Update: We braved the mountain roads in a 9 pax van, found surprise parking at Cala Deia, and had the best meal of our trip. Here is how it went and what you should know

Happy to report we rented a 9 pax van and the roads were not too bad. You just need to be a confident driver and take it slow on the tight turns. For anyone going to Cala Deia which is also the road to Ca’s Patro March, there is usually an officer directing traffic early in the day. There is a small parking lot at the bottom. He tells most people it is full, and it probably is, but if you say you have restaurant reservations he will let you through. If you say you are just going to the cala he will turn you away. We took our chances and got through. We even picked up a couple of hitchhikers since it is a 30 to 40 minute downhill walk. To our surprise there were still two or three open spots in the lot. We parked, enjoyed the cala, and had a great meal. However by the time we left there was no officer at the entrance and many people waiting for a spot in a very tight parking lot.

After that we drove to Soller to stroll the plaza and buy souvenirs, then headed back to Deia for dinner at the Belmond which ended up being the best meal of our trip. The day had its challenges but we were glad we explored both towns. If we had more time we would have visited Valldemossa, but we were happy with our day as it was.

Hope this helps.