Cala Deià

Cala Deià is where the Torrent Major meets the sea below the village: a small cove of round pebbles and big stones, without a scrap of sand, wedged between two Tramuntana slopes, with fishing boats pulled up beside the cobbled path, their boathouses and a footbridge over the stream, which in spring still flows into the sea. The water is very clear and greenish, and the rocks either side are among the best on this coast for snorkelling, full of life and with spots to jump from. On the rock to the left sits Ca's Patró March, a fish restaurant (the grilled sea bass comes up again and again) made famous by The Night Manager, pricier and with a waiting list; to the right, the simpler Ca'n Lluc. There is no lifeguard, no sunbeds and no showers. You drive down a single-track lane of tight bends to a small pay car park that fills before 10 in summer; the alternative is to leave the car in the village and walk 25-30 minutes down beside the stream, with the climb back in the sun. The downsides, mentioned by many: in July and August it is one person per rock, there is hardly any breeze, a swell brings waves, red flags and smelly dark seaweed, jellyfish turn up, and cars – hire cars especially – have been broken into in the upper car parks. It is for swimming, snorkelling and lunch with a sea view, not for lying out all day or bringing a pushchair in high season.

Reviewed in November 2026