Pereña De La Ribera – Hiking, History and Winemaking

If you would like to include hiking, historic sites and winemaking traditions in your trip plans, Pereña De La Ribera offers several concrete ways to do so. These include the Ermita de Nuestra Señora del Castillo, with views of the Duero’s meanders; evidence of early settlement; named routes for hiking and mountain biking; and recurring events throughout the year.

Landscape and History

The Ermita de Nuestra Señora del Castillo stands on El Berrocal, where an ancient hillfort once stood. From the viewpoint at the hermitage, you can see the Duero’s meanders in a canyon cut 400 metres deep. Here, the river landscape meets an older trace of settlement.

Settlement in the area dates back to the Paleolithic. The rock paintings at Palla Rubia, at least 12,000 years old, are evidence of this. The Iglesia de Santa María is in the town centre. Traditional architectural heritage also includes dry-stone granite walls on the slopes, as well as walls, springs and buildings made of dry-laid granite masonry. The area’s building heritage is therefore not limited to a single church, but encompasses several forms of granite architecture.

Hiking and Excursions

For planning your walks, you can choose between two hiking routes with different distances and durations. The circular route from Pereña de la Ribera to Pozo Airón and back is 6 kilometres long and takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Stage 35 of the GR 14 runs from Pereña de la Ribera to Masueco. It covers 9.6 kilometres and takes 2 hours and 50 minutes. The GR 14 stage is therefore 3.6 kilometres longer, and its stated walking time is about 1 hour and 20 minutes longer than the approximate time for the circular route. The shorter walk goes to Pozo Airón and back, while the longer stage ends in Masueco. Trail conditions may change; check them before setting out.

For an excursion to Pozo de los Humos, the first section is by car and the last on foot. Take this change of transport into account; local conditions may vary.

Mountain Biking Routes and Winemaking

The two BTT routes also differ in their waypoints and destinations. The Camino del Puente Nuevo crosses the Rivera over the three-arched stone Puente Nuevo bridge and then follows gently ascending paths back to Pereña. The Camino del Pozo de los Humos leads directly to the viewpoint there, from which you can see the Río Uces waterfall. The first route features a bridge, a river crossing and a return journey; the second focuses on the viewpoint and the waterfall. Conditions on these routes may also change, so it is advisable to check them before setting out.

The Camino de los Cuernos starts at kilometre 0 in Pereña and leads to farmland, including several vineyards. This reflects Pereña’s long tradition of quality-focused winemaking. If winemaking is an important part of your trip, you can include both a specific route and its local context in your plans.

Annual Festivals

Recurring events include the pilgrimage to the Ermita de Nuestra Señora del Castillo, held every year on 14 May. The patron saint festivities in honour of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles take place on the first weekend of September, close to 8 September. The pilgrimage and patron saint festivities therefore fall at different times of the year. If you would like to plan your trip around one of these events, check the dates before making arrangements.

Discover more destinations: Cordovilla, Masueco, Casafranca, Valdelamatanza, Galindo Y Perahuy, Larrodrigo, Sancti-Spíritus, Lagunilla

For the regional travel overview: Salamanca.