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Hundreds of photographers and thrill-seekers travel to the haunted Island of the Dolls every year, but it was never meant to be a tourist attraction.
After a two-hour canal ride from Mexico City, they arrive at a nightmarish clearing deep in the woods where thousands of mutilated dolls hang from the trees and hide among the dense branches.
They were put there by a reclusive Mexican man who believed they would appease the troubled ghost of a small girl who died there over 50 years ago - and still haunts the woods today.
Julian Santana Barrera retreated to the woods soon after she drowned in the nearby canal. He claimed he could hear her tormented screams and footsteps in the darkness.
Even today - 14 years after his own mysterious death in those woods - visitors say they hear whispers in the night and feel the dolls' eyes following them through the trees.
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Haunted: A reclusive Mexican artist began to hang dolls from the trees (pictured) in a forest to appease the ghost of a young girl who - legend has it - drowned in a nearby canalHaunted: A reclusive Mexican artist began to hang dolls from the trees (pictured) in a forest to appease the ghost of a young girl who - legend has it - drowned in a nearby canal
Tormented: Julian Santana Barrera arrived in the woods of Xochimilco, Mexico City (pictured), shortly after a girl had died in a nearby canalTormented: Julian Santana Barrera arrived in the woods of Xochimilco, Mexico City (pictured), shortly after a girl had died in a nearby canal
Tribute: Barrera discovered a doll floating in the canal where she died and hung it from a tree as a mark of respect to the deceased girlTribute: Barrera discovered a doll floating in the canal where she died and hung it from a tree as a mark of respect to the deceased girl
Creepy: He became convinced that the little girl's ghost had possessed the doll and began to hang up more and more to appease her spiritCreepy: He became convinced that the little girl's ghost had possessed the doll and began to hang up more and more to appease her spirit
Decay: Since his death in 2001, the area known as the 'chinampas' has become a tourist hot spot where visitors hang up there own dolls
Profiteering: Barrera's relatives now run the area where he lived and collected hundreds of mutilated dolls as a tourist attractionProfiteering: Barrera's relatives now run the area where he lived and collected hundreds of mutilated dolls as a tourist attraction
Motive: There are many local legends as to why he placed the terrifying dolls all over the woods but his family say he was simply convinced that he thought they were haunted by the girl he found dead in the canalMotive: There are many local legends as to why he placed the terrifying dolls all over the woods but his family say he was simply convinced that he thought they were haunted by the girl he found dead in the canal
Superstition: Locals described the site as 'charmed' but travelers have claimed they still hear the dolls whispering to themSuperstition: Locals described the site as 'charmed' but travelers have claimed they still hear the dolls whispering to them
Keeping watch: 'Thousands' of dolls hang from the trees in the woods known as the Isla de las Munecas, and hundreds more are hidden among the overgrown grassKeeping watch: 'Thousands' of dolls hang from the trees in the woods known as the Isla de las Munecas, and hundreds more are hidden among the overgrown grass
Barrera found the girl's corpse floating in the canal and blamed himself for not being able to save her life, according to the so-called Isla de las Munecas' official website.
He later discovered a doll floating in the same waters and, assuming it belonged to the deceased girl, hung it from a tree as a sign of respect. His descent into madness began with this seemingly innocent act.
Barrera began to hear whispers, footsteps and the anguished wails of a woman in the darkness even though his hut - hidden deep inside the woods of Xochimilco - was miles away from civilisation.
Driven by fear, he hung the dismembered toys from the trees to protect himself from her ghost and spent the next 50 years 'decorating' the woods in a desperate attempt to appease her.
He hung hundreds of toys - some missing body parts - from the trees and the wire fencing which surrounded his wooden shack.
Barrera lived a hermit's life in those woods until 2001 when his nephew found him dead - drowned in the same canal where he found the floating doll.
He had retreated to the area, known locally as the 'chinampas', when his girlfriend left him for another man. There, he grew vegetables and flowers to sell in the nearest town but never spoke to anyone while he was there, according to Mexican website Zocalo.
Creator: According to the official website of Isla de las Munecas, Julian Santana Barrera (right) found the girl's corpse floating in a nearby canal and blamed himself for her death
Insane: Barrera claimed the first doll he hung up became possessed by the spirit of the deceased young girl, who began to torment himInsane: Barrera claimed the first doll he hung up became possessed by the spirit of the deceased young girl, who began to torment him
Frightening: His home in the woods (pictured) was far removed from civilisation but he still claimed he heard whispers, footsteps and the chilling sound of a woman wailing in the darknessFrightening: His home in the woods (pictured) was far removed from civilisation but he still claimed he heard whispers, footsteps and the chilling sound of a woman wailing in the darkness
Appeasement: Barrera began 'decorating' the site with hundreds of dolls to please her ghost - hanging them from trees (pictured) and from the wire fencing around his houseAppeasement: Barrera began 'decorating' the site with hundreds of dolls to please her ghost - hanging them from trees (pictured) and from the wire fencing around his house
Mysterious: After doing so for five decades, Barrera's nephew found him dead in the same canal where the small girl had drownedMysterious: After doing so for five decades, Barrera's nephew found him dead in the same canal where the small girl had drowned
Haunting: The dolls he hung from the trees have been decaying in the Mexican woods for 14 years, many have been infested by insects
Infestation: Insects have since infiltrated the hut where Barrero lived and the hundreds of terrifying-looking toys he hung thereInfestation: Insects have since infiltrated the hut where Barrero lived and the hundreds of terrifying-looking toys he hung there
Memento: Tourists have added their own personal touches to the terrifying dolls he left behind, and even leave donations to his familyMemento: Tourists have added their own personal touches to the terrifying dolls he left behind, and even leave donations to his family
A photographer who traveled to the island this year told MailOnline how the sight of 'thousands of dolls hanging from trees on the tiny island' was a 'disturbing sight'A photographer who traveled to the island this year told MailOnline how the sight of 'thousands of dolls hanging from trees on the tiny island' was a 'disturbing sight'
Reports suggest the dead girl may never have even existed, that she was a tale made up by Barrera after years of isolation in the woods. Those close to him suggested he was 'driven by some unseen force that completely changed him'.
