Ermita de l'Abellera, Hermitage church in Prades, Spain.

The Ermita de l'Abellera is a single-nave hermitage church built in 1570 against a cliff at 1,020 metres, about 2 km east of Prades. It occupies a rock shelter where hermits had lived, and its stone walls and bell tower added in 1578 follow the shape of the crag.

Hermits occupied the rock shelter before any building existed; tradition links it to Bernat Boïl, apostolic legate to America in 1493. The chapel itself was built in 1570 and blessed by the rector of Prades in 1574. A bell tower was added in 1578, and major renovations followed in the late 17th or early 18th century. The late Gothic polychrome alabaster Virgin was destroyed in 1936 and remade in Sarral marble in 1940 from photographs.

The name Abellera refers to the bees and honey that, by tradition, led a shepherd to find the Virgin's image among oak branches and brambles. Devotion remains rooted: pilgrimages are held at the hermitage and honey-cake dances are performed. According to Amades, the cult continues an older local agricultural deity. A pedró near the chapel honours Melcior Font, who wrote its goigs.

Visitors can obtain an entrance key from Bar Tomaset or the local tourist office to access the interior. The location at altitude and proximity to hiking routes make sturdy footwear and extra time worthwhile for exploring the site.

The sanctuary was cleverly built directly into a natural cave formation, with rock walls serving as actual structural elements. This integration with the landscape demonstrates how builders worked in harmony with the mountain rather than against it.