To reach Drylands in Fisch, go to Fischfest 2 Island, walk to the big Sand Castle, head around behind it, and keep moving forward until the area shifts into the Drylands desert zone.
Drylands is one of Fisch’s newer desert areas, and the trip there trips up a lot of players because there’s no button to press or portal to hunt for. You get there on foot, using Fischfest 2 Island as your jumping-off point and slipping past a single giant landmark. Follow the path below and you’ll be casting in the dunes in under a minute.
Where Drylands sits and how to reach it
The Drylands is a desert zone packed with new quests and sand-fishing content, and you enter it by walking rather than through a dedicated portal. Everything runs through Fischfest 2 Island — that is the hub the desert is attached to, so your only real job is getting onto that island and then heading in the right direction.
If you have the Magic Conch (also spelled Magical Conch) unlocked, it’s the quickest way to jump straight to Fischfest 2. It is not required to enter Drylands, though — any route that lands you on Fischfest 2 Island works exactly the same, since the desert is reached physically from the island, not through a separate Drylands teleporter.
How to get to Drylands from Fischfest 2 Island
Once you’re standing on Fischfest 2 Island, the whole trip is a short walk past one landmark — here’s the exact path into the desert.
STEP 1/5
Go to Fischfest 2 Island
Load into Fischfest 2 Island, the main hub that connects to the Drylands desert zone.
STEP 2/5
Head toward the big Sand Castle
Walk forward until the huge Sand Castle — the Heart of the Island — comes into view; it’s one of the largest structures around, so it’s hard to miss.
STEP 3/5
Leave the Sand Castle alone
Don’t interact with the castle itself; it’s a landmark to line up on, not the entrance you’re looking for.
STEP 4/5
Walk around behind it
Go around the Sand Castle and follow the ground behind the structure instead of stopping in front of it.
STEP 5/5
Continue into the Drylands desert
Keep moving forward and the scenery slowly turns to sand until your location updates to Drylands — no loading screen, just a natural transition.
Video help
Landmarks that confirm you’re on the right path
The one thing to lock onto is the big Sand Castle, also called the Heart of the Island — it’s the largest structure on Fischfest 2 and your entire sense of direction hangs on it. Once it’s in front of you, the route is simply “behind that.”
As you follow the ground past the castle, the surroundings gradually change from the fest island into open desert. There’s no special teleport, no loading screen, and no Drylands teleporter to activate; the zone just fades in as you keep walking, and your on-screen location flips to Drylands once you’ve fully crossed over.
Mistakes that keep players from finding Drylands
The biggest time-waster is treating this like a boat trip. Plenty of players sail the open ocean or search around at random looking for a hidden desert island, when the entrance is a short walk from a landmark you’ve probably already seen. There’s also no dedicated “Drylands teleporter” tucked away somewhere — expecting one sends you hunting for a portal that doesn’t exist.
The other classic slip is stopping at the Sand Castle itself. The castle is where you aim, not where you arrive, so interacting with it or lingering out front gets you nowhere — the path is behind it. Finally, don’t confuse Drylands with the wider Fischfest 2 area or the Heart of the Island; those are the neighborhood the desert is attached to, and you’re only truly in Drylands once the ground has turned to sand and your location readout says so.
The Drylands entrance is behind the Sand Castle, not through it — walk around the structure and keep going until the ground turns to sand.
What to do once you reach Drylands
The moment your location reads Drylands, you’re free to start the zone’s content — none of it is a gate on simply being there. Near the entrance you’ll find Paleontologist Petrie, who kicks off the Drylands questline and later unlocks tools like the Marrow Rod along with the area’s fossil quests. The zone’s headline activity is sand fishing: casting into the dunes to pull up fossil fish and prehistoric creatures instead of ordinary catches.
From there it’s all optional progression. The Drylands Bestiary holds roughly 22 to 24 fish, and finishing it pays out 50,000 C$, 50,000 XP, and the Small Cactus Bobber. Longer term you’ll want Sand Sifter and Dune Enchantment to sand-fish efficiently, and there’s a Drylands companion tied further down the questline that shows up under two spellings, Terroscuttler and Terrorscaller. All of that is next-step content, though — reaching the area only takes the walk above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a special teleporter to enter Drylands?
No. Drylands has no dedicated teleporter, portal, or loading screen. You enter it physically from Fischfest 2 Island by walking behind the Sand Castle, and the zone transitions in naturally as you move forward.
Do you need the Marrow Rod or a quest before you can enter Drylands?
No. The zone itself is open the moment you can reach Fischfest 2. The Marrow Rod, fossil quests, and other unlocks only gate specific activities and progression inside Drylands — they aren’t required just to set foot in the area.
Where is Drylands in relation to Fischfest 2 and the Sand Castle?
Drylands is a desert zone attached to Fischfest 2 Island, sitting right behind the big Sand Castle known as the Heart of the Island. Line up on the castle, go around and behind it, and keep walking to cross into the desert.
What should you do after reaching Drylands?
Talk to Paleontologist Petrie near the entrance to start the Drylands questline, then try sand fishing in the dunes for fossil fish and work toward the Drylands Bestiary. Those are the natural next steps once you’re in.
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