Villa Epecuén, Submerged ghost settlement in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
Villa Epecuén is an abandoned settlement in Buenos Aires Province whose ruins lie about seven kilometers north of Carhué. The remains consist of salt-encrusted walls, dead trees, and rusted vehicles emerging from formerly flooded ground at 97 meters elevation.
The settlement grew into a popular destination for spa visitors starting in 1921 and flourished until the mid-1980s. In 1985, rising water from Lake Epecuén broke through a protective dam and flooded the entire village within days.
The settlement took its name from the nearby salt lake, whose mineral-rich water was believed to have healing properties and drew visitors from across Argentina. The abandoned structures still display the typical architecture of an early 20th-century Argentine spa town, with simple forms designed for guesthouses and commercial spaces.
The ruins are accessible by road from Carhué and allow visitors to walk through several preserved streets. The site is open to explore, but the salty deposits and uneven surfaces require sturdy footwear and caution while moving around.
A former resident named Pablo Novak returned after the water receded in 2009 and has lived alone among the white salt layers ever since. He is the only one out of around 1,500 former inhabitants who moved back.
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