Country
Fossil hunting in Mexico
Mexico's deep-time record spans from Cambrian trilobites in Sonora to Mesozoic marine Lagerstätten in Puebla and Cretaceous dinosaur trackways in Coahuila. Cantera Tlayúa in southern Puebla, comparable to Solnhofen, is the most important Cretaceous fossil locality in the Americas.
All fossils in Mexico are federal heritage under the Ley Federal sobre Monumentos y Zonas Arqueológicos. Collection and export by visitors are illegal. Most marquee sites are accessed via community museums and small Geoparks rather than national parks, with quarry visits arranged through local guides.
Spanish-language ability and a hired driver are strongly recommended for off-the-beaten-path sites. The Tepexi de Rodríguez area has its own annual fossil festival when visitor access is easiest.
Top picks: Cantera Tlayúa, Tepexi de Rodríguez, Puebla (Cretaceous fish Lagerstätte, guided quarry visit via community museum).
2 fossil sites
Updated 31 July 2026
