Viewpoint of las canteras

The route along the path-viewpoint offers a panoramic view of the central core of the Macael quarries. In this deposit are the main marble reserves of all the Spanish State, followed at a considerable distance by those of Huelva. Marble is a metamorphic rock, the result of a recrystallization process, in which conchiferous fossil remains are present. As a result of this process, calcite and dolomite are generated, from the original limestones and dolomites. This metamorphism, in which mechanical, thermal and geochemical factors are present, is generated in underground environments. Its laminar disposition and its mining accessibility are the results of tectonic forces and the dynamics of the creeping mantles of the Betic mountain ranges. All this complex process concludes with the offer of marble, noble material, appreciated and constant presence in the monumental architecture and outstanding since antiquity. It can be observed the difficulty of exploitation, and the technical sophistication and machinery necessary for extraction.