Pereje

Pereje sits in the province of Leon at the entrance to the Valcarce valley, west of Villafranca del Bierzo. The Camino runs through the heart of the village on the road that climbs steadily up toward the Galician mountains.

Pereje has a small but documented Camino history. In the late 11th century, the village was the subject of a dispute between two powerful monastic institutions: the monastery of Cluny, which controlled Villafranca del Bierzo and surrounding territories, and the hospice at O Cebreiro, which held lands further up the valley. Both claimed Pereje. King Alfonso VI of Leon settled the dispute in favour of O Cebreiro, securing the hospice's revenues for the care of pilgrims on the mountain crossing. The parish church is dedicated to San Salvador and dates from this medieval period.

Services are limited. There is an albergue and a bar-restaurant. There is no shop, no pharmacy, and no ATM.