DEIA

The mountain village made famous by the poet Robert Graves, who lived here, and, more recently, local home owners Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones sees Mallorca at its most exquisite.

Shielded by the Tramuntana mountains and approached by a winding mountain road, Deia comprises just one main street of handcraft shops, arty cafes and houses whose ochre facades and green shutters are irresistibly photogenic.

The idyll, of course, hasn’t gone unnoticed by a multitude of celebrities who have second homes here. Nor has the former artist’s colony, with a population of just 840, escaped being made an obligatory part of the itinerary for every coach tour of the island. Despite this, Deia has lost little of its charm. Scramble down the hillside and you’ll reach the Cala de Deia, a small shingle beach set in a pretty cove.

If you are thinking of Deia as a year-round home, look forward to long, hot summers, but rainy and often windy winters, with an average annual temperature of 17C.
As for property, demand far exceeds supply in Deia so prices are the highest in north west Mallorca.

Apartments start at around 350,000 euros, some deceptively modern and chic conversions in old stone farmhouses.

Almost all houses here have sea views – and pools if situated outside the village. A large and beautifully converted farmhouse overlooking the bay can cost around 2 million euros.