If you think that all the great places for the travellers to visit are on dry land, think again! As the two-third of the planet is covered by water, so are some of the most magnificent pieces of architecture, thanks to earthquakes and floods.
Nowadays, these monuments, palaces, and even some unexplained structures can be found with a simple dive and in fact many can even be viewed from above, making these unusual locations intriguing tourist destinations.
Take the plunge to explore these cool structures and navigate your way to the depths of the ocean to visit these underwater treasures.
Cleopatra’s Alexandria, Egypt
The Alexandria of ancient Egyptian ruler Cleopatra was lost for 1,600 years. A team of marine archaeologists stumbled across the ruins off the shores of the modern-day Alexandria in 1998, unearthing vast monuments still standing after all this time.
The city was likely taken by the sea as a result of earthquakes. Historians have found columns, sphinxes, statues, temples and the foundations of a palace that likely belonged to Cleopatra herself.
In addition to these vast stone monuments, coins and everyday objects have been discovered, painting a picture of a city described more than 2,000 years ago by Greek geographers and historians.
The Neptune Memorial Reef, Florida
Conceived as a living reef and modeled after the lost city of Atlantis, the Neptune Memorial Reef was created by cremation-services provider the Neptune Society.
Anyone wishing to bury their loved one at the city can hand over the cremated remains—in person or by mail—to be mixed with cement and sand, poured into a shell- or starfish-shaped mold, and added to the reef.
Family members are welcome to participate in the process, either by scuba diving or watching from a boat above. Post-burial, they may visit the reef at any time for free.
Green Lake, Austria
Green Lake is no ordinary lake. It changes with the seasons. During winter, the lake is only three to six feet deep and is surrounded by parkland that is perfect for hiking and exploring.
But come spring, as the temperature rises, the ice and snow from the surrounding mountains begins to melt and trickle down into the basin of land below.
By summer, the lake reaches is maximum depth of about 40 feet and the park-turned-lake becomes a hotspot for scuba divers. The lake’s green color (hence, its name) comes from the grass and foliage that line the bottom of the basin.
Cenote Angelita, Mexico
Visit Cenote Angelita and scuba dive along one of the most amazing natural formations, an underwater river!
The natural formation occurs when hydrogen sulfate mixes with saltwater causing it to be much heavier than regular salt water. The mixture sinks to the bottom, forming a distinct separation that flows like a river.
 At over 180 ft (55 m) deep, the mysterious waters provide explorers with a surreal experience. From the surface, this looks like an ordinary small body of water. Trees, leaves, and other debris cover the “banks†at the bottom of the fresh water layer, which resemble a riverside.
World’s Wickedest City, Port Royal (Jamaica)
Back in the 17th century, Port Royal was a pirate’s haven with almost every other building being either a bar or a brothel serving seafaring men. In 1692, a massive earthquake and tsunami sank most of the city and killed 2,000 people.
Today, the underwater site features hundreds of ships, paved streets, buildings, and the most famous artifact, a 1686 pocket watch that stopped ticking at exactly 11:43.
MUSA Underwater Museum, Mexico
Off the coast of Isla de Mujeres near the Mexican city of Cancun, a hidden world lies buried 28ft beneath the ocean waves.
The Cancun Underwater Museum, also known as MUSA, is a collection of sculptures deliberately placed on the ocean floor by English artist Jason deCaires Taylor.
Each of the 460 statues in the underwater exhibition are made from PH-neutral marine concrete designed to encourage marine plants to grow and attract fish to the region, and the museum was set up to draw tourists away from nearby coral reefs.
Pavlopetri, Greece
Pavlopetri is a completely submerged, yet intact city that dates back to 1,000 BC. It appears to be a sophisticated city with two-storey homes and a complex water system comparable to those of modern cities.
Under water, you can see streets, buildings, garden spaces, courtyards, and many storage vessels used to transport goods to and from the port.