A dinosaur park with plastic dinos completes a spectacular rock face near Sucre, where several thousand dinosaur tracks from the Cretaceous period have survived to the present day.
About 5km from Sucre lies a Bolivian sight that is a whopping 68 million years old. On a 1.2km long sandstone wall, the huge Cal Orck'o cliff, there are about 5000 dinosaur footprints.
At that time, the present rock face was a shallow beach in whose sand the imprints remained, fossilised and were lifted to their present position with the unfolding of the Andes. It is assumed that there are other traces hidden under the visible upper layer.
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PICTURES: Dinosaur Park near Sucre
Photo gallery: Dinosaur Park near Sucre
Discovery of dinosaur tracks near Sucre
Exactly 5055 impressions from the Cretaceous period were discovered on the site of a cement company under several layers of sediment and form one of the largest collections of fossilised dinosaur tracks in the world.
The dinosaur tracks can be admired from a platform about 150m away, binoculars are available. The biggest highlight is the 347m-long track of a baby Tyrannosaurus Rex, which was christened Johnny Walker post mortem. On a 260m-long path at the foot of the rock face, the spectacular remains of the Cretaceous period can be viewed from a closer distance.
Best time to travel and how to get to the dinosaur tracks near Sucre
The dinosaur park and the cliff are located about 5km outside Sucre on the road to Cochabamba and are easy to reach by car. If you are travelling by public transport, you can use the shuttle service. The bus, also known as the "Sauromobil" or "Dino Truck", leaves from Plaza 25 de Mayo in front of the cathedral. Bus No. 4 also goes to the Dinosaur Park.
The best time to visit the dinosaur park is at noon between 12 and 2 pm. This is the best time to see and photograph the dinosaur tracks. You should plan 2 to 3 hours for a visit to the dinosaur park near Sucre. The view of the rock face does not take long, but there is a lot to see in the adjacent dinosaur park.
Parque Cretácico - The Chalk Park
To give the extraordinary rock face that certain something for tourists, a theme park was set up. Between the trees, the gigantic dinosaurs in the dinosaur park appear almost lifelike. The monstrous titanosaur, measuring 36 by 18 metres, is one of the largest statues in the world.
With several skeletons and life-size dinosaur figures, the theme park makes a visit to Dinosaur Tracks an impressive experience, especially for children. A good half-hour tour of the dinosaur world, offered in Spanish, English and French, is included in the admission price. The colourful children's playground in Sucre's dinosaur park is also all about the extinct giant lizards.
