Almogía travel information and video

Almogia

Almogia is set in the foothills of the Sierra del Hacho in the shadow of the Sancti-Perti peak. The surrounding area is irresistibly gorgeous; standing on a steep hill the town still retains its original Moorish layout, with steep, narrow streets of whitewashed houses.

Almogia is located roughly half way between the centre of the city of Málaga (30 kilometres, 40 minutes drive) and Antequera (35 kilometres, 50 minutes drive). The distance to Antequera is shorter as the crow flies, but standing in the path are are the majestic mountains of Torcal, a seemingly alien landscape of weathered limestone forced upwards millions of year ago, the rock formations are akin to giant discs sat atop of one another, it looks like a graveyard of the Gods.

History
The name Almogia is derived from the Moorish Al-Mexia meaning the pretty one, an apt title for this charming town.

The castle, known as the Hins-Xan-Biter (Sancti-Petri, after the mountain), is the most prominent structure in Almogia, although most of it is in ruins. The town’s main church is the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, which was built over the ruins of a mosque deliberately destroyed after the re-occupation.

The church boasts numerous religious icons including a portrait of the hermit St Paul. The second most sacred structure in the town is the Ermita del Sagrado Corazón (sacred heart) located in the upper part of the town. The building that survives today was built in the 18th century and has a small bell tower; it was originally used by nuns living in the adjoining convent, which was demolished in the 19th century. The town also has a shrine of Christ in Calle Santo Cristo, the only surviving example of no less than fourteen that were erected around the town.

Beaches
The nearest beaches are those in Málaga, although Málaga is a thriving and industrious city, the beaches are very well maintained and very pretty. The journey will take around 40 minutes by car.

Golf
The nearest golf courses are Parador Golf in Málaga (the oldest course on the Costa del Sol), located to the west of the city and El Candado to the east. Both are around 30 kilometres from Almogia, journey time is approximately 35 minutes by car.

Cuisine
Almogia's cuisine is typical of the area, with lots of seafood and rice on the menu. Until recent years there were far too few restaurants in Almogia until almost simultaneously four restaurants opened up.

There are a number of older cafés and tapas bars, where you can enjoy a relaxed meal. Tapas portions come in a Tapa, Ración or Media Ración; a tapa being the smallest and a ración (ration) normally being sufficient to share amongst friends. Some more traditional bars will often present you with a tapa each time you order a caña (small beer), meaning you get a free lunch with your beer!

Climate
Almogia enjoys a sub-tropical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and warm winters. Divided from the sea by the mountains means the heat can soar in summer, but it remains comfortable for the most part. Temperatures are an average of 32 ºC during the summer months.