CuriositiesJUN 11, 2010

Creepy Island of the Dolls (19 Pics)

TomAuthor

Do you know what is the safest way to look at all the famous places to visit? It’s online traveling – when you sit comfortably on a couch browsing pictures. Even better, why not enjoy most haunted places around the world from the safety of home too?

So, let's indulge in some dark tourism and take a little virtual tour to the heart of the Xochimilco's canals, Mexico. There we will find a strange abandoned island called "Isla de Las Munecas" where most of the trees are decorated with old creepy dolls. According to local legend, three young girls were playing on the island when one drowned. Now when you walk here - you may get a feeling that you're being constantly watched.

Back in the 1950s, a guy named Julian Santana Barrera chose the island to live, despite having a wife and children. Strangely enough, he started collecting all sorts of scary dolls - Julian fished some of his baby dolls out of the canal and collected others from the trash. Some people even say that locals began bringing old dolls in trade for fresh vegetables he had grown. Julian believed that dolls made the drowned girl’s spirit happy and protected him from evil. Or perhaps he was possessed...

The ghost story doesn’t end here though. Accidentally or not, Julian Santana Barrera was found dead in the very same canal the girl drowned in. Locals say that he often heard voices in the water calling him.

Nowadays, Island of the Dolls or "La Isla de la Munecas", is one of the world's weirdest tourist attractions and one of the creepiest places to see. Each doll is believed to be imbued with the energy of the dead girl. Some tourists claim the haunted dolls whisper and move, so visitors usually bring candies and candles to appease the spirit.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so without further ado, let's jump to the photos of this scary place.