Sunken City; The Atlantis of Costa Rica

Who will not get interested about the lost world of Atlantis? It is a legendary island first introduced by Plato in his writings. Atlantis was described to have great architectural works and amazing buildings. The city was described by Plato to be found just behind the “Pillars of Hercules” in the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, this magical city tragically sank into the ocean in just a day and a night. 

At present, historians and archeologists are still finding evidences about the real existence of Atlantis, or is it just a legend. But what remains true is that the story of the lost city of Atlantis has inspired and still inspiring the world’s literature from fiction novels to movies.

On a brighter note, if you’re looking for a real Atlantis in the present time without even searching the corners of the world to find it, there’s a better way. In Costa Rica there is a real and existing sunken city. Unlike Atlantis, this is believed to be sunken down not because of earthquake and flood, but because of an enlargement of a lake. 

Sunken Towns of Costa Rica

In 1978, the Costa Rican Electrical Company began constructed a hydroelectric plant in order to provide electricity of course to towns of Guanacaste, Limon and Puntarenas. This construction is to extend the area of Lake Arenal and doing this will require sinking of neighboring towns of Arenal, Pueblo Nuevo, La Tronadora, and La Argentina. These towns were flooded and soon became a part of the lake. The residents of the said town were relocated to near areas. The construction of the dam lasted for more than a year and then became the largest man-made lake in Central America. 

At present, the lake’s depth extends up to 200 feet during the wet season. When the season turns dry, the water level of the lake drops down and the remnants of the sunken towns are revealed. There you can see cemetery, a church and series of houses. 

The lake currently provides for the necessity of electricity for the majority of the country, aside from its energy and agricultural importance, the lake is also a great place for fishing and windsurfers. This place is also considered to be a great retiring area for some who wants to relax and enjoy the remaining years of their life. The Lake Arenal is located near the Arenal Volcano and Monteverde Cloud Forest wherein you can enjoy not just water activities but canopy tours and bird watching as well.