Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
down and…started work straight away', he later commented. And even now, the whole
place is set up as if Graves had just stepped out for a stroll. His voice rings out through
the rooms as his reading of his poem
The Face in the Mirror
is played in a loop of seem-
ingly eternal playback; the effect is curiously powerful.
Famous for such works as
I, Claudius,
the novelised version of the Roman emperor's
life, Robert Graves also wrote reams of verse and a book on his adopted homeland,
Mal-
lorca Observed
(1965); the prologue to his
The Golden Fleece
is set in Deià. A handful
of his 146 works are available for sale at the ticket office, and ask there also for the
'Reading Suggestions' information sheet.
Es Puig
VIEWPOINT, RELIGIOUS
From Es Puig, the hill at the heart of Deià, you peer across the rooftops of the higgledy-
piggledy village and take in the full sweep of the valley to the glinting Mediterranean
beyond. At the top is the modest parish church, the
Església de Sant Joan Baptista
(its
Museu Parroquial, with a collection of local religious paraphernalia, rarely opens). Op-
posite is the town
cemetery
. Here lies 'Robert Graves, Poeta, 24-4-1895 - 7-12-1985
E.P.D' (
en paz descanse
, meaning 'may he rest in peace'). His second wife, Beryl
Pritchard (Beryl Graves), who died in 2003, is buried at the other end of the graveyard.
Cala de Deià
BEACH
A 3km drive from Deià (take the road towards Sóller), or a slightly shorter walk, is Cala
de Deià, one of the most bewitching of the Serra de Tramuntana's coastal inlets. Access-
ible only on foot, the enclosed arc of the bay is backed by a handful of houses and the
small shingle beach gives onto crystal-clear water. Competition for a parking spot a few
hundred metres back up the road can be intense; get here early.
The beach is backed by a simple bar-eatery, Can Lluc, while on a rocky platform
above the water, you can sit down for fresh fish at Ca's Patró March. Some fine walks
criss-cross the area, such as the gentle Deià Coastal Path to the pleasant hamlet of Lluc
Alcari. Three daily buses run from Deià (15-minute trip) from May to October.
Lluc Alcari
VILLAGE
Three kilometres northeast of Deià, this is a magical hamlet nestled into the rocky moun-
tainside. The village is largely consumed by its hotel, but the view from the main road of
terracotta roofs and palm trees against the Mediterranean backdrop is one of the prettiest
along this stretch of coast.
Festivals & Events
