Exploration has always been part of our history, whether across land, sea, or space. Amazing things have been found throughout the ages, but sometimes, those findings weren’t actually real. These “discoveries” may have been based on truth, but they became more exaggerated with each retelling. The pressure to discover the newest thing and gain fame could have caused explorers to tweak their stories a little. Here are ten of their tallest tales, all part of the top 10 fraudulent saga that still captivates modern imaginations.
Top 10 Fraudulent Tales That Fooled the World
10 The City Of Gold
Some of the earliest European adventurers in the Americas hailed from Spain. When Hernán Cortés stormed the Aztec capital, he not only seized gold and silver but also sparked rumors of an entire metropolis built entirely of glittering treasure. The legend of a radiant City of Gold—later twisted into the fabled El Dorado—sent the Spanish Crown scrambling to fund more treasure‑hunters eager to locate this glittering utopia.
Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca later heard of the legendary seven cities of Cíbola, supposedly brimming with riches. Spanish officials dispatched expeditions, but they only uncovered modest villages. When the promised gold never materialized, Spain’s fervor waned. Modern archaeology now argues that El Dorado was never a city at all; it referred to a ritual where a new ruler covered himself in gold dust and offered golden tributes, a symbolic display rather than an actual golden metropolis.
9 The Giants Of South America
Ferdinand Magellan, the celebrated navigator who first circumnavigated the globe, allegedly encountered a tribe of giants in what is now Argentina. His crew described these natives as towering over three meters—roughly ten feet tall. Subsequent explorers, including Sir Francis Drake and the 18th‑century Commodore Byron, also claimed to have met colossal Patagonians.
Because biblical texts speak of giants, early scholars were predisposed to accept such accounts. Yet by the time Byron reported his sightings, the story had lost credibility. Most historians now suspect that explorers may have met unusually tall peoples and embellished their stature, turning a kernel of truth into a legendary giant myth.
8 The Fountain Of Youth
Aging is a universal concern, so tales of a magical spring that restores youth have endured for millennia. The earliest written mention comes from Herodotus, who claimed the Macrobians possessed such a fountain. Even Alexander the Great believed he had found a river with rejuvenating waters.
The most infamous pursuit belongs to Juan Ponce de León, who heard from Caribbean natives that the island of Bimini harbored a spring capable of restoring vigor. Although his logs never reference a fountain, he did search for gold there. When the promised riches and miraculous water failed to appear, he sailed northward and stumbled upon Florida. Today, Bimini hosts a tourist “Fountain of Youth”—a modest mineral spring far from the legendary elixir of immortality.
7 Mermaids
Christopher Columbus, famed for “discovering” the New World, claimed to have sighted mermaids gliding through the Atlantic in 1492. John Smith of the Virginia Company echoed the claim, noting that the creatures were far less graceful than the romanticized paintings of the era. Most scholars agree that these seafarers likely mistook manatees—gentle, turtle‑like mammals—for half‑fish, half‑human beings.
The myth of mer‑people stretches back to ancient Babylon, where the deity Oannes was described as half‑man, half‑fish. Greek and Roman tales of sirens, as well as Celtic legends of sea maidens, reinforced belief in such hybrids. Medieval bestiaries even listed mermaids alongside real marine fauna, illustrating how deeply entrenched the notion was among early explorers.
6 The Cat‑Dog Of Bolivia
When the public thinks of legendary beasts, Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster dominate the conversation, yet few have heard of Bolivia’s enigmatic “Mitla.” Documented by famed Amazon cartographer Percy Fawcett—who also mapped real creatures like the anaconda—the Mitla is described as a canine bearing feline features.
Eyewitnesses vary wildly: some portray a small, short‑eared dog‑like animal, while others describe a larger, more cat‑like predator. No photographs exist, and the contradictory accounts have left researchers convinced the creature is likely mythical, though no definitive proof of fraud has ever surfaced.
5 The Fake Bling Of Cartier
Jacques Cartier, commissioned by King Francis I to forge a passage through Canada to Asia, returned from his first voyage with glowing reports that delighted the French court. In 1540, the king dispatched Cartier with settlers to colonize the New World, hoping his earlier success would continue.
However, Cartier’s second expedition ran into hostile Iroquois, brutal winter conditions, and dwindling supplies. In a desperate bid to impress the crown, he claimed to have discovered glittering gold and dazzling diamonds in Quebec—only to discover later that the “precious” stones were worthless. The French king, realizing the deception, never sent Cartier on another voyage.
4 The Demon Tree Of Madagascar
Early in the 20th century, explorers Chase Salmon Osborn and Captain V. de la Motte Hurst embarked on a daring mission to Madagascar, hoping to locate a legendary tree reputed to devour humans. Their curiosity was fueled by sensational newspaper reprints of a story originally published in the New York World.
In reality, the tale was a fabrication by reporter Edmund Spencer, who crafted a faux interview with an imagined explorer who witnessed a young girl being consumed by a monstrous tree. No such tree—or explorer—ever existed. Yet the hoax spurred genuine expeditions, illustrating how a well‑written yarn can inspire real‑world searches.
3 Ancient Egyptians … In Arizona?
In 1909, the Phoenix Gazette ran a sensational series about G.E. Kinkaid, who allegedly ventured deep into the Grand Canyon and uncovered an underground settlement filled with Egyptian‑style mummies, glyphs, statues, and weaponry—suggesting ancient Middle‑Eastern peoples had once inhabited Arizona.
However, the Gazette’s two articles are the sole sources mentioning such a find. Earlier, renowned explorer John Wesley Powell had meticulously surveyed the canyon and reported no Asian or Egyptian relics. Today, the land where Kinkaid claimed the discovery lies within federal territory, preventing further investigation. The paucity of corroborating evidence leaves historians divided over whether Kinkaid’s tale was a genuine revelation or an elaborate fabrication.
2 Crocker Land
The race to reach the North Pole produced a curious claim in 1906: after failing to achieve the pole, Robert Peary announced the discovery of a massive landmass near Ellesmere Island, dubbing it “Crocker Land” after his benefactor, George Crocker.
Because Peary was one of the few Arctic explorers of his era, many accepted his report, especially as contemporary ocean‑current models suggested a possible continent. However, once aircraft could fly over the region, the supposed land proved nonexistent—mere open water where the Beaufort Gyre separates currents. Most scholars now view Peary’s assertion as either a mirage born of disappointment or a deliberate fabrication to mask his failure to reach the pole.
1 Pyramids In Antarctica
Recently, an anonymous group claimed to have uncovered pyramids in Antarctica, backing their assertion with three grainy photographs. After initial skepticism, Spanish researcher Vincente Fuentes resurfaced the claim, presenting additional Google‑Earth snapshots that appeared to show pyramid‑shaped formations from a different angle.
Most scientists, including Earth‑science professor Eric Rignot, argue the supposed pyramids are simply natural features—either plowed snowbanks, ice packs, or, more plausibly, pyramidal mountains formed by freeze‑thaw erosion. The region’s extreme cold and lack of arable land make the existence of an ancient civilization virtually impossible.
Brittiany West, an adventurous writer, has chronicled these and other fringe mysteries in her self‑published works, inviting curious readers to explore the line between myth and reality.