the hamlet was founded in the 15th century. the site at a barca was once part of the royal road to castille, and the river minho could be crossed by boat there. the hamlet derives its name from this, with "barco" meaning "boat" in spanish. by the 1920s, the business of transporting people and goods from one side of the river to the other had collapsed due to the construction of a bridge nearby. the inhabitants then invested in the growing of grapes.