This may sound confusing at first, but if you color the areas where you wouldn't want a base, or wouldn't want to cross them in a Cyclops, the world will essentially get divided into 2 parts, connected by a Kelp Forest, like you can see here:

(The reason I colored the safe shallows is because it's near impossible to navigate a Cyclops in there)

So we need to decide which half has more interesting and useful things.

Both of these parts are about the same size. Let's look at practical stuff first.

The Lost River entrances are equaly split. However, the best entrance (in my opinion, but this is my guide), aka the Blood Kelp Trench, is on the southern side of the world. That side also has the beautiful Grand Reef, the incredible Floating Island, and the resource-rich Sparse Reef (it has a lot of lead, quartz, lithium and rubies). To be fair tho, the northern side does have the Mountain Island and all of its alien tech, as well as the copper-and-lithium rich Mushroom Forests. As for sights, there's the Bulb Zone and the Underwater Islands.

You should probably decide yourself which of these speak to you, but I personally go to the Blood Kelp Trench so often that the southern side wins in my eyes.

(To anyone interested, both sides have entrances to the Jellyshroom Caves.)

Now that you've heard what can you find on both of these sides, let me show you what I think are some very special and great locations. They're marked with these super proffesional white circles I made:


1. Giant Mushroom Tree
This one is simple. Great access to solar power and an alien teleporter close by. Amazing place to unleash your creativity as well.

2. Jellyshroom Entrance
Solar power works here, but the entrance you should pick is the one with the lava geysers for 24/7 thermal power. Also borders with 3 biomes, so quite the variety in view.

3. Blood Kelp Trench
NEAR the Blood Kelp Trench. You will be close to the resources in the Sparse Reef and the Sea Treaders' Path, as well as the best Lost River entrance.

4. NE Mushroom Forest, near the Mountain Island
The Mountain Island has a teleporter to the Thermal Plant. The location I marked is also next to the Bulb Zone, which means a teleporter to the Primary Containment Facility and easy thermal power. It's also technically close to a Lost River entrance I guess.

Honorable mention: the Giant Cove Tree
Quite the view. It leads to the Inactive Lava Zone and is close to the Ghost Forest, where the alien teleporter sits. The reason I didn't include it in the main Golden Locations is because most of us don't want to move their entire base to the Lost River after building one on the surface already, right?

Honorable mention 2: Floating Island hole
If you REALLY want a land base, may I suggest building it here. You can use vertical connectors to add a moonpool above the Grand Reef. You'll need a lot of titanium tho.

Hope this helped!