babies and toddlers accompanied by an adult.

Recent 2026 sessions have included children from around 9 months to 3 years, with activities led by Marta Pellicer.

Places need to be booked in advance.

Biblioteca Infantil d'Ondara
Telephone: 677 99 72 04

The library also runs children's storytelling, reading and creative workshops throughout the year.

Mum tip: Don't rely on an old timetable. The programme changes each month, so call the library or check the current Ondara cultural agenda before you go.

Current local programme:
laveu.ondara.org

Can I just have a drink while my child plays SAFELY?

Bar La Mari

Okay. This one is slightly personal.

La Mari is just a normal local bar. Nothing fancy. But it's one of the places my friends and I actually go for an afternoon drink.

There was already a bit of space in the corner, but every time we went with Olivia it was the same story: one of us sitting down while another entertained her, followed her around or got up for the 47th time.

So I kept suggesting to Mari that what she really needed was a children's corner.

And suggesting it.

And suggesting it...

Guess who now has a children's corner? 😂

So yes, I'm claiming a tiny bit of credit for this one.

There's now a safe, enclosed little play area for the kids, which means we can sit together, have a coffee, something to eat or a glass of wine and - occasionally - finish a conversation.

Bar La Mari
Carrer Lepanto, 9
Ondara

And here's your RENVIDA freebie...

Go to La Mari with your little one before 31 October 2026, tell them RENVIDA sent you, take a photo while you're there and tag RENVIDA on Facebook or Instagram.

Show them your post and request your freebie.

We'll buy you ONE drink.

One. ☝️

Not one for Mum, Dad, Grandma, Grandad and the entire extended family.

And no, you can't come back every afternoon until Halloween and bankrupt me. 😂

One complimentary drink per family during the promotion.

You don't have to put your child in the photo either. Absolutely no need. A photo of your coffee, wine, the play corner or whatever you're comfortable sharing is perfectly fine.

Tag us so we can see it, enjoy your drink and let the kids play.

I'll settle the bill with Mari.

Rainy day? Birthday coming up? POMPAS.

Now this one I know personally too.

Ana Moñino, the owner of POMPAS, is a friend of mine, and she's created a proper dedicated children's and family space in Ondara.

There's an indoor ball/play area, creative and psychomotor play, an outdoor patio, birthday parties, monitors, baby-changing facilities, a kitchen and lots of different play and entertainment corners.

Particularly useful for:

Birthday parties
Indoor play
Group get-togethers
Those rare Marina Alta days when taking everyone to the park isn't happening

Information and enquiries:
centropompas.com

And because apparently I'm now negotiating benefits for mums reading this guide... 😂

Tell Ana that Kelly from RENVIDA sent you and you'll get an extra half an hour free.

Kelly's POMPAS information and offer are taken directly from her original material. Pasted markdown

"Mum, I want to do football."

Of course you do.

Fortunately, Ondara has a surprisingly big municipal sports programme.

For the 2026/27 school year, children can currently choose from:

Football
Basketball
Rhythmic gymnastics
Tennis
Pilota Valenciana
MultiEsport

Published annual fees currently range from €103 to €226 depending on the activity.

Activities, ages, timetables and registration:
escolesesportivesondara.es

And if they're still little...

MultiEsport is particularly interesting.

Instead of choosing one sport, younger children get to experiment with different types of physical activity.

For 2026/27 there are groups specifically for:

Born in 2021: Monday 17:30-18:30
Born in 2022: Tuesday 17:30-18:30

Location: Col·legi Les Marjals
Annual fee: €103

Direct information and registration:
escolesesportivesondara.es/matricula/multiesport/

Those current sports, age groups and prices come from Kelly's research. Pasted markdown

What about schools in Ondara?

Children can follow the public education system in Ondara from nursery through to secondary school and beyond.

Ages 0-3

Escoleta Infantil Municipal Joaquina Gavilà

Ondara's municipal public nursery.

Carrer Lepanto, 17
Telephone: 965 766 618

Ages 3-6

Les Marjals - CEIP Sanchis Guarner

The Infantil building of the public CEIP Sanchis Guarner.

Carrer Mestre Serrano, 3

Ages 6-12

CEIP Sanchis Guarner

Public Primary School.

Carrer Lepanto, 2
Telephone: 966 428 835
Email: 03006839@edu.gva.es

Ages 12+

IES Xebic

Ondara's public secondary school, offering ESO and continuing into Bachillerato and vocational training.

Camí de la Mar, s/n
Telephone: 966 428 210
Email: 03014940@gva.es

So, in very simple terms:

Nursery → Infantil → Primary → Secondary → Bachillerato/FP

All without having to leave Ondara. Pasted markdown

What language will my child speak at school?

