4 underwater cities worth a visit
Lion City in China
A settlement at the bottom of the Lake of a thousand islands in Zhejiang is not mythical Atlantis, but a real city, deliberately flooded by the Chinese government in 1959 during the construction of the dam. Just imagine – this place with a thousand-year history half a century ago was “mothballed” 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 way to find a suitable operator for diving in a large city, for example, in Shanghai. Companies such as Big Blue Scuba will be happy to help you go on an adventure. Equipment rental cost is approximately $ 40. Do not forget your passport and diving certificate, which will be issued to you at the diving center.
Villa Epequen in Argentina
This is more of a village than a city, and it is from the “former underwater” – the water has basically receded and you don’t have to put on a spacesuit. But it’s still worth a visit. Villa Epecuen cannot be called a completely uninhabited place; today in this village, once flooded by the waters of a nearby lake, there lives the only resident about whom a film was even made. What opens up to the gaze of tourists looks like a gloomy landscape of dead trees, rusty bed frames, carcasses and stairs leading to nowhere. You can independently visit the ghost village, reaching the city of Karou, which is located in the province of Buenos Aires, and from it to Epecuen only 7 kilometers.
Ruins Reshen and Graun in Italy
This mysterious place in Alto Adige also owes its appearance to the dam. From the villages Reshen and Graun flooded more than 60 years ago, almost nothing was left except the bell tower of the XIV century, towering above the water. You can come close to its walls in winter, when the lake freezes, or in the warm season, by boat. Rumor has it that sometimes you can hear the chime of church bells, despite the fact that they were removed from the bell tower many years ago.
Port Royal in Jamaica
The former capital of the eponymous British colony is the oldest surviving and accessible underwater settlement for tourists. For the past three centuries, under the waters of the Caribbean Sea, the remains of the once flourishing center of maritime trade have been buried, plunged underwater in 1692 during a major earthquake. In these places, you will find everything you need to see: several hundred sunken ships, cobbled streets, and skeletons of buildings. To go on a trip, it is best to stay in one of the hotels on the island of Roatan, where you will be offered to cross to the sunken city. The cost of diving to the ruins of Port Royal will be $ 80 – $ 100.
