In the 1920s, a resort town was built on the shores of Lake Epecuen in Argentina. The unique medicinal properties of the reservoir attracted thousands of people from all over the world who wanted to improve their health and relax on its shores. The resort thrived for over half a century until it sank underwater in 1985.
Lake Epecuen is located 600 kilometers southwest of Buenos Aires. The reservoir differs from other mountain lakes in the level of salinity. Its salt concentration is ten times higher than that of the ocean. The lake is considered the second most salty lake in the world after the Dead Sea. Salt and minerals contained in the water improve skin condition, relieve depression, treat rheumatism, anemia and diabetes. All of its healing properties have been known since ancient times, but there was no appropriate infrastructure near the lake, so those who wanted to get medical treatment had to sacrifice comfort, settling down on the shore in the tents they brought with them.
The salt concentration in the lake is ten times higher than in the ocean.
Gradually, a small village grew up on the shore of the lake, and the fame of its “magic” effect reached even Europe. The remote village began to turn into a tourist resort: sanatoriums, hotels and shops were built everywhere. A railway line was stretched to the town, connecting it with Buenos Aires.
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For a long time the main problem of the city was the lack of fresh water. To provide her with the city, it was decided to build a reservoir nearby.
Together with the development of transport links, this provided the city with a constant flow of tourists. For the inhabitants of South America, relaxing on the waters of Villa Epecuen became a tradition, which was soon followed by wealthy Europeans. By the 1960s, the resort hosted 25,000 tourists a year. The population of the city itself peaked in the 1970s, when there were over 5,000 inhabitants.
In 1978, malfunctions were discovered in the hydraulic system, due to which water splashed and flooded the beaches. To solve the problem, it was decided to discharge water from Epekuen to irrigated fields and to strengthen the banks of the resort with a dam.
In November 1985, clear weather was replaced by heavy rains. Under the pressure of water, the dam could not withstand and a breakthrough occurred. The water flooded the city, and in a couple of weeks its level rose by two meters. Residents had no choice but to leave the city, which every day went more and more under the water.
By 1993, Villa Epecuen was 10 meters under water.
In the 2000s, the waters began to recede. At first the roofs of houses appeared, and soon the whole streets. The city burst out of the water was a continuous ruin, reminiscent of either the echo of war or the apocalypse.
Despite the fact that only heaps of stones and fragments of walls and roofs remained from the city, among the former residents of Villa Epecuen there were those who wanted to return. In 2011, 81-year-old Pablo Novak was the only resident of the ghost town.
