Barraca del Cigarro

Barraca del Cigarro is a stone barraca — a traditional rural dry-stone hut, built without mortar — standing on the hillsides above Vilanova i la Geltrú, the main town of the Garraf comarca in Barcelona province, Catalonia. Only the lower courses of its walls survive today, yet the ruin still works as a landmark along the walking trails that cross this rocky, scrub-covered stretch of the Garraf massif.

Where exactly is it?

The barraca sits within the Garraf Natural Park, on a slope near the La Talaia hill (roughly 290 metres), one of the massif's well-known viewpoints over the surrounding countryside and coastline. Close by is the trail junction at Corral d'en Roc and the old farmhouse Mas Roig, while the Portal del Roc Pitch & Putt golf course lies just beyond it. That juxtaposition — a weathered stone ruin next to a modern golf facility — is part of what makes the spot memorable to hikers passing through.

What is left to see today?

What remains is mostly low, broken wall sections: enough to trace the outline of the original structure, but not enough to call it intact. Huts of this kind — known in Catalan as barraques de pedra seca — are a common feature of the Garraf hills and the neighbouring Penedès wine country. Farmers built them as shelter from sun and rain and as tool storage while working terraced, stone-walled plots (marges) planted with vines, olives and almonds. The name "Cigarro" most likely comes from a local nickname tied to the site or a past landowner, though available sources do not confirm the exact origin.

How do you get there, and what does the route look like?

The easiest access starts from the car park at Peu de la Talaia, the trailhead for a network of paths through the Garraf hills. From there the route passes Mas Roig, crosses the Corral d'en Roc junction, climbs toward the La Talaia summit and loops back down, passing the ruined Barraca del Cigarro along the way — usually on the left of the path, with the golf course already visible ahead. The full loop is a popular short outing for residents of Vilanova i la Geltrú, doable in a few hours without leaving the town's outskirts.

Why stop here?

The barraca itself isn't a monumental attraction — it's a modest ruin, one of many scattered across the Garraf hills. Its interest lies instead in what it represents: a trace of the farming life these hillsides once supported, land that has since shifted largely toward hiking, cycling and leisure use, with the golf course right next to it a clear sign of that change. For anyone walking the Garraf trails, it's a natural waypoint on the route; for those interested in rural heritage, it's a small piece of the picture of how people worked this land before it became a natural park.

Frequently asked questions

What is Barraca del Cigarro? It's the ruin of a traditional dry-stone rural hut, typical of the Garraf hills and the Penedès region, of which only fragments of the walls survive today.

Where is it located? On a hillside near La Talaia, inside the Garraf Natural Park, within the municipality of Vilanova i la Geltrú, close to Mas Roig farmhouse and the Portal del Roc golf course.

How do you reach it? On foot, via the trail starting at the Peu de la Talaia car park, passing through Corral d'en Roc and the area around the La Talaia summit.

Can you go inside? No — it's a roofless, largely collapsed ruin best viewed from the outside as part of a walk along the trail.

What else is worth seeing nearby? The viewpoint on La Talaia hill, the old Mas Roig farmhouse, and more broadly the trails and landscape of the Garraf Natural Park right above the town.