The truth, as told by his family members who now run the island as a tourist attraction, is that Barrera simply believed the island was haunted by the spirit of the dead girl he found in the canal.
After his death, the area became a popular tourist attraction where visitors bring more dolls. The locals describe it as 'charmed' - not haunted - even though travelers claim the dolls whisper to them.
Professional photographer Cindy Vasko visited the nightmarish island earlier this year and described it as the 'creepiest place she has ever visited'.
She told MailOnline how she made the two-hour journey to the site on a trajinera - a colorful, wooden gondola - which she boarded in Mexico City's southern borough of Xochimilco.
The journey began through maze-like canals, surrounded by lush greenery and beautiful singing birds, but soon their boat was slowed down by a swarm of lily pads and the canal fell ominously silent.
She told MailOnline: 'At the end of the journey, the trajinera turned along a bend in the waterway and I was struck by a surreal vision of hundreds, maybe thousands, of dolls hanging from trees on the tiny island... A disturbing sight.
Adventure: It takes a two-hour on a trajinera (pictured) - a colorful, wooden gondola - to reach the the chinampas where Barrera once livedAdventure: It takes a two-hour on a trajinera (pictured) - a colorful, wooden gondola - to reach the the chinampas where Barrera once lived
Scenic: Cindy Vasko, a photographer who visited the area this year, told MailOnline how the journey began through maze-like canals where she was surrounded by lush greenery (pictured)Scenic: Cindy Vasko, a photographer who visited the area this year, told MailOnline how the journey began through maze-like canals where she was surrounded by lush greenery (pictured)
Scorched: At the end of her long journey, Vasko said she was 'struck by a surreal vision of hundreds, maybe thousands, of dolls hanging from trees on the tiny island'Scorched: At the end of her long journey, Vasko said she was 'struck by a surreal vision of hundreds, maybe thousands, of dolls hanging from trees on the tiny island'
Donation: Visitors leave coins and trinkets at several of the doll shrines found inside some of the Island's buildingsDonation: Visitors leave coins and trinkets at several of the doll shrines found inside some of the Island's buildings
Inexplicable: A strange looking jar inside one of the shrines appears to contain old mushrooms, soaked in a liquidInexplicable: A strange looking jar inside one of the shrines appears to contain old mushrooms, soaked in a liquid
Possessed: The locals describe it as 'charmed' - not haunted - even though travelers claim the dolls (pictured) whisper to themPossessed: The locals describe it as 'charmed' - not haunted - even though travelers claim the dolls (pictured) whisper to them
Bizarre: Some dolls were left in the haunted area during Barrera's 50-year tenure, but others (pictured) have been left by tourists more recentlyBizarre: Some dolls were left in the haunted area during Barrera's 50-year tenure, but others (pictured) have been left by tourists more recently
Recluse: Barrera originally retreated to the area, known locally as the 'chinampas', when his girlfriend left him for another manRecluse: Barrera originally retreated to the area, known locally as the 'chinampas', when his girlfriend left him for another man
Relic: After Barrera's death in 2011, the area became a popular tourist attraction where visitors bring more dolls - which now number in the thousandsRelic: After Barrera's death in 2011, the area became a popular tourist attraction where visitors bring more dolls - which now number in the thousands
'Upon stepping foot on the island, I saw dolls not only hanging from the trees, but clustered at the bases of trees, attached to small structures and fencing - and hanging from wires that look like the dolls were left out to dry on a clothes-line.
'For decades, many dolls were exposed to the elements and are certainly weathered and decayed... Many dolls are sheathed in thick spider webs, some are missing limbs, and some do not even possess bodies, with only doll-heads hanging from rusty wires in the tree.
'Some dolls were home to large insects crawling out of the mouths or eye sockets and some had lice embedded in their hair... Visitors leave coins and trinkets at several of the doll shrines found inside some of the Island’s loosely-constructed buildings.'
Known locally as the 'chinampas', the area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, which expanded tourism to the area. But there excitement turns to horror when they stumble upon the Island of the Dolls.
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