Los Jardines facts for kids

Los Jardines (pronounced "loss har-DEE-nes") or Los Buenos Jardines are mystery islands. Their names mean "the gardens" and "the good gardens" in Spanish. These islands were once thought to be real, located northeast of the Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. However, they are now known as phantom islands because they don't actually exist.

What Are Phantom Islands?

A phantom island is a piece of land that appears on maps for a while but is later found not to exist. Sometimes, these islands were seen by mistake. Other times, they were made up or based on legends. Explorers might have seen fog banks, icebergs, or even misidentified real islands. Phantom islands often stayed on maps for many years before being removed.

Early Explorers and Sightings

Los Jardines was first "seen" by Spanish explorers.

• In 1528, Álvaro de Saavedra Cerón reported seeing them. He named them Los Buenos Jardines.
• Later, in 1542, Ruy López de Villalobos also claimed to have found them. He called them Los Jardines.

Many years later, in 1788, a British captain named John Marshall also reported seeing these islands. He believed they were part of a group of islands called the Anson Archipelago. This "archipelago" was a collection of both real islands, like Wake and Marcus Islands, and other phantom islands, such as Ganges Island.

Disappearing from Maps

For centuries, Los Jardines appeared on many maps of the Pacific Ocean. Sailors and mapmakers believed they were real. However, as navigation became more accurate and more of the ocean was explored, it became clear that Los Jardines did not exist.

Finally, in 1973, the International Hydrographic Organization officially removed Los Jardines from its charts. This organization helps make sure maps of the oceans are correct. Their decision meant that Los Jardines was no longer considered a real place on Earth.

See also

In Spanish: Islas Los Jardines para niños