A long time ago, the valley of Cerbère, was covered by forest, and wild life. Ancient writings of Greeks, like Strabon, or Romans like Pline the Young, in their description of the ancient world, often talked about a place populated by deer, "locus cervaria", in the Gaul ends.

In the IIIrd century BC , the Greeks settled in Empurias, fifty kilometres south. After the Greeks, the Romans developed the city over 600 years. The Valley of deer., was found on the main road from Empurias to Portus Veneris (Port-Vendres), and Illiberis (Elne).

From more olden days, some menhir, or dolmen, steel erected, and fully protected, are found all around the Albera range, from Colera in Spain, up to Cerbère. During many centuries , people were scared by these "devil stones".

It was "Charlemagne", and his son Charles "the bald" , that worked at the European reunification, and started the building of Churches, and Monasteries, in the IX th century. Elne was the first city to receive a bishop's palace., then Saint André in Sorede, Saint Genis des Fontaines, etc …and Sant Quirze de Culera.

During that time, a small chapel named Sent Salvador de cervera, is joined to the Monastery of Sant Quirze. At that same time, many lands were sold, let , or taken, and writings founded. One can read: the cove of "Par Im Baus" (Terrimbo), the "cala de Par Baus" (Port-Bou), and the one of "Baus fallut" (Bou fallut in the Cap Cerbère).

The valley of Sant Salvador de cervera was continuously inhabited in the XIV th century by two families: the March, and the Bonavia , people related to the Lord Jehan de Pavo, Donzell Damoiseau de Cervera et de Quer roig.

"Quer Roig" is the name of a headland on the top of which was built a watch castle. It is the red colour of the local stones, or the fire lights on top to warn of invaders, that gave the name to the place: nobody knows, but often the terms Caro Rubio, or Quer Roig appear as a boundary of the territory.

Slowly, this valley became a dependency of the fishermen from Banyuls de la Marenda.

In December 1640, Louis the XIII of France and the "Generalitat de Catalunya" made a pact, against the Spanish Kingdom. After the conquest of the Roussillon, the Pyrenean Treaty was signed in 1659. The Latin description "locus cervaria finis galliae" (Gaul finishes where live deer), gave the south French territory boundary.

Until the French revolution, the valley of Cervera was not busy. But, in 1789, the revolution liberated the privileges, and the title deeds, gave a chance to people to extend their vineyards up to the valley of Cervera.

In 1820, ten families lived permanently in our valley, with a few seasonal fishermen. During this time smuggling with Spain started along the coast. The customs administration created an office in Cerbère in 1841, in front of the scale of deals.

The real booster for the town was the birth of the Railway. In 1846, the French Government started the study for the railway line joining Spain. Fortunately for us the coastal layout was chosen. In 1858, the line to Perpignan was opened, then Port-Vendres in 1867, and Cerbère in 1878.

Then business increasing due to the rail link, Cerbère, small hamlet administratively attached to Banyuls, asked for its own independence. This happened in 1888 (July 15th) when Dominique Mitjaville, former 1st deputy mayor of Banyuls, became the first mayor of Cerbère.

Since that time, all the economic activity has been connected to the railway, the border, and of course the Import-Export of merchandise.