Pedra da Mua dinosaur footprints

At the end of the Jurassic, roughly 142 to 146 million years ago, this cliff at Cabo Espichel, the headland west of Sesimbra, was a flat, muddy shore. Dinosaurs walked across it and left prints, which were buried, turned to stone and later tipped up to a steep angle as the land moved. Today the trackways look as if dinosaurs had walked straight up the rock, which is exactly the kind of weird that stays with children.

The site is free, the walk to the viewpoint is short and easy, and on a Wednesday afternoon you can add a climb up a working lighthouse on the same cape.

The rock holds eight layers with about 40 well-preserved trackways and roughly 700 footprints. Thirty-eight trackways were made by sauropods, the huge long-necked plant-eaters that walked on four legs, and two by theropods, the meat-eaters that walked on two.

The most famous part is on the third layer, where six young sauropods walked side by side in parallel lines at the same speed. It is described as the best example in Europe of small sauropods moving together as a herd, so the site helped show that these dinosaurs travelled in groups. Ask children to find the parallel lines through binoculars and imagine the herd walking along the shore.

Scientists from the University of Lisbon looked into reports of the prints in 1971 and published photos of sauropod tracks in 1976, with fuller studies in 1992 and 1993. The site became a protected Natural Monument in 1997 and has been part of the Arrábida Natural Park since 2005.

Long before anyone knew about dinosaurs, local fishermen had their own explanation. They said the Virgin Mary appeared at the top of the cape, carried up the steep rocks by a mule that left its hoofprints behind. The name Pedra da Mua means the mule’s stone. Tile panels telling the story, dated to the 15th century, decorate the small Ermida da Memória chapel on the cape. Children enjoy comparing the legend with the science, and it’s a good way into how people explained fossils before palaeontology.

The road to Cabo Espichel is well signposted, and there’s a signposted car park just before the sanctuary buildings. From there it’s about 1.3 kilometres on a solid dirt track with a gentle slope to a viewpoint with a wooden railing. The prints are across a bay from the viewpoint, and seeing them close up would need climbing gear, so binoculars make a real difference and small children may need help working out what they’re looking at. Information boards explain the fossils in Portuguese and English, and trail signs also point to the Lagosteiros footprints, a second protected site nearby. The Lagosteiros tracks are younger, at about 130 million years old, so you can compare the two on one visit.

The Portuguese Navy opens many of its working lighthouses to the public for free on Wednesday afternoons, and when we checked in September 2026 the Farol do Cabo Espichel was on the list of lighthouses open. Visits run every Wednesday except public holidays, from 14:00 to 17:00 in summer time and 13:30 to 16:30 in winter. You sign up on the spot on the day, numbers are limited by the lighthouse’s size, and visits can be cancelled or cut short without notice because it is a working navigation light. Plan the footprints walk for the morning and the lighthouse after lunch.

For children interested in how things work, a lighthouse is a big machine: a powerful lamp and lenses that focus the light into a beam and turn it so ships see a pattern of flashes that tells them which lighthouse it is.

• Toddlers enjoy the walk in a carrier or on foot and the idea of dinosaur feet, though the prints are far away.
• Ages 4 to 7 like spotting the trackways with binoculars and hearing the mule legend.
• Ages 8 to 12 can follow individual trackways, count prints and talk about herds.
• Teenagers interested in geology get the full story of layers, tilting rock and 145 million years.

This is an exposed cape with high cliffs. Hold hands near the edge, stay behind the railings, and expect wind and strong sun with little shade. Bring water, hats and a windproof layer whatever the season. The sanctuary buildings near the car park have facilities.

The walk to the viewpoint is on a solid dirt track, so it suits most families. Guided walks to the tracks sometimes run; GreenTrekker held a long one in 2023 (10 km, about five hours) that was too demanding for young children. Watch local listings if you’d like a guide.

Sesimbra is a short drive back, with a beach and fishing harbour; from there you can join a dolphin trip with Batnavo. The beaches of the Arrábida coast, such as Portinho da Arrábida, are a little further east. For more dinosaurs, see life-size models at Dino Parque Lourinhã or walk right beside the tracks at the Serra de Aire dinosaur footprints.

Can you see the dinosaur footprints at Cabo Espichel for free?

Yes. The site and viewpoint are free, with a signposted car park and a walk of about 1.3 km.

Can you walk on the Pedra da Mua footprints?

No. They are on a steep cliff across a bay from the viewpoint. Bring binoculars.

How long is the walk to Pedra da Mua?

About 1.3 km each way on a wide dirt track with a gentle slope.

Can you go up the Cabo Espichel lighthouse?

On Wednesday afternoons, except public holidays, the Navy opens it for free visits when it’s on its open list. Sign up on the spot; visits can be cancelled without notice.

Is it suitable for young children?

Yes, with care. The walk is easy, but the cape has high cliffs and strong wind, so hold hands near the edge.