Monumento Natural de Carenque

Monumento Natural de Carenque is a dinosaur trackway site in Belas, just west of Lisbon and right next to Amadora. The footprints are preserved on a limestone slab in a former quarry and date from the Late Cretaceous, roughly 90 to 95 million years ago. The site has held natural monument status since 1997.

What is this place?

The prints were exposed in an abandoned limestone quarry in the Quinta de Santa Luzia area. Today it counts among the most significant palaeontological sites in the Lisbon metropolitan region. It lies within the municipality of Sintra, next to densely built neighbourhoods, so a record of life from millions of years ago sits almost among apartment blocks and access roads.

Why are the tracks special?

The rock surface preserves many footprints arranged in long trails. One trackway runs about 130 metres, and there are more than a hundred prints in total. According to scientific descriptions and the protection decree, it is among the largest continuous sites of its kind. Importantly, Carenque holds tracks of both plant-eating and meat-eating dinosaurs, and it is the only site in Portugal of this age with both. Some of the prints are attributed to two-legged predators of the theropod group.

The limestone formed in the Cenomanian, when the Lisbon region was covered by warm, shallow water and flat coastal plains. Animals walked across soft sediment, which later hardened and kept their steps.

Legal protection

The site was protected by Decree 19/97 of 5 May 1997, which gave it natural monument rank. It falls under Portugal's nature and forest conservation institute, the ICNF.

Can you visit?

Be realistic here. The land is privately owned, and the condition of the footprints has caused real concern in recent years. The press has reported neglect, and a court ordered the site to be cleaned. The ICNF has announced plans to assess the state of conservation, and an interpretation centre has been discussed. There is no confirmed regular guided access, so check current information with the ICNF or the local council before you go.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Monumento Natural de Carenque? In Belas, municipality of Sintra, near Amadora, about 15 km from central Lisbon.

How old are the footprints? Estimated at 90 to 95 million years, from the Late Cretaceous.

Which dinosaurs left the tracks? Both herbivores and two-legged carnivorous theropods.

Is it officially protected? Yes. It has been a natural monument since 1997 under Decree 19/97.

Is entry open to everyone? There is no confirmed open public access. The land is private, so ask about current rules first.

Who is it for?

It suits palaeontology and geology fans visiting Lisbon and its surroundings, and travellers who collect unusual natural sites. If you enjoy places with deep natural history, add it to your favourites in NextOnTrip and check access status right before your trip. Consider building a longer day around Sintra, where palaces, hills and the Atlantic coast sit alongside the dinosaur tracks.