Cantera: The Green Stone of Oaxaca

Anyone visiting Oaxaca City’s UNESCO World Heritage Centre cannot fail to notice the distinctly green color of the stone in many buildings. Cathedrals, government buildings, and road surfaces have the same cool, pale olive hue.

This is Cantera, a volcanic rock found across Mexico and Central America. It is named after the Spanish word for Quarry. Lightweight and porous, it lends itself to easy cutting and carving and is popular for building worldwide as it handles wet conditions without expanding and crumbling.

Oaxaca’s Cantera Verde is unusually green and contributes greatly to the beauty of the capital city of Eléctrico Mezcal’s home state. Verde Antequera, or The Green Antique, is an old nickname derived from the early Hispanic name for the city, Nueva Antequera, and the color of its walls and pavements.