Island of The Dolls

La Isla de la Munecas is found south of Mexico City by travelling along the Canals of Xochimilco. The story behind it is that the island once had a sole inhabitant, Don Julian Santana Barrera. While Julian was in fact married, he decided to spend the last 50 years of his life alone on his own little island.

One day Julian was relaxing on his private island when he spotted a doll floating down the canal. Julian fished the doll out and later found that it had belonged to a little girl living in a village further up the canal. The unfortunate girl had been playing near the water when she slipped, fell in and drown.

The story is a lot weirder than that though. After finding the doll, Julian soon discovered the Island had one extra inhabitant. The girl wasn't willing to give up her doll that easily, not even after death. Now stuck with a girls doll and her ghost, Julian decided it was time to take up a new hobby.

The island Hermit began collecting dolls, amassing thousands of dolls over his lifetime and lovingly displaying them across the island for the little girl.

Now from nearly every tree on the island (and just about everywhere else he could stick them) mutilated dolls simulated acts of torture and suicide. A shrine was erected for the girl, and as long as new dolls came rolling in the ghost was appeased. Or so Julian thought...

After 50 years of manic doll collecting, Julians life finally came to an end. The death of a lone crazy island hermit wouldn't really draw much attention, had he not drown in the same canal as the little girl he claimed had haunted him. Had he been paying his regards to the dead child and merely fallen in? Or had the restless spirit finally grown tired of the old man? Only Julian will ever know for certain.

Now Island of The Dolls is merely a creepy Mexican tourist attraction, visited every so often by boats of tourists. It is claimed the dolls whisper and must be offered gifts to appease them on arrival; true or not, the location is still creepy. Would you ever dare visit La Isla de la Munecas?