Curro dos Lobos

Curro dos Lobos is a stone wolf trap standing a short walk from the village of Barjacoba, in the municipality of Pías, Zamora province, in the Alta Sanabria district right on the border with Galicia. It belongs to a small group of surviving "curros" - circular enclosures once built by shepherds across this corner of Spain to catch live wolves that preyed on sheep and goats.

How was the trap built?

The structure is a near-circular stone wall roughly 20 metres across, raised without any mortar. On its lower side the wall reaches about 3 metres in height, topped with flat slabs tilted inward so that a wolf inside could not leap back out. Builders took advantage of the slope: on the uphill side the wall meets ground level, letting an animal jump in easily, while the downhill wall stays tall enough to block any way out. A small stone mound in the middle served as a post for tethering live bait, usually a goat or a sheep.

How did the hunt work?

Drawn by the bleating of the tethered animal, a wolf would leap into the enclosure from the uphill side and then find itself unable to climb back over the taller downhill wall. Villagers had a set alarm call - "lobo no curro!" - and the church bells would ring to summon young men from the village to finish off the trapped animal. The trap was mainly used in winter, when wolves ventured closer to the settlement in search of food.

Who built it, and when?

No one knows exactly how old the enclosure is; estimates put it at several centuries, but there are no written records to confirm a date. It remains unclear whether it was raised by the people of Barjacoba themselves or by transhumant shepherds who passed through the area seasonally, moving flocks between southern Spain and the Cantabrian Mountains. What is known today rests mostly on oral tradition passed down in the village.

Is the trap still used?

No. Curro dos Lobos stopped serving its original purpose around the middle of the twentieth century, once strychnine poisoning and firearms replaced older herding and trapping methods, and traditional shepherding itself declined in the area. Even without formal restoration, the wall has held up reasonably well over time. Attempts to have it listed as a protected heritage site have so far not succeeded.

How do you get there?

A short, easy path leaves Barjacoba and climbs gently along the Lagoallo hillside toward the enclosure. The round trip covers a little over 2 to 3 kilometres, depending on the exact route taken, and takes about 20 to 30 minutes at an easy pace on the shorter option. The path crosses oak woodland, scrub and meadow, opening up views over the Barjacoba valley and the sierra along the Galician border. By car, the village is reached from the A-52 motorway via a local road running through Villanueva de la Sierra and Pías.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

The Alta Sanabria area holds a handful of similar pastoral structures, the best known being a comparable enclosure near the village of Lubián. The surrounding hills also make a good base for walking along the Zamora-Galicia border, with views over the Pías reservoir and the wider Sanabria mountain landscape.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Curro dos Lobos? Its exact age is unknown. It is thought to date back several centuries, but no written records confirm a precise period.

Can visitors reach it on foot? Yes. A signposted, easy walking path leads there from Barjacoba and is open year-round.

Do wolves still live in the area? Wolves are still present in the mountains of Sanabria, though the trap itself has not been used since the mid-1900s.

How long does the walk take? The shorter route takes about 20 to 30 minutes round trip; a longer loop variant takes roughly an hour.