‘So pretty it can make you gasp aloud’ – artsy Mallorcan village of Deia is a work of art in itself

Wedged between the Balearic Sea and the Tramuntana mountains on Mallorca’s northwest coast, this petite village is quite the sight with steep streets, spires of cypresses, buttery-brown stone villas, and, sitting atop its highest point like a cardinal’s biretta, a 16th-century church.

“The name Deia dates back to the 10th-century Moorish conquest and means village,” local guide Gina Vasquez tells me while walking the stone-paved streets of Es Clot, the oldest part of Deia.

Tucked on the back of the Puig (the hill), this part of the village is hidden from the sea to deter once-common pirate attacks.

Gina points out the farming terraces, allowing the steep hillside to be cultivat­ed with olive trees (another Moorish legacy).

However, when we get to Esglesia de Sant Joan Baptista at the very top, we meet the man credited with creating Deia’s modern reputation as a haven for artists, writers, musicians and stars.

Robert Graves’s final resting place is marked with red votives and polished pebbles. The English author of I, Claud­ius lived in Deia on and off from 1929 until his death in 1985.

“He’s Deia’s adopted son,” says Gina. “After World War I, he had what they now call PTSD, and his friend, the author Gertrude Stein, convinced him to come to Deia because it was sunny and cheap.”

By the 1960s, musicians including Jimi Hendrix helped increase Deia’s global profile, and it has only rocketed since then.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has a home here, while Michael Douglas has an estate in nearby Valldemossa. Annie Lennox has a house nearby.

“A lot more people came after The Night Manager,” says Gina of the 2016 BBC mini-series starring Tom Hiddleston, which put the place on the map for me.

I remember being wowed when watching one sun-splashed scene that was filmed at the rustic seafood restaur­ant Ca’s Patro March, dangling above the sea in Cala Deia, the village’s rocky beach.

Dotted with blue wooden chairs and sleepy cats, the restaurant remains super-popular and bookings are hard to snag. From the beach, it’s about a 30-minute hike back up into town.

Within the heart of Deia, there’s no shortage of places to eat.

Balm is a new addition, with hyper-local “zero-kilometre” dishes of crunchy salads and soups topped with micro- greens, while Xelini serves traditional tapas of padron peppers and tortilla.

S’Hortet makes for a calming breakfast spot, with alfresco tables set under a canopy of citrus trees.

The place for drinks is Sa Fonda, and market shop and bakery Forn Deia is best for local wine and freshly baked ensaimadas (sugar-dusted Mallorcan pastries). On Wednesdays, a market selling everything from paella to jewellery opens next to the bakery.

‘There’s maybe one million euro in this room,’ says concierge Pep Ferreiro

Just as we can’t talk about Deia without talking about Graves, we also must mention La Residencia, a five-star hotel once owned by Richard Branson, who brought in a coterie of celeb guests, including Princess Diana.

“It’s the island’s first art hotel,” says Gina, whose husband Juan Waelder has been an artist in residence for 12 years.

He gives painting and sculpture classes in his studio at the hotel, and you can see a few of his pieces on site, including a bas-relief of Graves and an iron sculpture in front of the hotel inspired by the island’s mountains.

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La Residencia is also the place for fine food. Set out on a moonlit patio, El Olivo is a six- or eight-course tasting menu for budget-blowing special occasions, feat­uring dishes like marinated ramallet tomatoes and sopas mallorquinas, a rich broth, enhanced here with a parcel of local sobrasada sausage.

Filled with original works by Joan Miro (the Catalan painter was a frequent visitor to the island), Restaurante Miro is the place for classy cocktails (try the spicy Local Negroni, with gin from Palma and Muntaner vermouth, fashioned from Mallorcan prensal blanc grapes).

While the terrace has the views, the indoor tables have the art.

“There’s maybe one million euro in this room,” says concierge Pep Ferreiro.

For visitors looking for all the charm of La Residencia without the price tag, a private villa makes for a nice alternative.

My base is villa Sa Tanca, perched above La Residencia on a hill. The four-bedroom property is one of the only large villas right in town, and it was built to resemble a Mallorcan finca using traditional materials.

While the home was built for a senior government official, the current owner is an architect who added fresh style.

Because of its location in High Deia, the villa gets plenty of sun and the views are some of the best in town, especially from the front terr­ace, where white wisteria hangs from the pergola-like Christmas baubles.

From here, I watch the sea glow at sunset and the lights over the Puig flick on one by one at nightfall.

The villa is no more than a three-minute walk from the town’s main street (Carretera de Deia), so you don’t need a car while staying here unless you have limited mobility or there’s inclement weather (one rainy day, I practically had to abseil down the steep hill).

Also at the bottom of the hill, there’s a taxi stand and bus stop, allowing for day trips to nearby Valldemossa and Soller. Buses are cheap at around €2 (tap in and out with any contactless bank card).

I visited a few of these surrounding spots during my stay, but I found Deia, with all of its artistic spirit, most inspiring.

Plan your trip

Ryanair flies from Dublin to Palma de Mallorca. ryanair.com

Sa Tanca, which is available via stayone.com, sleeps up to eight in four bedrooms.

Bespoke tours of Deia with Gina can be arranged through toursbylocals.com from about €180.