Vale dos Dinossauros

Vale dos Dinossauros is in Paraíba, Brazil. It is a cluster of dinosaur sites, only one of which has some infrastructure for visitors. The main archaeological finds are located in the municipality of Sousa, in the hinterland, about 400 km from the state capital.

Understand

The valley holds over 50 types of ancient animal tracks, including those of stegosaurids, allosauroids, and iguanodonts. The valley covers an area of about 700 km² (270 sq mi) that includes the city of Sousa, Paraíba, and ten other municipalities. Tracks have been found in about 30 locations in the valley, with fossilized footprints of over 80 species at about 20 different stratographic levels. Most of the tracks are of carnivorous dinosaurs.

The tracks the dinosaurs made in the damp earth beside ponds and rivers in rainy periods hardened over long periods of drought, gained new layers of sand and clay from floods, and fossilized. Footprints are as small as 5 centimetres (2.0 in), perhaps from dinosaurs the size of modern chickens, up to 40 centimetres (16 in) long, such as that of a four-ton iguanodon. 

Fees and permits

Entry is free, but if you accept a guide, he will appreciate a R$ 5-10 tip.

Get around

No public transport.

See

• Passagem das Pedras (Crossing of Stones). The most visited site is this island in the bed of the Peixe River. It is about 7 km (4.3 mi) from the urban centre of Sousa.  

Eat

No food can be bought on the sites. There are shady benches near the visitors' centre that are good for a picnic.

Drink

A few soft drinks are sold at the visitors' centre.

Sleep

The best facilities are in Sousa.