Argentina Ghost Town Resurfaces As Tourist Attraction After 25 Years Under Water

A ghost town in Argentina that spent a quarter century under water is re-emerging in the farmlands southwest of Buenos Aires.

Epecuen, the ghost town, was once the home to 1,500 people and attracted 20,000 tourists a season to the small, bustling lakeside resort. During Argentina's golden age, visitors from the capital came to Epecuen to relax in the saltwater baths and spas, Associated Press reported.

The saltwater lake had 10 times more salt than the ocean, making the water buoyant and attractive to tourists. The large Jewish community in Buenos Aires enjoyed floating in the water, which reminded them of the salty Dead Sea in Israel.

On November 10, 1985, a heavy rainstorm and wet winters overflowed the lake's banks. Water spilled over the retaining wall and into the streets. People evacuated and homes were submerged in nearly 33 feet of saltwater.

Twenty-five years later, the water has finally receded. The town resembles a spooky ghost town from a film. The town has not yet been rebuilt but has once again become a popular tourist destination. Tourists drive six hours down the narrow country roads from Buenos Aires to see eerie and corroded Epecuen.

The town has crumbling homes, rusted cars and furniture, and broken appliances scattered through the streets. People come to climb staircases that lead to nowhere and graveyards with fallen headstones and exposed tombs.

The Associated Press calls the landscape "bizarre" and "post-apocalyptic," showcasing "a traumatic moment in time."