Since last week, Spain has been a particularly popular destination for tourists. why ? Located near the Portuguese border, it is a forgotten village that has been surfacing after being submerged for nearly thirty years. Made up of charming little houses and cafés, Aceredo municipality was actually submerged in 1992 and replaced by a water reserve. Filled today by up to 15%, the reservoir in question is still emptied due to the drought that hit the Iberian Peninsula, especially the region of Galicia.
Although most of the houses were destroyed, some of the approximately 70 stone houses have preserved their walls intact.
© Miguel Rioba/Getty ImagesFor the mayor of Lobios, María del Carmen Yáñez, the fault lies with global warming and EDP, the Portuguese electricity company responsible for managing the reservoir. In fact, 1Verse Last February, the Portuguese government announced the closure of six neighboring dams (including the Alto Lindoso dams, connected to the Aceredo Reservoir) in order to use electricity and irrigate its territory.
Today, water reservoirs in Spain operate at only 44% of their capacity, which is well below normal rates (61%). Should we care about this situation? Aceredo may in fact be the first surviving village in a long list of lands that have re-emerged due to intensifying drought in the area.
In recent years, many forgotten cities have been rediscovered, but for less troubling reasons. The Babes Tower, a residential area consisting of 732 miniature castles, has recently boosted tourism in the city of Mudurnu, Turkey. In mid-2010, nearly $200 million was injected into this real estate project before it was abandoned. The Croatian town of Legrad also suffered the same fate. Completely deserted, I offered houses for a few cents of a euro in order to attract new residents.
