Can Serra

Can Serra is a historic masia (traditional Catalan farmhouse) in Cabrera de Mar, a small town in the Maresme comarca a few kilometers inland from the coast between Mataró and Vilassar de Mar. The building stands on Camí de Cabrils, the road connecting Cabrera de Mar with the neighboring village of Cabrils, surrounded by the fields and orchards typical of this agricultural belt behind the Catalan coastline.

What is the history behind Can Serra?

The earliest written record of the property dates back to 1380, making Can Serra one of the older documented farmsteads in the area. The building visible today, however, largely dates from the 17th century, when it took the form that has survived to the present. Can Serra belonged to a cluster of nearby masies — including Can Català, Can Mateu, Can Carbonell, Can Rodón de l'Hort and Ca l'Arnau — traditionally built close together so that families could support and protect one another in uncertain times. The farmhouse is now listed as a Cultural Asset of Local Interest (Bé Cultural d'Interès Local), a Catalan heritage designation that legally protects both the building and its immediate surroundings.

What will you see at the site?

Can Serra shows the classic architectural pattern of a Catalan masia from the early modern period. The structure is made up of three sections set perpendicular to the main façade, under a two-pitched roof whose ridge runs parallel to the front of the building — a layout found throughout farmhouses across the Maresme region. The main entrance is framed by a straight, horizontal lintel, and the rectangular windows carry stone lintels, jambs and sills, a detail that helps identify older rural buildings in this part of Catalonia.

In front of the house, a well-preserved threshing floor (era in Catalan) survives — the traditional open yard once used for threshing grain, now rarely found in such good condition. Also worth noting is a mature Canary Island palm tree growing on the property, likely several decades old if not more than a century. Palms of this size were often planted by wealthier landowners, giving farmhouses like Can Serra a touch of the ornamental grandeur associated with the homes of "indianos" — Catalans who made their fortunes overseas in the Americas and returned to plant exotic trees as a mark of prestige.

How do you get to Can Serra?

Cabrera de Mar sits on the Maresme coast, well connected to Barcelona. Driving is the most convenient option, via the C-32 motorway or the parallel N-II road, exiting toward the town center and continuing along Camí de Cabrils. Alternatively, the R1 Rodalies de Catalunya train line stops at Cabrera de Mar-Vilassar de Mar station, from where the farmhouse is a few kilometers inland, reachable on foot or by taxi. Since Can Serra remains a private agricultural property, it can only be viewed from the road running alongside it — the interior is not open to visitors.

When is the best time to visit?

Spring and early autumn offer the mildest weather along the Maresme coast, with the surrounding fields and gardens at their greenest. Summer brings heat and heavier crowds to the nearby beaches, while winter gives the countryside around the masia a starker look, though the site remains viewable from outside year-round.

A visit to Can Serra pairs naturally with a stop in Cabrera de Mar itself and the nearby Iberian settlement of Burriac, letting you combine the town's medieval and early-modern farming history with a much older archaeological chapter of the Maresme.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you go inside Can Serra? No — it is a private working farmhouse, so it can only be seen from the outside, from the public road.

Where does the name Can Serra come from? It follows the Catalan tradition of naming farmhouses after the family that owned them — in this case, the Serra family, long associated with the property.

How old is the building? The first written reference dates from 1380, but the structure standing today is mostly from the 17th century.

What does the Cultural Asset of Local Interest status mean? It's a Catalan heritage protection category applied at the municipal level to buildings with significant historical or architectural value — in this case, granted by Cabrera de Mar.