Hot tubs in Deià and Valldemossa

Protected villages

Both villages are within the Serra de Tramuntana World Heritage area and have strict rules about what can be seen from the street and from the valley. A free-standing spa on a private terrace is normally not a licensed work, but anything that changes the terrace, a new wall or an excavation, is likely to be. Check with the Ajuntament before committing to a sunken installation. A spa behind a low dry-stone wall in local stone is usually accepted without comment.

Light models, careful placement

The Cala 3 at 290 kg dry is the model we recommend for a manual carry, and the Serra 3 where there is crane access. Nothing bigger makes sense here; the terraces are narrow strips cut into the slope and the retaining walls were built for olive trees, not for a tonne and a half of water. We look at the wall below the proposed spot before saying yes, and have asked more than one owner to move the spa closer to the house.

Aesthetics

Owners in Deià want the spa to disappear. A timber or stone surround at terrace height, a cover in a dark colour and the equipment bay facing the hillside is the usual answer. We build the surround ourselves so the cabinet is never on show.

Water

Spring water in both villages is softer than the island average, and some houses have cisterns. We test the fill and adjust the routine.

Weather on the north coast

Deià takes the full force of the Tramuntana wind and winter rain, and the sun is strong when it shines. Covers are strapped as standard, and the cabinet finish is the UV-stable one. Winter nights drop to a few degrees above freezing, which the spa handles without any special measures.

Visiting first

We do not quote in Deià or Valldemossa without a visit. The lift, the wall and the terrace decide the price, and twenty minutes on site saves both of us a wrong number.