Benamocarra is situated 33 km from Málaga and just 9 km from the coast, the closest beach being the naturist beach at Almayate. The town is of Arabic origin and its name derived from Banu Mukarram which means The Tribe of Mukarram who were quite possibly Berbers. Benamocarra was conquered by Ferdinand the Catholic after the capture of Vélez-Málaga in 1487 and the following years proved to be an uneasy time for both Christians and Moslems.After the expulsion of the Moriscos (the Muslim converts to Christianity) in the latter part of the 16th century Christians returned to the town from Antequera, Estepa, Puente Genil and other locations.
The lovely Gothic style church of Santa Ana which was built in the 16th century has a Mudejar tower and is quite majestic inside with its high wooden beamed ceiling and the streets surrounding it are typical of the area, narrow, steep, white washed and full of plant pots brimming with colourful flowers and plants. All the usual facilities are provided with many shops hidden away in houses, banks, hairdressers, bars, restaurants and a health centre.
Benamocarra boasts a music and culture festival with free food and drink to tempt locals and strangers alike and the streets are full of performers playing different types of music from traditional to popular and jazz and even classical being played in the church. It’s certainly a treat for all the senses and a festival that should not be missed. There is another famous festival where the younger members of the community dress up as witches and goblins and in the springtime the annual Romeria.