Michelle Harbi discovers why the charming north-west coast of Mallorca has been inspiring artists for decades
As the sun disappears behind the mountains, we watch as the fading light casts a yellow haze over the rock face and turns the thick pine forest ever deeper shades of green. Opposite, honey-coloured limestone houses stack steeply up the hillside, their painted shutters open to let in the last of the day. From the top of the village, the church bell tolls, and tourists meander down the winding road in search of tapas and vino tinto.
The north-west Mallorcan village of Deia is certainly pretty as a picture, so it’s no surprise to learn that it has attracted artists for decades, many of whom came to holiday here and ended up settling, captivated by the light, the landscape and the lifestyle.
Set in the Tramuntana mountains, which run the length of the island’s north coast, this former Moorish settlement – its name comes from the Arabic word for village – has been a magnet for bohemians since the 19th century. British poet Robert Graves moved here with his mistress in 1929, and in the fifties and sixties a community of painters, musicians and writers built up around him.
More recently, Deia has attracted the celebrity set, many of whom own houses in the village and use it as a retreat from the high life.
Graves is buried in the church cemetery, while on the outskirts of the village, the house in which he wrote I, Claudius, looking out to the Mediterranean amidst olive and orange trees, is now a museum to his work (lacasaderobertgraves.org). Another writer, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is said to have penned One Hundred Years of Solitude while staying here.
Our vantage point as we watch the sunset is our room in Belmond La Residencia, in the heart of the village. A former olive estate, parts of which date back to the 15th century, it has been a hotel for 30 years and was once owned by Richard Branson. Refined yet rustic, it’s a wonderful spot for a peaceful break, as well as a good base for exploring Deia’s art scene, of which it is very much a part.
The property’s gallery, Sa Tafona, stages exhibitions by artists with links to the area, while the impressive collection of its curator, Cecilie Sheridan, which numbers more than 800 pieces, is on display through the property’s public spaces, grounds and 67 guestrooms. There is both an artist and a sculptor in residence, who run classes, and a weekly “walk and talk” art tour takes guests to local studios.
Stephanie Moog, a German artist, accompanies us on the tour. She first came to the area when her mother asked her to join her for a visit, and unexpectedly fell in love with it. “It’s the light and the smells – they’re incredible,” she tells us.
First, we drop in on the studio of artist-in-residence Alan Hydes – on the door is tacked a photo of a previous visitor, Leonardo DiCaprio. The walls are lined with vibrant still lifes and landscapes, and Hydes, a Yorkshireman, shows us a commission he is working on for local homeowner Andrew Lloyd Webber.
“Deia has become the place to be in the 14 years I’ve been here,” Hydes tells us. “That means people with a lot of money come.” A few glances in the windows of the village estate agents confirm the effect on the prices of property here – for a moment we think we’re back in London.
Moog takes us to her own home, filled with dreamlike works inspired by her family, before we head up steep pathways to visit Arturo Rhodes, who creates surreal paintings from his retreat in the hills.
After our morning of art, we descend steep, rocky tracks to Cala Deia, a small shingle beach set in a secluded cove, and swim in the calm waters. The trudge back up is harder, and our lunch on the terrace of the Village Café (thevillagecafedeia.com) – a feast of salads and charcuterie – is well earned.
Other than drinking a cerveza in the local bar, Sa Fonda, browsing the few boutiques, and visiting the 15th-century church – filled with the soaring notes of a soprano rehearsing for a show when we popped in – there is not a huge amount to do in the village itself, which makes more time for enjoying the hotel. We snooze poolside, wander through the sculpture garden and have a wonderful meal in fine-dining restaurant El Olivo, housed in the former olive press.
This part of Mallorca attracts not only artists but hikers, drawn to the terrain of the Tramuntana range. A popular route is to walk from Deia to Port de Soller, an attractive resort town about 12km up the coast. It takes two and a half hours on foot, but we choose the easier option of a taxi, which deposits us at the Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel and Spa, our base for the next part of our Mallorcan break.
Open since 2012, the luxury new-build looks down on the sweeping curve of the bay from its clifftop position, and it is here that some of the island’s most spectacular views can be had. All 120 of the well-designed guestrooms overlook the mountains or the Mediterranean, as do the pools, spa, cocktail bar and restaurant terraces.
On our sea-facing balcony, we settle down again to watch the sunset – we are in the Balearics, after all – and it is equally captivating, the sky a wash of yellows and pinks as night descends, the water shimmering gold. When the show’s over, we head down to Cap Roig restaurant and dine on plump, juicy Soller prawns and flavoursome Iberian ham, washing it down with a good bottle of Rioja.
The next day, after a dip in the infinity pool, we take the short but steep walk down to town – the hotel runs a shuttle service should the climb up be less appealing – and stroll the expansive promenade. There are a couple of beaches and a large number of bars and eateries with terraces – such as Cava, which serves up excellent tapas and a wide selection of gins.
From here, a century-old wooden tram runs 5km inland to the historic town of Soller itself. The verdant orange groves en route point to how Soller made its money – it became a major exporter of the fruit in the 19th century, the result of which can be seen in its modernist architecture and grand houses.
Here, too, there is an artistic vibe. Along the main street, Sa Lluna, are galleries displaying imaginative paintings and sculptures, and shops selling exquisite handcrafted jewellery and gifts.
Further up is the Can Prunera museum of modernism (canprunera.com). The beautiful art nouveau building it is housed in is as much an artwork as the collection, which includes pieces by Cézanne, Man Ray and Diego Rivera.
Even the rail station houses permanent exhibitions by Picasso and Jean Miro. The Picasso room displays about 50 ceramic pieces by the Malaga master, while the Miro gallery features colourful works honouring Gaudi and the artist’s own grandfather, who was born in Soller. In this part of Mallorca, inspiration is to be found wherever you look.
- Belmond La Residencia and Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel and Spa are open seasonally from March to November. belmond.com, jumeirah.com
- Easyjet flies to Palma de Mallorca airport, about 40 minutes’ drive from both Deia and Port de Soller, from London Gatwick and Stansted year-round and from Luton between March and November. easyjet.com
