10 Mythological Places You Can Actually Visit
Myths and legends have peppered human history, captivating imaginations and relaying wisdom. Not all myths can be traced back to a real location on Earth - but the following 10 can. So if you're looking for a mythology-infused adventure during your next holiday, take a look at these…
Mount Ida, Crete
According to Greek mythological prophecy, Titan Cronus' offspring would one day overthrow him, and so he set about consuming his newborns.
It is said that his son Zeus was hidden in a cave in Mount Ida by his mother, and was raised here until he was big enough to take on his dad - to become the God of Gods.
Today, the cave and mountain are popular tourist spots.
El Dorado, Bogotá, Colombia
El Dorado, the City of Gold, has captivated imaginations worldwide.
This lost city, rich in treasures and secreted in the dense South American jungle, is likely a myth inspired by stories of sunken treasure in Lake Guatavita, near Bogota, Colombia.
This tranquil green lake was used as a ceremonial site by the Muisca tribe. Gold offerings are said to have been sunk into the lake during lavish ceremonies. Fine gold artefacts and jewellery recovered by the Spanish in the 16th century suggest there may well be some truth to these tales.
Today, you can visit Lake Guatavita and peer into the murky green waters, imagining what treasures might lie beneath.
Credit: Flaumfeder, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Xanadu, Inner Mongolia
Or, a vision in a dream. A Fragment.
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
Thus reads Samuel Taylor Coleridge's famous poem, giving Xanadu a mythical quality.
As the poem notes, Xanadu was the summer capital of the Kubla Khan dynasty after 1264, and still survives to this day.
Located in Inner Mongolia it was recently added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.
Set among majestic mountains and by a river, the site, laid out according to feng shui principles, can be visited today - as can the fascinating Xanadu archaeological site.
Mount Olympus, Greece
Mytikas - or Mount Olympus - is the home of the Greek Gods, according to Greek mythology.
This majestic peak, rising to 2,917m, does indeed exist.
Those seeking out the old stomping grounds of Zeus, Poseidon and Apollo can also enjoy the surrounding national park, well-loved for its rich flora and fauna.
Pele’s Hawaii, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Each eruption of the Pele volcano is said to be the goddess Pele's body moving out across the land.
Legend states anyone who removes a rock from the area will meet with very bad luck indeed.
The epicentre of this action is Halema’uma’u Crater in Hawaii National Park, where visitors can witness fiery lava spewing from the caldera - best enjoyed at night.
Island of the Cyclops, Italy
Three mighty sea stacks rise out of the sea at Aci Trezza, Italy - said to be the stones thrown by the Cyclops at Odysseus in Homer's poem The Odyssey.
Locals refer to these stacks as the Islands of the Cyclops ("isole dei ciclopi"), backed up by the notion the beast had a smithy at foot of Mount Etna, which looms over Aci Trezza.
The islands and of course Mount Etna can be visited today.
Mount Doom, New Zealand (Lord of the Rings)
It is said JRR Tolkein felt Britain was lacking in myths, and so was moved to create the Lord of the Rings stories.
The first instalment, The Hobbit, was published in 1937 and is one of the best selling books in history.
The closest you can get to experiencing Tolkein's creation - apart from reading the books - is probably to visit Mount Ngauruhoe in New Zealand, which doubled as Mount Doom in Peter Jackson's film adaptations.
Shangri-La, Myanmar
Made famous by James Hilton's novel Lost Horizon in 1933, Shangri-La is portrayed as a beautiful imaginary city where life was lived in perfection.
It's unlikely that such a city ever existed, but the comparably-impressive city of Pyay in Myanmar offers a more-than-serviceable alternative, packed as it is with beautiful gilded temples.
Sadly, the current political situation in the country makes visiting it impossible at the present time.
Credit: Mirjanamimi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Thebes, Greece
According to Greek mythology, Thebes was the stage for many stories - including those of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus and Heracles.
In reality, a Mycenaean settlement - likely ancient Thebes - was indeed located here, and the remains can be visited today.
Clay tablets suggest it was an important Bronze Age settlement.
Ithaca, Greece
According to (yet more) Greek mythology, Ithaca was the home of Odysseus, who took a whole ten years to return there after his adventures (detailed in Homer's The Odyssey).
While the story is heart-wrenching, today's Ithaca is the perfect place to relax and unwind, with its azure-blue waters and lush green countryside.
No wonder Odysseus wanted to get back so badly!
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