Every so often, as the world continues to grow and shift, places vanish—swallowed by the sea, razed by disaster, or erased by human conflict. While maps today outline continents, countries, and cities, many of the places that were once central to human life and culture are no longer visible. Their names fade from collective memory, their ruins buried under water or time, yet their stories linger, influencing modern travel, myth, and imagination.
The Lost Islands of St. Thomas
In the warm waters of the Caribbean, there was once an island named St. Thomas—not the bustling hub in the U.S. Virgin Islands we know today, but a small landmass nearby, swallowed by the ocean in the 19th century. St. Thomas was, by many accounts, a peaceful haven until a massive earthquake and accompanying tsunami struck in 1867. Historical accounts describe how the island sank almost entirely, leaving behind scattered remnants and an undersea graveyard of coral-encrusted ruins.
Its sinking remains an eerie reminder of nature’s power over land, but modern-day divers and underwater archaeologists occasionally explore the submerged area. The story of St. Thomas survives in whispered legends and echoes through modern tourism in the Virgin Islands. Travelers often sail near the site, contemplating the impermanence of even the most idyllic places.
Atlantis and the Persistence of Myth
No story of a lost destination is as enduring as that of Atlantis, a fabled advanced civilization described by the ancient philosopher Plato. According to his writings, Atlantis was a utopia of unparalleled beauty and technological innovation—until, in a single day, it was swallowed by the sea. While historians debate whether Atlantis was allegory or reality, its story continues to captivate travelers.
Modern tourism has used the idea of Atlantis to great effect, inspiring underwater resorts and themed attractions in places like the Bahamas and Dubai. Yet, for all its mythic allure, the enduring fascination with Atlantis reflects a deeper human yearning to rediscover what has been lost and to understand the fragility of our own civilizations.
Cities Consumed by Conflict
History also reveals how human conflict can erase places from maps. Take the ancient city of Ani, often called the “City of 1,001 Churches,” located on what is now the border of Turkey and Armenia. At its height in the 10th and 11th centuries, Ani was a thriving metropolis, renowned for its architecture and as a key trade hub on the Silk Road.
However, centuries of invasions, political instability, and neglect left Ani abandoned by the 17th century. While it was rediscovered and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016, its status as a “forgotten” city has drawn adventurous travelers intrigued by its haunting ruins and the tales of a golden age now lost to history.
Pompeii: Preserved in Destruction
Sometimes, a city is lost but paradoxically preserved by the very disaster that destroyed it. In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted with such ferocity that the Roman city of Pompeii was buried under a thick layer of volcanic ash. For nearly two millennia, the city was forgotten, its location unknown, until it was rediscovered in the 18th century.
Today, Pompeii is one of the world’s most visited archaeological sites, attracting over three million tourists annually, according to UNESCO. Its plaster casts of victims, frozen in their final moments, are a poignant reminder of life’s fragility and the power of nature. But Pompeii also raises questions about how we engage with history: Is it a somber place of remembrance, or has it become overly commodified by mass tourism?
Lessons from Forgotten Lands
What draws us to places that no longer exist? Perhaps it’s the allure of mystery—the thought of uncovering what was lost, or imagining what life might have been like before the world moved on. But the stories of these destinations are more than romantic nostalgia; they serve as stark reminders of the forces that shape and unmake the landscapes we know.
Climate change, for example, poses a significant threat to low-lying coastal areas and islands. Modern destinations like the Maldives or Venice—both beloved by travelers—face the very real possibility of being submerged within the next century. In 2021, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that sea levels are rising at an accelerating rate, threatening to inundate countless places by 2100. If current trends continue, some of today’s most visited destinations may one day be spoken of in the same breath as Atlantis or St. Thomas.
Tourism, too, plays a complex role in this story. On the one hand, it can raise awareness and funds to preserve vulnerable sites, as with conservation efforts in Venice. On the other hand, over-tourism and environmental degradation often accelerate the disappearance of iconic places. Destinations like Maya Bay in Thailand, closed for several years to allow its coral reefs to recover, remind us of the tension between preservation and exploitation.
Falling in Love with Impermanence
In the end, the forgotten maps of the world offer a profound lesson: that no place, no matter how enduring, is immune to change. Whether erased by natural disasters, conflict, or the slow march of time, these lost destinations remind us of the impermanence of human achievement—and the resilience of nature in reclaiming what we leave behind.
As travelers, we are not merely witnesses to this history but participants in its ongoing story. Perhaps the greatest legacy of these lost places is their ability to inspire us to see the destinations we visit today with fresh eyes, to tread lightly, and to remember that the landscapes we love are as fleeting as the footprints we leave behind.
