Can Valls

Can Valls is a traditional Catalan farmhouse standing in Cabrera de Mar, a small town in the Maresme comarca, Barcelona province. The building sits on Camí Santa Elena, 2, at roughly 90 metres above sea level, within a small cluster of rural estates in the Agell area, alongside neighbouring farmhouses Can Basora, Can Miralpeix and Cal Rectoret.

How do you get to Can Valls?

Cabrera de Mar lies on the Costa del Maresme, a short drive northeast of Barcelona. Can Valls stands away from the town centre, in the rural part of the municipality, so the easiest way to reach it is by car or bicycle along local roads that climb into the surrounding hills. The farmhouse also sits close to walking and cycling routes that cross this stretch of the Maresme countryside, making it a useful landmark for anyone exploring the area on foot.

What will you see there?

Can Valls follows the classic three-part layout of a Catalan masia, topped with a dual-pitched roof. The central block rises three storeys — ground floor, first floor and attic — while the two lateral wings are lower, with only a ground and first floor. The gable end is visible on both the front and rear façades. A balcony added to the first floor of the front façade altered the building's original rounded doorway, a detail once typical of farmhouses across the region.

The structure is dated to somewhere between the 17th and 20th centuries, though the exact age of the original building has never been documented. Catalonia's heritage catalogue classifies it stylistically as modern-contemporary. Can Valls is registered under the municipal urban plan (POUM-33) as a Local Cultural Heritage Asset (BCIL), and its state of conservation is recorded as good. The building remains private property and is still used as a home, so visits are limited to viewing the exterior from the road.

When is the best time to visit?

Since Can Valls is a lived-in private house rather than a museum or an open attraction, it's best seen as part of a wider walk through the rural side of Cabrera de Mar — ideally during daylight hours, when the façade and its architectural details are easiest to appreciate and the surrounding lanes are easy to navigate. Spring and autumn suit hikers best, offering milder temperatures than the height of summer for exploring the Maresme hills on foot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you go inside Can Valls? No. It's a private home, and visits are limited to viewing the building from outside.

How old is the building? It dates from somewhere between the 17th and 20th centuries, though the exact construction date of the original farmhouse is undocumented.

Is Can Valls a protected building? Yes. It's listed under the local urban plan (POUM-33) as a Local Cultural Heritage Asset (BCIL).

What other sites are nearby? In the same Agell area of Cabrera de Mar stand the farmhouses Can Basora, Can Miralpeix and Cal Rectoret.