Cantera is a volcanic rock that is mined exclusively in Mexico and its name derives from the Spanish word for quarry. Beginning in the late seventeenth century, Spanish stone masons migrating to the region discovered Cantera. They found it as an ideal stone suitable for Mediterranean architecture. Cathedrals, mansions and government buildings, constructed from Cantera more than four hundred years ago continue to look as  impressive as they did when they were originally built. The properties of Cantera are unique in that it offers color, texture, durability and relative lightness. It exhibits a variety of tints and textures and is peppered with basalt flakes or embossed with natural fossils. We offer a wide range of colors from beige and grey, to brown and red to almost pure black.