In South America it has been found a large number of fossils of both dinosaurs and plants. Argentina is one of the countries with the highest quantity. That is why in this article we will talk about the different places in the country where one can go visit and find fossils either in museums or on site.
Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences Bernardino Rivadavia
This museum located in the city of Buenos Aires is the oldest in the country and has one of the richest paleontological exhibitions in terms of quality and quantity of original material and replicas exhibited. The exhibition shows the evolution of life on earth of different groups of animals and plants, as well as their fossilization process.
Route of the Dinosaurs in Argentina
There are several localities in Neuquen that due to its huge number of museums and exhibitions on the subject make it the most important paleontological circuit in South America. In Villa El Chocón you can find fossil remains of plants as well as dinosaur footprints in different layers. In Embalse los Barreales, you can find the Geopaleontological Park Dino Project where fossils from the Cretaceous were found (there are guided tours). Finally, in Plaza Huincul, the remains of the Argentinosaurus, considered the largest dinosaur in the world, are kept.
Jaramillo Petrified Forest National Park
Continuing through Patagonia, we find the famous petrified forests. They are so named because there were strong volcanic eruptions that gave off large amounts of lava and ash that fossilized some of the trees in the lush forests of ancient Patagonia. An example of these forests is the Jaramillo Petrified Forests National Park in the province of Santa Cruz. Here you’ll be able to see logs up to 3 meters in diameter in almost perfect condition. If you want to know more about petrified forests and see other examples in Argentina, you can visit our article La Leona Petrified Forest and Other Woods in Patagonia.
Talampaya National Park
Leaving for the north of the country, in the province of La Rioja, we can find the Talampaya National Park. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO due to the fossil remains of dinosaurs and plants that were found dating back 200 million years ago. This together with the Ichigualasto Provincial Park or Valley of the Moon make up the most complete continental set of fossils in the world.
Custom tours in Argentina and Chile
These are just some examples of places where you can go to see reminiscences of dinosaurs in Argentina. The list extends to other sites such as Estancia Cristina, where you can hike along the “Fossils Canyon”, with different kinds of fossils distributed across the terrain. Here you can see marine fossils that were preserved thanks to glacial activity stand out.
We offer custom tours in Argentina and Chile, and would love to hear about your travel plans so we can design the right experience for you.
As a kick off, we invite you to explore our following tours:
Fitz Roy Trek Patagonia Argentina
