Holiday homes in Deià: rare collection of new-build townhouses for sale in Majorca's celebrity village hotspot

The tranquil village of Deià in the foothills of Majorca’s Tramuntana Mountains is a favourite with British visitors. Andrew Lloyd Webber, actress Anna Friel and Richard Branson are among a celebrity roll call of regular visitors to the village, 35 minutes northwest of the capital, Palma.

Strict building controls mean that while Majorca has seen significant development in the past 20 years, Deià remains delightfully untouched. Pretty, pale stone homes and line upon line of silver-leafed olive trees shine in the west-coast light beside green terraces on the Unesco World Heritage mountainside.

“Majorca has become widely loved and I would say Deià is one of the best-known villages on the island,” says Eddy Barrera of Engel & Völkers estate agency. “The village has historically been a British favourite because it is where poet Robert Graves lived and worked from 1929 until his death in 1985, attracting many other artists over the years. Deià is artistic and understated.”

Petit Deià, a new scheme in this perfectly preserved village, has been carefully monitored by local residents and the planning authorities. The project has 21 stone-clad townhouses built along two narrow streets to resemble original village homes.

From outside, the Petit Deià homes look authentically Majorcan but inside, these two- and three-bedroom homes are comfortably contemporary with underfloor heating, air conditioning and modern bathrooms and kitchens.

“Petit Deià is built in Deià’s urban area which is how the project got planning permission,” says Barrera. “It has been strictly monitored at every stage with advanced acoustic and thermal insulation. The developers are sinking existing power cables underground and replanting many olive trees.”

This exciting project, the last of its size that will be permitted in Deià, says Barrera, is designed by celebrated local architect Toni Juncosa and is the only community in Deià with a pool.

Each home is individual but all have parking, terraces, water tanks and views. Prices range from £470,000 to £1.36 million for 904sq ft to 3,010sq ft.

Deià is seasonal. The Belmond La Residencia, its famous hotel which has hosted Princess Diana, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss and Robbie Williams, closes for four months each winter, yet the year-round population of 700 has schools, supermarkets and some very good local restaurants.

In the middle of the village a three-bedroom house is £915,000 with Engel & Völkers. The well-restored semi faces south with good light, is in a secluded spot with views and, most unusually in Deià, has a rental licence, so it can be let. There are pale terracotta floors and lovely outdoor space with orange and lemon trees.

If you’re after a project, an older collection of three terrace houses, currently owned by a US artist and totalling 3,230sq ft, is £700,000.

Original features include beamed ceilings, stone floors and a private garden. This property would make a charming five-bedroom home.

Another project, outside the village on the coast where new build is totally prohibited, is priced at £850,000.

The three-bedroom home of 2,195sq ft with large garden and terrace has wonderful sea views.

When a work conference took Tom and Robyn McLuskie to Majorca, they were already thinking about buying a holiday home. They fell for the island and began looking for a semi-rural home. After several visits, in 2001 they bought Can Coix, a three-bedroom house in Deià in need of total renovation.

“As soon as we saw the location we knew it was for us,” says Robyn. “It was central but private with uninterrupted views over the village to the mountains. With the local preservation architect and the highly recommended local builder on board, Can Coix was virtually rebuilt and modernised in true Majorcan style in eight months.”

The couple have enjoyed years of holidays there, walking in the mountains, enjoying Cala Deià beach and taking the ferry to Majorca’s sister Balearic Island, Menorca.

They go to small concerts and recitals in the village and local markets in Deià, Sóller and Valldemossa.

“We love Deià because it remains unhurried and unspoiled with friendly local residents and yet all parts of this vibrant and varied island are accessible,” says Robyn. “Our house has a rental licence with an annual rental rate of 12-14 weeks, which offsets costs. Many guests are return visitors.”