Natural Monument of Pedreira do Avelino

Zambujal: in the footsteps of the dinosaurs

In Zambujal, near Sesimbra and Lisbon, you can visit the "Natural Monument of Pedreira do Avelino" where there are 108 dinosaur tracks engraved in the rock. These fossils were found in the 1980s and it took several years of archaeological excavations to bring them to light. 

According to the experts, about 155 million years ago, quadruped and herbivorous dinosaurs with long tails and necks walked in muddy soil, which preserved these traces of their passage. Thanks to these prints we could estimate their size: the biggest had to measure 4 meters at hip height while the smallest was about 1.20 meters.

Today, it is possible to visit this place which has been fitted out to receive visitors. The rock where most of the footprints are located is inclined for easier observation and there are explanatory panels along the way. 

Practical information

To get to the monument, you have to go through the "Rua do Beija Flor" in Zambujal, then take a small path, indicated by a sign "Pegadas de Dinossauros".

Access to this natural monument is possible every day of the year, free of charge. There is a parking lot right next to the site.