Deià (Balearic Catalan: [dəˈja]) is a municipality and small coastal village in the Serra de Tramuntana, which forms the northern ridge of the Spanish island of Mallorca. It is located about 16 kilometres (10 mi) north of Valldemossa, and it is known for its literary and musical residents. Its idyllic landscape, orange and olive groves on cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean, served as a draw for German, English, and American expatriates after the First World War. The English poet, novelist, and scholar Robert Graves was one of the first foreigners to settle in the village, where he collaborated with Laura Riding in setting up the Seizin Press. Graves returned after the war and remained in Deià until his death. He used the town as the setting for many of his stories, including the historical novel Hercules my Shipmate. His house is now a museum. Following Graves' lead, an artistic community of painters, photographers, writers, musicians, and "LSD entrepreneurs") formed in Deià and thrived from the 1950s to the 1980s, attracted by the village's natural beauty, rustic simplicity, and affordability when "a cognac was 5 pesetas and a three-course meal 40 pesetas (less than one US dollar at the time)." Literary critic Bruce King devotes a chapter of his memoirs describing this scene and its denizens. Anaïs Nin visited the village in the 1920s, and wrote a short story set on the village's beach. The Spanish writer, Carme Riera, recently wrote a short story about Nin. The town is also the unnamed setting of the Uruguayan novelist Cristina Peri Rossi's The Ship of Fools (La nave de los locos). The Nicaraguan poet and novelist, Claribel Alegría, lived in Deià. Anja Rubik married fellow model Sasha Knezevic in this village in July 2011. In recent decades, the stars of literature have been eclipsed by the stars of rock and roll. The Virgin Records mogul Richard Branson has a luxury residence in the town, and his label's stars have often visited the village and sometimes jammed at the local bar, Sa Fonda. Deià was home to several Canterbury-scene musicians over the years, including Kevin Ayers, Robert Wyatt, and Daevid Allen. Mick Jagger, guitarist Mark Knopfler, and Mike Oldfield played there often in the late 1980s, as did Caroline Corr. Much of Fionn Regan's third studio album, 100 Acres of Sycamore was inspired by his time spent in Deià.
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Origins
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History
A pesar de que la zona estaba habitada mucho antes, la forma de Deyá, tal como lo conocemos hoy, se remonta a la ocupación musulmana, entre los siglos X - XIII, cuando sus habitantes comenzaron la construcción de terrazas y sistemas de riego que llevaron a un desarrollo agrícola exitoso en el área. Después de que los musulmanes fueran derrotados por los cristianos en el siglo XIII, el pueblo se dio a Rossell, como parte de la vecina Valdemosa, de la que no llegó a ser independiente hasta el siglo XVI.
El poeta inglés, novelista y estudioso, Robert Graves, fue uno de los primeros extranjeros en establecerse en el pueblo, donde colaboró con Laura Riding en la creación del Seizin Press. Graves regresó después de la guerra y se mantuvo en Deyá hasta sus últimos días. Él se sirvió de Deyá como escenario de muchas de sus historias, como la novela histórica Hércules mi compañero de travesía. Su casa es ahora un museo. En los años 1970, Deyá comenzó a ser famoso y el turismo estaba en auge, pero siempre conservó su ambiente tranquilo y encantador. Por esta razón, se ha convertido en un destino de muchas personas y celebridades atraídos por su encanto.
El pintor surrealista Esteban Francés, fallecido en el pueblo, fue otro ilustre residente.
Monuments
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What to visit
Aparte de su entorno excepcional, Deyá tiene varios museos interesantes, como el Museo Arqueológico, el museo dedicado al pintor Norman Yanikun, el Museo Parroquial, la Casa Museo Robert Graves y el Museo de Son Marroig, la enorme finca del archiduque Luis Salvador. Cada año, los amantes de la música clásica pueden disfrutar del galardonado Festival Internacional de Deyà.
Artistas eligen a Deyá para vivir una vida llena de belleza e inspiración; Deyá ha cumplido con este estilo de vida para muchos artistas de talento excepcional. Desde los años 60 y los años 70 los artistas han acudido en masa a Deyá y desde entonces se han creado obras de arte y leyendas increíbles.
Gallery
Festivals
September 2026
Festivals this month
- No festivals recorded this month.
Rest of the year
- January: Fiesta patronal: Sebastián de Milán (20)
- June: Fiesta patronal: Juan el Bautista (24)
What's on
Street market
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Gastronomy
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Trails and hiking
•Ruta de Pedra en Sec (GR 221)
•Ruta de Pedra en Sec: Stage 3: Esporles - Can Boi (GR 221, 23.150 km)
•Ruta de Pedra en Sec: Stage 4: Can Boi - Muleta (GR 221, 9.902 km)
•El Camí IT4TR4 El Camí Illenc: de l'Alguer a Formentera (CC-C)
Services
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Famous people
•Joan Horrach, ciclista español
•Vicente Reynés, ciclista español
•Joan Mas i Bauzà, escritor español
•Chris Perret
•Lluís Enric Apesteguia Ripoll
Town hall
Alcaldía: Lluís Enric Apesteguia Ripoll
Web oficial: https://www.ajdeia.net/
Town hall of Deià
Alcaldía: Lluís Enric Apesteguia Ripoll Web oficial: https://www.ajdeia.net/
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How to get there
- 🚗 53 km from Palma (about 37 min by car)
- 🚗 168 km from Eivissa (about 119 min by car)
🧭 Travelling around the villages of Spain: a practical guide — Opening hours, transport, money and customs, before you set off.
- ✈️ 30 km from Palma de Mallorca airport (about 21 min by car)
- ✈️ 170 km from Menorca airport (about 120 min by car)
Practical info
🅿️ Where to park
- Sa Foradada · 0.3 km away
- Where to park · 0.9 km away
- Where to park · 0.9 km away
🏧 Nearest cash machine
- Nearest cash machine · 1.3 km away
- BBVA · 1.4 km away
- Caixabank · 4.5 km away
⛽ Nearest petrol station
- Shell · 4.6 km away
- Moeve · 6.4 km away
- Moeve · 6.4 km away
ℹ️ Tourist office
- Ajuntament de Deia · 0.2 km away
- Es Teix / Valldemossa · 0.8 km away
- Tourist office · 0.8 km away
🔭 Viewpoints
- Mirador de sa Foradada · 0.4 km away
- Mirador des Galliner · 0.4 km away
- Mirador de sa Foradada · 0.4 km away
🏖️ Where to swim
- Where to swim · 1.4 km away
- es Canyaret · 2.6 km away
- Sa Marina · 5.2 km away
Buses
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Pharmacy and health
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Wall and news
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Obituaries
There are no obituaries published right now in Deià.
In loving memory
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Videos
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