It's difficult to find corners of Spain that have escaped mass tourism, but they still exist. Just half an hour from Barcelona lies a fishing village whose seaside setting can evoke California or Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
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We're talking about Garraf, a small coastal settlement with a row of fishermen's huts along the shoreline, framed by a spectacular natural park. This rare gem charms visitors with its unique character and is also home to a lesser-known Gaudí building.
A picturesque village with fishermen's huts by the sea
One of the most iconic sights in Garraf, a district belonging to the well-known municipality of Sitges, is Les Casetes del Garraf beach, famous for its wooden huts overlooking the Mediterranean.
These huts first appeared in the 1920s and originally served both as shelters for local families and storage spaces for fishermen. Today, 33 of the original huts remain and were declared a Cultural Asset of National Interest in 2020.
A little-known Gaudí building: Güell Winery
At the entrance to the village stands a striking stone building with sharp lines that many visitors pass without realising is attributed to Gaudí. In 1882, Eusebi Güell commissioned the architect to design a hunting lodge, although the project was never completed. Instead, a winery was built on the site in 1895. The building belongs to Gaudí's Neo-Gothic period (1888-1898).
The wine produced there was served on ships operated by the Transatlantic Company and exported to Cuba, but production ceased in 1936 due to a lack of commercial success. Next to the building stands the Garraf Tower (14th century), the only surviving remnant of the former Garraf Castle.
A unique natural setting with plenty to discover
The village is surrounded by the Garraf Natural Park, a beautiful protected area covering 12,377 hectares, which is ideal for hiking. Its landscape is dry and sun-drenched, but its most surprising features lie underground, in a vast network of sinkholes, caves and subterranean rivers. One of these rivers flows into a partially submerged cave beneath the Falconera cliff, very close to the harbour.
In addition, several nearby towns and attractions are well worth a visit:
- Cau Ferrat, a museum housed in a beautiful mansion where the artist and writer Santiago Rusiñol spent his summers. It is located in Sitges.
- Sitges, a charming coastal town that is an essential stop when visiting the Garraf area.
- Can Papiol Romantic Museum, located in Vilanova i la Geltrú.
