image credit: Esparta ccThe Island Of The Dolls (Isla de las Muñecas), located in the vast network of canals that lies to the south of Mexico City, near Xochimilco is one of the creepiest tourist attractions in Mexico. Here, among the branches and dead trees hang hundreds of old, mutilated dolls.
The story goes that half a century ago a little girl drowned off a small island hidden deep amongst the canals of Xochimico. The island's only permanent inhabitant was a hermit named Don Julián Santana Barrera, who despite having a wife and family, chose to live alone on the island. Soon after the girl's death Barrera fished out one doll after another from the canals. Convinced that this was a sign from the evil spirit, Don Julian Santana began hanging the dolls on trees to protect himself from evil and calm the spirit of the dead girl. Soon Don Julián had made the entire island into a shrine.
