Villa Epecuen, Argentina

Equally sad and tragic is the fate of the Argentine town of Villa Epecuen. This resort town was founded on the banks of a large salt lake. It was positioned as a health resort. Since the foundation, its fate was full of obstacles. The town was so attractive that a number of guests attending it increased every year. Gradually, authorities of Villa Epecuen faced the lack of the fresh water and decided to expand the scale of the local reservoir.

Within ten years, the fresh water from the reservoir began to flood the resort area. Then, it was decided to build a new dam. An excess of water was used to irrigate agricultural fields. However, such measures didn’t save the city. One day, the water in the lake has risen by 15 meters. The resort area was flooded completely. Local residents had to leave their homes hastily. Today, the resort town is completely destroyed by the elements and lies in a total desolation.

Founded in 1920, the resort has been existing for less than 70 years. Just before destruction, its population was more than 5 000 people. The resort stood flooded until 1993. Now, the water level in the lake is gradually reduced. It allows you to look at the ruins of the once prestigious resort. In 2009, there was a significant event. One of local residents, Pablo Novak, returned there. An amazing documentary called Pablo’s Villa was filmed about the hermit and a ruined town. It was first presented at the Sydney Film Festival. Next - Neftegorsk