Atlantis, El Dorado and Lemuria: The Truth About Legendary Lost Lands
There is no evidence that Atlantis, El Dorado or other legendary lost lands ever existed. But none of these stories came from nowhere: each grew out of real history, philosophy or even science, and the search for them led explorers to genuine discoveries.
Was Atlantis real?
We know about Atlantis only from the Greek philosopher Plato, who described it in his dialogues Timaeus and Critias as a mighty island kingdom beyond the Pillars of Hercules that sank in a single day and night. People have claimed to find it everywhere from the mid-Atlantic to Antarctica, but scholars have accepted none of these locations. Many think Plato invented Atlantis to explore ideas about government, pride and morality.
Key facts
- Hyperborea means “beyond the north wind” in ancient Greek.
- References to Shambhala first appeared in Buddhist texts around the 11th century.
- Several attempts were made to drain Lake Guatavita in search of gold.
Where did the legend of El Dorado come from?
The Spanish phrase el dorado means “the golden one”. The legend grew partly from a real ceremony of the Muisca people, whose ruler covered himself in gold dust and threw gold and jewels into the sacred Lake Guatavita as offerings. Rumours turned the ritual into a whole city of gold. Expeditions never found it, but they helped map parts of the Amazon and explore the Andes.
What was Lemuria?
Lemuria began as a scientific idea. In 1864, naturalist Philip Sclater suggested that a sunken continent had once linked Madagascar and India, to explain why lemurs and their relatives live in both. Continental drift later gave a better answer: both regions were once part of the supercontinent Gondwana and slowly drifted apart over millions of years. There was no sunken continent, but the idea of Lemuria had already captured the public imagination.
Where can I read the full story?
This is a short version of “Where Legends Lead” from OYLA 12+, Vol. 12, Issue 10 (October 2026). The full article in OYLA 12+ explores seven legendary places, including Asgard and Kitezh, and what such legends tell us about people.
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