The concept of treasure hunting has long captivated our collective imagination. Whether it’s Long John Silver unearthing buried chests or Tintin, the world’s favorite traveling teenager, recovering priceless antiques, these adventurous quests invite exploration beyond fiction.
Searching for fabled treasures—from sapphire-laden shipwrecks to gold-encrusted cities—may not always result in fortune; however, exploring the intriguing, lesser-visited landscapes where they are reputed to reside offers its own rich rewards.
So, what are you waiting for? Fortune and glory await!
Flor de la Mar, Straits of Malacca
Undiscovered since: 1511
Estimated worth: £2 billion
Revered as the holy grail of plunderable shipwrecks, the Portuguese Flor de la Mar was returning from a successful siege on the rich Malaysian port of Melaka when it was caught in a storm and sank off the coast of Sumatra—taking its estimated £2 billion spoils down with it. Numerous serious expeditions have sought to find what’s touted as the world’s most valuable sunken treasure, yet the wreckage has never been found.
Anyone hoping for a watery windfall should head to the paradisiacal isle of Pulau Weh at Sumatra’s northern tip, which offers exceptional diving in little-explored turquoise waters patrolled by sharks and rays. While the chances of stumbling upon the wreckage are slim, travelers are guaranteed a glimpse of the famous galleon in the sleepy city of Melaka, where a life-size replica stands amidst vibrant food stalls and quaint antique shops.
Authenticity: The ship was real, and first-hand accounts documenting its lucrative cargo exist—though these may be exaggerated. Some of the treasure may have also been looted by sailors fleeing the wreckage or opportunist scavengers following the incident.
Nazi gold train, southern Poland
Undiscovered since: 1945
Estimated worth: 300 tonnes of gold, jewels, and artwork
In the Polish city of Wałbrzych, a local legend speaks of a hidden WWII-era train laden with stolen loot. It was said that as the Red Army advanced on Wrocław in the latter stages of the war, Nazi generals loaded the country’s most precious spoils onto a train and sent it southwards towards Wałbrzych to be hidden in an underground facility under construction in the Owl Mountains. The story caused a media frenzy in 2014, when two men claimed to have found the fabled wartime treasure; however, their search ultimately proved unsuccessful.
Today, the Owl Mountains are crisscrossed with walking trails threading through the dense countryside. Intriguing tours of the man-made tunnels (built by German prisoners of war) are available, along with entry to Książ Castle in Wałbrzych itself—potentially envisioned as Hitler’s secret headquarters. Should your subterranean search prove fruitless, a replica of the locomotive is actively under construction, which may at least fool friends into thinking you’ve uncovered its exalted cargo.
Authenticity: Though the Nazis were known to hide stolen artwork in caves and mines for protection from allied bombings—and the underground network is real—no historical documents support the existence of the gold train.
The Fenn treasure, Rocky Mountains
Undiscovered since: 2010
Estimated worth: in excess of £1 million
Inspired by stories of lionhearted treasure hunters, art dealer Forrest Fenn supposedly hid a bronze chest containing over £1 million worth of plunder somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. To lead seekers to the gold, Forrest penned a short poem in a self-published memoir that provided cryptic clues to its location. Since its release in 2010, thousands have sought Fenn’s treasure, but no one has produced evidence of its discovery.
While generating a sense of whimsy, Fenn aimed to encourage people to explore the unblemished wilderness of the Rockies. However, the long-running hunt has courted some controversy, as police concluded that two men died in pursuit. Would-be treasure hunters should note that Fenn maintains the treasure is located in an accessible, non-perilous location, as he was 80 when he hid it.
Authenticity: Though no one aside from Fenn has seen the treasure, the art dealer insists it is genuine, stating his intention to retrieve it himself should its value rise to $10 million.
