AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Plaza de la Ermita is a small, elevated square in the hilltop village of Almogía, a whitewashed Moorish settlement in the Guadalhorce Valley just north of Málaga city. The plaza takes its name from its centerpiece, the Ermita del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Hermitage of the Sacred Heart of Jesus), an 18th-century chapel that also serves as the spiritual home of Almogía's patron saints, San Roque and San Sebastián.↗↗
The square is more than a religious site. Almogía is celebrated as the birthplace of Verdiales — a vibrant, ancient form of Andalusian folk music and dance — and Plaza de la Ermita is the symbolic starting point of any visit, marked by a monument honoring one of the tradition's most beloved figures. From here, visitors can take in the layered character of this hilltop pueblo: its tight lanes of white walls and terracotta roofs, panoramic views over the valley, and a warmth that tourism guides consistently highlight.↗↗
The Hermitage at the Heart of the Plaza
The Ermita del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús is a compact, lovingly maintained chapel that occupies the upper edge of Almogía. Its current form dates to the 18th century, though records show a religious building on the site as early as 1521 — placing this square among the oldest continuous places of worship in the area. The hermitage is attached to the footprint of a former convent-asylum dedicated to the Sacred Heart, which no longer stands but gave the plaza a richer ecclesiastical past.
