Yunquera
Set below the heights of the Serranía de Ronda and the start of the Hoya de Málaga range, this pueblo sits between El Burgo and Alozaina on the Ronda-Málaga road. It is a relatively large village with today over 3,000 inhabitants. The surrounding peaks reach over 1500m and winter snows cover them for two or three weeks each year. Though the village itself is only 681 metres above sea level, the surrounding irrigated valleys are considered to be the source of the watered Río Grande. Indeed, a translation of the later associated place name of Juncaira (Junca - beside the river - and Aira -abundance of water), acknowledges how important water was to this mountainous area.
The lower region of the municipality may have been home to early man, but the majority of the mountainous zone, with an average height of 800 metres above sea level, was not attractive. The Romans seem to have been the first people to bring some order to this harsh land. The mountains contained various minerals such as lead and silver and so a paved branch road was built into the area, connecting the area to Cartama and Málaga.
