Deia, Valdemossa and a Bike Race

Soller, Deia, and Valldemossa are three of the most beautiful towns in the area and because of that many rich and famous people have secondary houses in them.

Just a short twenty minutes drive from Sóller, on a winding road with great views, and directly at the foot of the Tramuntana mountains, is the small, dreamy village of Deiá. Narrow, picturesque streets wind their way up between olive groves, bougainvilleas, and palm trees. The beauty of this town was probably why the bohemians settled here in the early 20th century. Among them many famous painters, poets, and actors.

In 1929, the British poet Robert Graves moved to Deià with his American wife and writer Laura Riding. But Graves wasn’t by far the only notable person paying Deià a visit. Famous Spanish painter Pablo Picasso also enjoyed staying in Deià and so did actor Sir Peter Ustinov.

Musicians such as Andrew Lloyd Webber, Mike Oldfield, Bob Geldof, Pierce Brosnan, and Eric Clapton came here to relax and find inspiration. Finally, Hollywood star Michael Douglas bought Finca S‘Estaca where once Empress Sissi used to stay.

It is such a pretty place. We sat on a terrace with a beautiful view and ate our Serrano ham, cheese and vegetable bocadillos (sandwiches) while drinking the best coffee that we have had in Spain. A nearby waterfall provided us with relaxing background music.

Another 20 minutes down the scenic road and we were in Valdemossa. The Mallorcan Kings favoured this place for its pleasantly mild climate.

As we entered the town of Valdemossa, we noticed that there seemed to be a big police presence. It looked liked they were closing down the road. And we eventually learned why - the Challenge Mallorca Bicycle Race 2024 was on! There were going to be five days of racing for the men, a series of one-day races with 24 teams. The organisation brought in eight WorldTour teams. What a great opportunity for us to park the car and join in the excitement as the cyclists sped by us. Fun! Once again we were in the right place at the right time. Lucky us.

Once the road cleared and we could head back into town, we walked to the centre of town to find the place that really put Valdemossa on the map. It became truly famous after a pair of lovers spent the winter of 1838/39 at Valldemossa’s Charterhouse, a monastery. Those two lovebirds were Polish-born composer Fréderic Chopin and his partner, French writer George Sand. More about them and where they lived in the next footprint.

Valldemossa is also the birthplace of Catalina Thomás, the island’s only saint, who was born in 1531. Almost every house in the village has a tile with motifs from the life of the saint next to the entrance. The house she was born in was converted into a small chapel. Her body, however, is laid out in a glass coffin in the Church of Santa Maria Magdalena in Palma.

We felt very lucky today for 4 reasons.
1. Chris’ back had been sore for 2 days and miraculously it got better.
2. We parked in a pay for parking area, didn’t pay anything and didn’t get a ticket.
3. We noticed a big dent in the rental car but after awhile realized that it had been there when we picked it up (photo).
4. We caught the exciting bicycle race.
We have learned to count our blessings.Read more