How Deià is doing #1 – a regular update from the villageApril 1, 2020

We know how much you love Deià and appreciate that you’d like to keep up with what’s happening in the village. During these challenging times, we’ll be sharing news and stories from Deià so you can feel connected to Deià even if it’s from a distance.

Mallorca has been in a state of alert since mid-March with freedom of movement restricted.

The Spanish government established eight justifications for leaving home that include buying food and medicines as well as basic necessities, attendance at health centres and looking after elderly and vulnerable people. Vehicles can be used to go to petrol stations but travel for leisure purposes is banned.

This means that residents of Deià are pretty much confined to the village.

Fortunately, Deià’s two grocery stores, Es Forn Deià and Ca’n Bernat and the village pharmacy remain open.

The view from Es Forn Deià

Pere Antoni Reynes, whose family run Es Forn Deià told me that the shop is open Mondays from 7am to 2pm on and 7am to 8pm the rest of the week with no breaks. ‘We can guarantee you’ll be able to buy basics but things like fruits, veggies and special imported products are sometimes not available,’ he says, ‘so we offer alternatives where were can. There was a shortage of certain goods in the first two weeks of the crisis but now we’re back to normal.’

Although people are obviously worried, ‘the village looks better than ever,’ Pere Antoni adds. ‘Everyone should be here to enjoy this quiet time, the silence apart from the birds and animals in beautiful, empty nature and the clean air. It helps me stay healthy, mindful and positive.’

I wasn’t able to speak with anyone at Ca’n Bernat but I know they too are maintaining normal opening hours and are well-stocked.

Belmond La Residencia and Hotel Es Moli

Deià’s hotels and pensions usually open their doors at the beginning of April. But, as you’d expect, they remain closed.

Hanna Bornebusch, PR Manager for Belmond La Residencia tells me that ‘a small team is holding the castle for us while the remaining staff is safely at home and looking forward to opening the hotel’s doors and welcoming friends old and new again.’

According to Jeannine Müller, Marketing and PR Manager for Hotel Es Molí, ‘The safety of our guests and staff is our top priority. We have postponed opening to 1 May 2020 provided this is allowed by the Spanish government. We hope everything will be back to normal then and our guests will be able to enjoy the Es Molí experience to the full.’

Tune in next week when we’ll be sharing another Deià story to keep you in touch with the village from a distance.

If you have any questions about the situation in Deià and Mallorca, feel free to reach out to us at hello@charlesmarlow.com.