Bad King John’s crown jewels, Lincolnshire
Undiscovered since: 1216
Estimated worth: unknown; rumored up to £50 million
In Lincolnshire, England, locals recount an age-old tale about Bad King John, who lost his crown jewels while crossing The Wash, a marshy wetland. It’s said that while fleeing from enemies, the King’s convoy was caught in the rising tide, scattering its costly contents—including one of the King’s crowns—across the English countryside.
The story has prompted countless enthusiasts to scour the vast area with metal detectors, yet nothing significant has surfaced. Whether or not the marshy region is home to this legendary bounty, it is rich in wildlife, with herds of seals sharing the mudflats with migrating birds. The nearby market town of King’s Lynn (where the king’s journey began) also offers medieval ruins and atmospheric pubs.
Authenticity: The ancient story has become as muddied as the waters in which it originates; while there are records of the king making the ill-fated journey across the marsh, no documentation confirms what was lost or recovered.
The treasure of the Copper Scroll, the Dead Sea
Undiscovered since: 100AD
Estimated worth: excess of £1 million
Discovered in 1952 near the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, the Copper Scroll is one of the Dead Sea Scrolls—a series of ancient Jewish manuscripts. Unique for its age, material, and intriguing content, the Copper Scroll lists 63 locations at which various items of gold and silver are purportedly buried or hidden.
The scroll is on display at the Jordan Museum in Amman, where its contents are surface-readable. Nevertheless, those thinking of heading to the Dead Sea with trowel in hand should note the obscurity of the scroll’s instructions, such as: ‘Sixty five bars of gold lie on the third terrace in the cave of the old washer’s house’. The ambiguity of these archaic descriptions has thus far stymied treasure retrieval efforts.
Authenticity: While some scholars consider the scroll a very early example of a hoax, the majority agree the treasure probably is real, likely from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, hidden before it was ransacked by the Romans—though this theory remains debated.
Paititi city of gold, Amazon Rainforest
Undiscovered since: 1600
Estimated worth: £7 billion
The fabled Inca city of gold, El Dorado, has captivated historians and travelers for centuries. While frequently associated with the lavish rituals at Laguna de Guatavita in Colombia, many explorers believe the city itself is the Inca forest fortress of Paititi. The city was first documented in a letter by an Italian missionary in Peru in the 1600s, who described an advanced society residing in a large city rich in gold, silver, and jewels located in the tropical jungle; this has been corroborated by contemporary colonial sources.
Travelers seeking an adventurous trek should head for Cuzco, the mystical former capital of the Inca Empire. From here, you can organize treks into Parque Nacional Manu, a well-protected region of pristine rainforest that necessitates a guide. While the mythical metropolis may elude discovery, southern Peru is replete with—and fascinating—ancient cities, such as Machu Picchu and Choquequirao.
Authenticity: Although a city named Paititi may have once existed—and might still exist in unexplored areas of the Amazon—it is improbable that it represents the gold-encrusted citadel ‘El Dorado’ has come to signify.
The golden owl, France
Undiscovered since: 1993
Estimated worth: £130,000
Prompting the longest-running contest in the armchair treasure hunt genre, the golden owl has eluded discovery for over two decades. After reportedly burying a diamond-encrusted owl statuette somewhere in France, Paul Hauser published On The Trail Of The Golden Owl, a guide containing 11 cryptic riddles that, once accurately solved and rearranged, provide the coordinates of the elusive treasure.
While the owl’s location has never been confirmed—Hauser died in 2009, taking the secret with him—good places to start searching would be the medieval streets at the center of Bourges—considered the game’s starting point—or the picturesque village of Roncesvalles near the Spanish border, which many hunters believe may be hinted at as the solution to one of the riddles.
Authenticity: The owl statue is real, having been the subject of several court cases disputing its ownership after Hauser’s death. In reality, the hidden owl statue is actually made of bronze but can be immediately exchanged for the golden version (held by Hauser’s lawyers) once unearthed.
This article was first published in February 2018 and last updated in February 2020.
