Submerged Spanish Village Resurfaces After 30 Years

The Spanish village of Aceredo, near the Portuguese border, has resurfaced after being submerged for 30 years.

The village, which was flooded in 1992 to make way for the Alto Lindoso reservoir, has become visible again due to severe drought conditions.

Spanish photographer Brais Couto captured stunning images of Aceredo, which had been underwater since its residents were forced to evacuate to neighboring villages.

Nearly 250 people were displaced to facilitate the construction of the reservoir, which buried the village under gallons of water.

Persistent drought and low rainfall have now exposed the village, attracting numerous visitors keen to explore its remnants. In 2022, the drought was severe enough to fully reveal Aceredo, prompting an influx of tourists.

Couto remarked that the overuse by the hydropower company EDP, combined with minimal rainfall, had depleted the reservoir, revealing the old village.

The Alto Lindoso reservoir's capacity had dropped to just 15% due to the drought, exposing the ruins of Aceredo.

This is not the first time the village has become partially visible. In 2012, water levels dropped enough to expose the rooftops of houses. However, the drought in 2022 was so extreme that the entire village became visible.

Couto noted that people were entering and exiting the village’s homes, which appeared to be in good condition. An old fountain was even found, still dispensing water.

Although Aceredo is currently not visible, Couto, who has been practicing photojournalism since 2010, believes the village may attract curious visitors once it resurfaces again.

The official NASA website indicated that the drought conditions worsened in November 2021, leading Portuguese officials to limit the use of five dams for hydroelectric power after some reservoirs reached critically low levels.

Spain's national weather agency reported that in January, reservoir levels fell to below 45% capacity, with Andalusia in the south and Catalonia in the northeast experiencing the worst drought conditions.