Moorish remains |
Yunquera is in the heart of the Serranía de las
Nieves, and borders with the eastern end of the Serranía de Ronda. The
surrounding landscape is very beautiful, with an abundance of the rare
pinsapo (Mediterranean pine) growing in the mountains.
More than half of the municipality is at an average altitude of 800 metres
above sea level, favourable to the growth of the pinsapo tree but making
agriculture difficult, with dry summers and cold winters. There are three
different climatic zones here: from 400 to 700 metres high, the climate is
temperate Mediterranean, with olive and orange trees growing; from 700 to
1,100 metres high, the land is covered in cork trees, and from 1,100 metres
upwards, there is pine and pinsapo forest, the trees capable of surviving
for a long time without water.
The Moors were experts in irrigation technology, and their intelligent use
of the water from the Planos and Alfaguara rivers allowed for the existence
of the town. The land they irrigated provided sufficient food for Yunquera,
and a different type of agriculture was carried out on the rest of the land.
The origin of the name goes back to the time of the Romans, the first
settlers that we know of in the area. They called it Juncaira, Junca meaning
beside (the river) and aira meaning abundant. The absence of Roman roads in
the area would suggest that it was not important for the defence of the
empire, and no Roman remains have been found in Yunquera.
But it was important for the Moors, and they left
ample evidence of their stay here. In 1845, the townspeople requested that
the town become part of the Ronda administrative area. The economy at that
time was based on cattle breeding and wine production, and Yunquera had a
population then of more than 4,000 people, a thousand more than in the
present day.
Places
to be visited
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Moorish
Hermitage and Torre-Castillo
One of the few remains from Moorish times in Yunquera is the
Moorish Hermitage, about half a kilometre from the town, with the
Muslim half-moon over the door still visible. It is believed that
a tunnel led from here to the castle. The castle itself is
situated on the higher part of the town, and was built in two
storeys, the ground floor for storage and the upper floor for
vigilance. It is at present undergoing restoration.
Church of Nuestra Señora de la
Encarnación
This church is approximately two centuries old, built in the 18th
century by the people of the town. Inside is a mixture of styles,
and what the people of the place call the Half Moon is, in fact, a
false dome made of plaster. The ground plan is in the shape of the
Latin cross, divided into three naves. There are three entrances
to the building, the main one opposite the main altar, the second
through the wall on the left and the third on the right hand side
leading to the priest’s house.
Hermitage of the Cruz del Pobre and
Ermita del Carmen
This is a small building that is referred to by the people of the
town as the Cathedral of the Serranía. It measures 25 by 15
metres across and 10 metres high, with two naves separated by five
pillars and semicircular arches. The altar is fairly new, the old
one having had three niches built into it, and to the right of it
was a timber pulpit. The now altar is decorated in geometric and
plant designs, with religious figures. The Hermitage of Ntra. Sra.
del Carmen dates from the 18th century, and suffered
restoration in 1929. It was built in a simple rectangular shape
with a timber ceiling, and is of simple design on the outside.
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| Where
to eat |
Restaurante
Asencio. Local cuisine and large dining room.
C/Mesones, 1, Tel: 952 482 716.
Restaurante El Abanico. C/Calvario,
14. Tel: 952 482 896.
Don Serrano. Specialising in
barbecued meats. Avda. Sierra de las Nieves, 26. 952 482 521.
Bar-Restaurante Merino.
Specialising in meat and fish. Avda. C/Nacimiento, 14. 952 482
733.
Restaurante El Castillo. Meals
and tapas. La Venta. Tel: 952 482 592.
Bar El Quini. Dining room and
tapas at the bar. C/La Venta, s/n. 952 482 503.
Restaurante La Cabaña. Terrace,
dining room and tapas. Cruz del Pobre. Tel: 952 482 610.
Bar Pedro. Dining room and
tapas. C/La Venta, s/n. 952 482 773.
Tapas
Bar Merino. Plaza de la
Constitución, 3, Bar Caballo Rojo.
C/Calvario, 11, Bar El Grajo.
Avda. Sierra de las Nieves, 58, Bar
Bartolo. C/Calvario, 3, Bar
Casa Pepe. C/Calvario, Bodega Porfín. C/Agua, 26, Bar
Miguelín. C/Mesones, 2. 952 482 809, La
Cervecería. C/Andalucía, 27, Bar
Alex. C/Calvario, 6, Bar
Vietnam. C/Calvario, Bodega
Quitapenas. C/Agua, 26, Bodega
Casa Pedro. C/ Nueva, 15, Bar
El Molino. C/Calvario, s/n, Bar
La Cueva. C/Agua, s/n, Taberna
Antonio López. C/Agua, s/n.
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| Where
to sleep |
Casa
rural El Molino de la Teja. C/Sauquillo, 14. Tel: 952
482 775.
Hostal Asencio. C/Mesones, 1.
Tel: 952 482 716.
Camping Pinsapo Azul (3ª categ.).
Camino Sierra de las Nieves, s/n. Tel: 952 482 754.
Rental of rural houses. Tourist
Office, C/Calvario, 18. Tel: 952 482 501.
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga
(in
Spanish)
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Parish Church |
FIESTAS
The biggest festival in Yunquera is
celebrated in honour of the patron saints of the town, the Virgen del
Rosario and San Sebastián, in which the image of the Virgen is brought
through the streets in procession. The thrones on which they are carried
halt before the college to view the fireworks display. Among the most
interesting Romerías in the town is the Romería de Porticate, in which
families and emigrants reunite in procession behind the Virgen. Holy Week,
Carnival and Corpus Christi are the other big festivals that take place in
the town during the year.
GASTRONOMY
One of the most traditional dishes in Yunquera is the kid stew, cooked
over a slow wood fire. This is not a dish one can simply request in any
restaurant, but a tradition that goes back many years, in which a kid goat
is sacrificed for the occasion. Other popular dishes here include rabbit
in garlic sauce, tomato soup and stews. A dish that is unique to Yunquera
is the colmenilla, or cagarria, whose main ingredient is a type of
mushroom that grows in the shade of the pinsapo trees in March and April,
but only if the weather is favourable. The local cuisine also features
roast meats and omelettes.
There is a great tradition in Yunquera of pastry
making, a relic of Moorish times and inspired by Moorish recipes. The
pastries of the town include doughnuts made with wine and small savoury
pies.
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