This Ghost Town in Argentina Was Once a Tourist Attraction

A once-thriving city in western Argentina faced a heavy fate in the 1980s. Find out what happened to Epecuén and why the city used to be a popular tourist spot here.

Aerial shots show a fairly large city with many intersections, houses, and certainly plenty of life within it. But wait: on closer inspection, it's clear that these are all ruins, the city is deserted. And it only resurfaced a few years ago. How can this be?

We are talking about Epecuén in Argentina. The former tourist city is located approximately 600 kilometers southwest of Buenos Aires and was officially founded on January 23, 1921. One reason was the nearby Lago Epecuén, which at the time had the second highest salt content after the Dead Sea. Salt was to be mined and processed here.

But the therapeutic effect of the salty water quickly became known, and Epecuén became increasingly popular with tourists. Health tourism brought hotels, restaurants, and leisure facilities. Numerous thermal baths attracted travelers who wanted to relax here. In addition to the approximately 2,000 locals who lived here, another 5,000 guests would sometimes visit. Even a direct railroad connection to Buenos Aires was established.

However, as early as the 1930s and 1940s, the resort began to waver. The years were extremely dry, and Lago Epecuén shrank more and more. To maintain swimming operations and the tourist flow, a 25-kilometer canal was built. This Ameghino canal collected water from distant bodies of water and channeled it into Lago Epecuén. The only downside: the salt content in the water decreased.

In the 1980s, the turnaround came: it rained heavily, sometimes for weeks. The outflow of the lake was small and in poor condition. In 1985, the clay dams finally broke and water flooded Epecuén. It took only hours for the city to sink into the water masses. Since no one felt able to rebuild the city, it was left to its fate and submerged in the lake for 25 years.

Since 2009, the water has gradually receded, revealing the city once more. Today, the streets are empty, houses and car wrecks are encrusted with salt. And it becomes visible how suddenly the people had to leave Villa Epecuén back then: toys lie on the street, and signs are still labeled. Occasionally, tourists stroll through the city. However, not to enjoy the healing air, but to explore this extraordinary ghost town.

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