Man is forever trying to find himself a place to relax, and Villa Epecuen in Argentina was just such a place 60 years ago. Wealthy tourists came to bathe in the healing mud, shelling out a fortune every now and then. In old photographs you can see the cream of society basking in the rays of the Argentine sun, not even knowing that they were investing money in the destruction of a wonderful resort. Before the catastrophe. The catastrophe in the Argentine town was the work of human hands and nature at the same time. Lake Epecuen, which attracted tourists by the hundreds, was beginning to dry up, but the authorities did not want to lose the gold mine. Drawing on their knowledge, the authorities built a dam holding fresh water so that the town would keep living and the tourists would keep coming. But contending with nature turned out to be not so simple. Water from the dam began to flood the beaches, the resort's popularity began to fall, but the authorities did not give up. It was decided to divert the excess water to irrigate the fields. The catastrophe. In 1985 the rain that fell on the town did its work. The water in the dam rose by three metres and destroyed the structure. The residents had to leave their homes in a hurry, for the flooding was colossal – the water flooded the streets to a height of 10 metres, and the town drowned entirely. Even the tallest buildings were buried under the depths of the water. But the story is unfolding before our very eyes. Atlantis today. In 2009 the water began to recede, and the «Matadero» tower was the first to emerge from the water. Gradually the town's streets began to surface. The salt-encrusted ruins of structures, the vehicles and the former grandeur of the town make one ponder eternity. On rainy days, the town floods again, but there are also those who still feel nothing but warmth toward it. Residents and tourists. The town's only resident, Pablo Novak, was not afraid to return to his old haunts. He does not suffer from loneliness, since the first thrill-seekers come to the town every now and then. No wonder – everyone wants to admire the beauty of the ghost town and bring back truly rare photos from the trip. Interesting facts. Interestingly, the name of Lake Epecuen translates as «the chief's tears»; the water in it was far saltier than ocean water. The amount of salts is roughly 10 times greater than in the saltiest ocean waters. Legend has it that the lake formed from the tears of a chief mourning his beloved. The flooding of an entire town lent this legend even more colour.