Ondara is predominantly Valencian-speaking.

At school, parents vote for their preferred base language. Where there are enough children for two classes and enough families choose Castellano, there can be one class with Valencian as the base language and another with Castellano. Otherwise, Valencian will generally be the main option.

But whichever option you choose...

your child will end up speaking the local language. Be sure of that! 😂 Pasted markdown

What about after school and school holidays?

Bookmark this one.

Ondara's Oci Educatiu programme runs activities through the Regidoria d'Infància, Adolescència i Joventut.

That includes:

Activities and workshops
Weekly organised leisure activities
Christmas programmes
Easter activities
Summer activities

Telephone: 667 94 97 02
Email: joventut@ondara.org

Information:
joventut.ondara.org/programa-oci-educatiu

That's one of the contacts worth saving in your phone if you live here with children. Pasted markdown

Halloween in Ondara is actually brilliant for kids

This is one of our favourites because the whole town gets involved.

For Nit d'Ànimes, participating shops and businesses decorate and children make their way around town trick-or-treating.

In 2025 they collected sweets and stamps from participating businesses. Once they'd collected six stamps, they could enter a prize draw to win children's books.

And yes...

RENVIDA participates too.

So if you're doing the Halloween rounds, you know where to find us. 🎃

And be ready for a scare... waajajaja!!

Keep an eye on the current programme because activities change each year.

Current programme:
laveu.ondara.org

Don't overlook the local fiestas

Living here with children isn't only about organised classes.

During Sant Jaume, there's a whole Dia per les Xiquetes i Xiquets, and recent programmes have included water parks, slides, children's entertainment and activities.

The Soledat festivities also include family and children's events.

These are the days when living in a Spanish town rather than simply holidaying in one really starts to make sense.

Watching them laugh, run around and enjoy themselves together in the street...

Free. Safe. HOME.

What's happening this weekend?

Save these two:

Ondara events and tickets:
agendaondara.es/#eventos

Local news and monthly agenda:
laveu.ondara.org

Children's theatre, musicals, storytelling, workshops, markets, library activities and seasonal events all appear throughout the year.

And that's important because this guide isn't supposed to stay frozen in time.

We'll keep adding the good stuff when we find it. Pasted markdown

And yes, Portal de la Marina counts

Anyone with children knows why.

Air conditioning.
Food.
Cinema.
Shops.
Toilets.
Parking.

And something to do when it's 36 degrees outside.

Portal La Marina also organises children's and family events throughout the year, so it's worth checking what's happening rather than thinking of it purely as a shopping centre.

Although you won't find me there unless I'm being forced to queue for a K-Pop meet & greet because my three-year-old insists that she is RUMI...

Portal de la Marina
Av. Costa Blanca, 2, Ondara
Telephone: 965 766 780 Pasted markdown

I checked Tripadvisor. Three suggestions. THREE.

When I looked at Tripadvisor's Things to Do with Kids in Ondara, it highlighted:

El Sueño Jardín Botánico
Portal de la Marina
Hípica Ondara

And to be fair to Tripadvisor, I didn't actually know about the options at El Sueño Jardín Botánico.

So thanks, Tripadvisor.

But...

you need to keep up. 😂

Because hopefully by now you can see there's considerably more to everyday family life in Ondara than those three places. Pasted markdown

Useful family contacts in Ondara

If you've just moved here, save these:

Biblioteca Infantil / children's activities
Telephone: 677 99 72 04

Joventut / children's and youth activities
Telephone: 667 94 97 02
Email: joventut@ondara.org

Escoleta Infantil Municipal
Telephone: 965 766 618

CEIP Sanchis Guarner
Telephone: 966 428 835

IES Xebic
Telephone: 966 428 210

Municipal sports and registration
escolesesportivesondara.es

What's on in Ondara
agendaondara.es/#eventos Pasted markdown

One mum to another...

Ondara isn't somewhere that's going to appear on a list of Spain's top ten family resorts.

And that's rather the point.

It's somewhere children actually live.

They go to nursery here. They walk to school. They play football after class. They go trick-or-treating through the local shops at Halloween. They spend summer evenings at the fiestas.

And their parents know where they can finally get a coffee while somebody else is occupied for ten minutes.

That's the Ondara we're interested in.

And because RENVIDA is based right here, we'll keep updating this guide as we discover new activities, new places and useful information for local families.

Property. Family. Real life in the Marina Alta.

Welcome to The Renvida Way. Pasted markdown

Could your family feel at home in Ondara?

If you're thinking about moving to Ondara, tell us what you're looking for - both in a property and in the life you want around it.