Once we already proposed amazing routes for traveling through underground tunnels (part I, part II). Today we have prepared an equally interesting review: underwater cities of the world, mysterious and rich in history. We will talk about several of them in this article.
Lion City in China
The settlement at the bottom of the Thousand Island Lake in Zhejiang Province is not the mythical Atlantis, but a real city, deliberately flooded by the Chinese government in 1959 during the construction of a dam. Just imagine – this place with a thousand-year history was “mothballed” half a century ago and turned into a real underwater museum. Today you can go down to the bottom of the lake and admire the ancient stone lions, dragons and phoenixes. The easiest place to find a suitable dive operator is in a major city, such as Shanghai. Companies like Big Blue Scuba (link to website),
will be happy to help you go on an adventure. Equipment rental cost will be approximately $40. Don’t forget your passport and diving certificate, which will be given to you at the diving center.
Villa Epecuen in Argentina
This is more of a village than a city, and it is “formerly underwater” – the water has mostly receded and you won’t have to put on a spacesuit. But it’s still worth visiting here. Villa Epecuen is not a completely uninhabited place; Today, this village, once flooded by the waters of a nearby lake, is home to a single resident, about whom a film was even made. What tourists see is a gloomy landscape of dead trees, rusty bed frames, car frames and stairs leading to nowhere. You can visit the ghost village yourself by reaching the city of Carue, which is located in the province of Buenos Aires, and from it Epecuen is only 7 kilometers.
Ruins of Reshen and Graun in Italy
This mysterious place in Alto Adige also owes its appearance to the dam. Almost nothing remains of the villages of Reschen and Graun, which were flooded more than 60 years ago, except for the 14th century bell tower rising above the water. You can get close to its walls in winter, when the lake freezes, or in the warm season, by boat. Rumor has it that church bells can sometimes be heard there, even though they were removed from the bell tower many years ago.
Port Royal in Jamaica
The former capital of the British colony of the same name is the oldest surviving underwater settlement accessible to tourists. For three centuries now, under the waters of the Caribbean Sea lie the remains of a once thriving center of maritime trade, which sank under water in 1692 during a strong earthquake. In these places you will find everything you need to see: several hundred shipwrecks, cobbled streets and skeletons of buildings. To hit the road, it is best to stay at one of the hotels on the island of Roatan, where you will be offered a ride to the sunken city. The cost of diving to the ruins of Port Royal will be $80 — $100.
Source: Thrillist Travel
