ORIGIN: Mexico.
The Island of the Dolls also known as La Isla de las Muñecas is one of Mexico's most haunting urban legends.
In the canals of Xochimilco, just south of Mexico City, this island is entirely draped with hundreds of old, decaying dolls hanging from trees and scattered across the landscape.
The legend behind this creepy display centers on a man named Don Julián Santana Barrera, the island's caretaker.
According to the story, in the 1950s, Don Julián discovered the body of a young girl who had drowned in the canal.
Soon after that, he began experiencing strange occurrences.
Convinced that the girl's spirit was haunting the island, he started collecting and hanging dolls to appease her restless soul and ward off other spirits.
Over the decades, the dolls accumulated and their lifeless eyes and severed limbs created a ritualistic atmosphere.
Sadly, Don Julián was later found dead in the same canal where the girl had drowned.
Many believe his spirit now lives on the island, along with the girl's.
Visitors to the island sometimes say they heard whispers, giggles, and saw the dolls' eyes move.