As Yunquera stood next to one of only two passes that crossed the eastern mountains of the Serranîa de Ronda, in addition to possessing abundant water from the mountain springs, it is not surprising that the first human settlements here appeared as early as Prehistoric times, as witnessed by the archaeological site at the nearby Jorox Valley in neighbouring Alozaina.

In any event, the earliest mention of human transformation of the landscape point to man’s presence here in Roman times, when a number of farmhouses and villas were built near the local springs. The Romans called the area "Juncaria", meaning “reservoir” or “field of reeds”.

Later, the Arabs would take better advantage of the area by introducing fields irrigated by the waters of the nearby springs. This agricultural tradition has survived to the present day, in particular in the attractive locations at the bottom of the valleys of the River Grande and its tributary, the River Jorox. In fact, agricultural activity has extended to the peaks and slopes of the high plateau, where significant numbers of olive groves are now cultivated. At the centre of this plateau stands the village itself.

As mentioned earlier, the original village may well have existed in Roman times, being replaced later by an Arabic settlement. One of the few surviving traces of the Muslim occupation is the Ermita Mora, which stands some 500 metres from the village. This hermitage was once linked by a tunnel to the castle, which stood on Yunquera’s highest point and consisted of two floors that were restored in the 19th century. This also appears to have been built by the Arabs, and during the War of Independence it served as a watchtower from which signals could be sent using torches and candles. A cylindrical mass crowned by battlements, its reconstructed red stone tower stands on a hill surrounded by olive trees.

However, modern Yunquera dates back to the repopulation that took place after the Christian conquest. Its old centre is well worth visiting in order to relive the past through an urban layout that still conserves its mediaeval design. Its architecture is rustic in style, its low, two-floor houses featuring Arabic-tiled rooftops and whitewashed exteriors. Its streets and squares transport us back to days gone by: Plaza del Poyo is the focal point of the village, while Calle Virgen del Rosario and Calle Sor Teresa Mora are its main thoroughfares. Other streets are home to fountains of crystalline water, such as the pillar in Calle Nueva, the fountain in Calle del Castillo and El Poyo, a rectangular fountain with three spouts. Strolling on, we come to the Iglesia de la Encarnación, built in the 18th century, the Ermita del Cristo de la Cruz del Pobre (on the outskirts) and the Puente de Palo, a bridge along which a small aqueduct once ran, its wooden channels crossing a path that is now a main road. Nowadays, the water runs through an arch with a masonry bed which enables the aerial piping to compensate for the different levels that prevail between the area’s numerous cultivated terraces. Yunquera’s three symbols are its castle (the tower), the Spanish fir and the mountain goat.

The municipal area, which covers some 55 square kilometres, stretches from El Peñón de los Enamorados and the Tajo de la Caîna to the confluence of the Rivers Grande and Jorox. The local economy is based on agriculture, mainly the cultivation of fruit trees, olives and chestnuts, though potatoes, corn and vegetables are also grown.