Barraca

Barraca is a term used in Portuguese and Spanish to denote a simple shelter or building constructed with lightweight materials, intended for temporary use or informal occupation. The primary sense is a shelter: a tent or hut that provides cover and basic protection from the elements. Depending on region, a barraca can be a camping tent, a basic dwelling in rural settlements, or a makeshift shop.

In camping and outdoor contexts, barraca denotes a portable shelter used for sleeping or living outdoors. In commercial and street contexts, it can refer to a stall or booth, such as a market barraca or feira barraca, often made with a frame of wood or metal and coverings of canvas or plastic. In Brazil, the term frequently refers to a beach barraca, a small seaside establishment offering shade, seating, and typically food and drinks.

Etymology traces to barraca from the French baraque, via Spanish barraca and Portuguese barraca, with roots in a word for hut or shelter. The form and usage vary by language and region, but the common theme is a temporary, utilitarian shelter rather than a fixed, formal building.

Construction ranges from simple canvas tents to wooden shacks with walls, doors, and windows; permanence is situational. Barracas are used for camping, markets, tourism, or emergency shelter in humanitarian contexts.