Did you see the news report about the holiday makers who found Spanish and Portuguese riches along the coast of Florida? It was a popular destination for treasure hunting anyway, as 11 treasure ships crashed there during a hurricane in 1715. Fancy trying your own luck? Here are the places you should go for the ultimate treasure hunting holiday...
The vessel Neustra Senora de Guadalupe sailed here in 1850, when a mutinous crew member stole 55 chests of silver coins. He took his loot deep into the island and buried it, but him and his crew were soon found and some of the coins recovered, but of the estimated 150,000 stolen, 57,000 were never found! It’s a big treasure for whoever finds it....
In September 1622, a ship sailing along the coast of Florida was hit by a severe hurricane, and crashed into the reef. It had been full of treasures bound for Spain, including silver, gems, jewellery and gold! In 1985, the ship wreck was found, and some of the treasure recovered, but the public have been invited to try and find the rest...it looks like an amazing wreck to swim in!
When gold was found here in 1898, hundreds of people came to try and find their own treasure. Spruce Creek still throws out some amazing treasures occasionally, and Atlin is one of the most amazing places in Canada, so it’s well worth the trip to try your luck! The local museum is brilliant too, and will give expert tips on finding some gold!
This crater has given out 28,000 diamonds to visitors so far, and it has a ‘finders keepers’ motto, meaning if you find your own sparkly crystal you can take it home! It’s even the home of the Uncle Sam gem, a white diamond with pink cast that weighed 40.23 carats! The park staff will weigh and certify all finds, and even if you don’t get lucky, it’s an amazing park!
Along the Baltic coast of Poland, Amber is frequently washed up from the sea, and it makes a gorgeous find...while it won’t make you rich, it’s stunning, and a completely natural find. The nearby town of Gdansk is lovely too, full of history and culture, and it has great food. It’s somewhere everyone should visit!
An Australian Opal hunt is an amazing thing...the opals were first found by kangaroo hunters, but now professional miners will help you to find your own piece of treasure. White Cliffs and Coober Pedy are said to be the best places to go, as they have amazing underground churches and hotels, as well as gorgeous opals. I can’t wait to find my own!
The Princess Sophia crashed near Alaska in 1918, during the gold rush before the first world war. It took 355 people with it, and an amazing amount of treasure...some relics, including the steering wheel, have already been found, but there is a further $2,000,000 in money, gold and jewellery that were on the ship haven’t been found. Imagine making that discovery!
The UK might not be full of gems, but historical finds are uncovered every year, and some of them are huge! Just look at the Staffordshire hoard, the largest Anglo-Saxon find ever, including 1500 pieces, 5kg of gold and 1.3kg of silver! There’s plenty more hidden around, too, so it’s a great place to make your historical discovery!
I’d never really considered a treasure hunting holiday before, but now I can’t wait to go on one...imagine the excitement, and the joy of finding your own piece of treasure! It would make for amazing holiday pictures, too! Have you been on a treasure hunting holiday, or do you know somewhere great to go? I’d love to hear about it!
Top Photo Credit: Crazy Cake Lady