Castro de Chano – Fornela Valley

Located in the Fornela Valley, the Castro de Chano is one of the most significant hillfort settlements in northwestern Spain. Usually associated with Asturian culture, it was occupied between the 1st century B.C. and the first half of the 1st century A.D. No evidence of violent abandonment has been recorded; small quantities of coins have been found in the houses, suggesting a rapid abandonment for reasons still unknown. It is believed that this settlement could have been related to gold exploitation carried out by the Romans in the Ancares area.

The hillfort is protected by three ditches, and its circular-plan houses built with slate slabs are distributed along the slopes. To date, about twenty houses have been identified in archaeological excavations, standing out for their excellent state of preservation.

It was declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 1994 and is considered one of the best-preserved hillforts in Spain.

INFORMATION

📍 Location and contact

• Address: Castro de Chano is located in the village of Chano, within the municipality of Peranzanes, in the Fornela Valley.
• 24429 Peranzanes, León, Spain
• Web:
  • Castilla y León Tourism Portal: https://www.turismocastillayleon.com/es/patrimonio-cultura/castro-chano-centro-interpretacion
  • Peranzanes Town Hall website: The address cited in several sources is www.peranzanes.ccbierzo.net, but information about the hillfort may be integrated into the main town hall site or the Bierzo Regional Council tourism section.
• Phone: 987 565 079 / 987 565 082 (Peranzanes Municipal Tourist Office)
• Email: aytoperanzanes@gmail.com 
• RRSS: Turismo del Bierzo (Facebook) – The official Turismo del Bierzo page (@turismobierzo) usually posts content and news about the hillfort and the Fornela Valley.

🗣️ Languages for public assistance: At the Castro de Chano Interpretation Center and for guided visits, public service is mainly in Spanish.

🕒 Hours:

• Summer season (June 23 – September 30): open daily from 10:30 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:00
• Winter season (October 1 – June 22): visits by appointment.

For winter visits, it is necessary to call in advance the Peranzanes Town Hall, which manages the bookings. The archaeological site itself is open 24 hours.

♿ Accessibility: The Interpretation Center is accessible for people with reduced mobility. However, access to the archaeological site (the hillfort itself) has difficulties:

• Accessible via a 500-meter path from the recreation area and Interpretation Center.
• Although the path is short and generally easy, the terrain is natural, typical of a mountain environment and an open-air site, with possible slopes, stones, or uneven ground that hinder or prevent access for wheelchair users or people with very reduced mobility.
• Interpretation Center: Accessible
• Hillfort site: Not fully accessible for people with reduced mobility due to the terrain characteristics