Discover the "Lost City" in the Bahamas

Source: Global Times

Did the "Lost City" at Atlantis, the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, really exist? If so, where exactly is it? It seems that every archipelago surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean can find traces of this civilization's existence, and the Bahamas, located near the Caribbean Sea, is no exception. Even if the fabled rich kingdom ceases to exist, the Bahamians, who are born to the sea, will not be able to build an Atlantean fantasy paradise at sea.

The origin of civilization

Around 360 BC, Plato first mentioned Atlantis in the "Themeual" and "Critician" of his dialogues. It is said that 9,000 years before Plato's time, a powerful army from the Atlantic Invaded the ancient Greek city-state of Athens in an attempt to conquer the entire europa and Asia Minor region, and finally returned home. This army came from the kingdom of Atlantis. According to the book, there is an island opposite the strait (the Strait of Gibraltar), which the Greeks call the "Pillar of Hercules", which is a necessary place to travel to other islands. Only by passing through these islands can you reach the kingdom of Atlantis, surrounded by the sea.

Bahamians believe that Atlantis is real, and locals and journalists can always tell the story of their origins. Atlantis ruled over many of the surrounding islands and even conquered parts of Africa and Europe as far away as Egypt. The urban architecture of Atlantis is concentric circles, consisting of two land circles and three ocean circles, with strict hierarchies between each circle. The central circle is home to poseidon, the god of the sea, and the entire temple is decorated with gold, silver and ivory. Later, a sudden earthquake and flood caused Atlantis to sink to the bottom of the sea in an instant, becoming a place that could neither sail nor detect, and even became a reef that blocked the passage of the ancient Greeks' sea routes.

Plato's Atlantis was extremely civilized, not only developed agriculture, but also the ocean trade was flourished through the construction of canals, and the inhabitants of the island seemed to live in paradise. Perhaps it is these overly detailed descriptions that many explorers think that they are true, and they have embarked on the journey of finding this "lost city" again and again. "You have to believe, yes, it really existed." The Bahamians said firmly.

The mysterious "Bimini Road"

There may be dozens of assumptions about the location of Atlantis, including Bimini Island, west of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. At the bottom of the sea west of the cliffs of North Bimini Island, researchers found a number of neatly arranged stones and called them "Bimini Road". It is said that this is part of the road to the "Lost City" of Atlantis. Today, "Bimini Road" has become a popular snorkeling spot in the area.

The discovery of "Bimini Road" is talked about. In 1968, a group of divers from Florida were hired to come to the Bahamas in search of traces of Atlantis, and Miamiman Manson Valentine inadvertently found a row of mysterious U-shaped stones in the shallow water near bimini north and organized a scientific expedition to survey it the following year. The stones looked like they were man-made, evenly distributed on a road less than a kilometer long.

The discovery immediately attracted attention, with some believing that the stones were used by the Atlanteans to build walls and others to pave roads, and many hoping that this discovery would be linked to Atlantis. However, according to the scientific method of detection, the results of these stones are naturally formed under geological action.

Diver John Alexander, also from the United States, found the site of an abandoned port on the seabed near Bimini. Photographs of the site, similar to the stones, have also been taken near Sal Reef in the Bahamas. Whether these sites are related to Atlantis has not yet been scientifically demonstrated, but Bahamians firmly believe that "this is the truth".

Create a dreamland

"Since I'm not sure, I'll build it myself." The unsuccessful search for the ruins did not cut people's enthusiasm for Atlantis by half, but instead created the world's first large-scale water park in Atlantis on paradise island in nassau, the capital of the Bahamas.

Atlantis Waterpark officially opened in 1968 and over time, the facilities have been gradually improved and updated, and today it has become the most popular holiday destination in the Bahamas. Not only does it have a 570,000-square-meter water world adventure park, but also the world's largest open-air marine habitat, 11 different theme swimming pools, an 18-hole golf course, more than 20 restaurants and more than a dozen bars of different styles waiting to be explored.

When you come to Aquaventure Waterpark, you must try the 6-storey Mayan Temple Slide, where you can feel the thrill and excitement of a "leap of faith" - an 18-meter near-vertical slide, and finally slide into the water to get close to a variety of marine life.

Friends who are not suitable for the thrill program can go to the dolphin reef in Atlantis to swim and row with dolphins. It is home to one of the world's largest and most complex marine mammal habitats and the Caribbean's premier marine animal rehabilitation centre. Dolphin Reef currently has nearly 20 rescued dolphins and 10 sea lions that have been stranded. Swimmers aged 6 and above can go on a 1-hour deep-water adventure here, not only to "dance" with dolphins in the water, but also to fully understand their diet, exercise and communication methods under the guidance of the staff. In addition to dolphins and sea lions, Atlantis can also see more than 50,000 aquatic animals representing more than 250 marine species, from sharks to rays, barracudas, piranhas, eels and even endangered crocodiles.

Of course, it takes a lot of money to feel the charm of Atlantis in the real world. There are 5 hotels and apartments in Atlantis Waterpark Bahamas with an average price of $300 per night and a minimum of 2 nights booked. If you don't want to stay, you can also buy a "One Day Pass". Atlantis' "One Day Pass" is divided by region, and visitors who want to play "Leap of Faith" need to spend $250 to purchase a pass for Aquaventure Waterpark; There are 2 types of Dolphin Reef Passes, USD 357 per child aged 4 and above and USD 268 per person for children aged 3 and under. Although the price is not cheap, it does not affect the fun of people exploring the "Lost City".