Mexico's Island of the Dolls, with dolls hanging for decades

South of Mexico City is a waterway called Xochimilco, a series of small rivers and colorful boats that serve as a tourist attraction. Among them is a small island called "La Isla de las Muñecas."

Dolls hang from the trees, walls, and eaves of the island; many are headless or armless, with hollow black eyes, covered in dust and green moss.

The island's caretaker is named Julián Santana Barrera, who moved to the island in the 1950s and lived alone. Legend has it that one day he found a drowned little girl by the shore, along with a doll floating beside her. He hung the doll on a tree, hoping to let the girl's soul rest in peace.

Later, he claimed that at night he could hear the girl's voice calling his name. So he hung more and more dolls, picking them up from garbage piles and the river, continuing for fifty years. He farmed, sold vegetables, and also traded dolls with others.

In 2001, he died in the water near the island, reportedly in the same place where that girl was found.

Now it is a paid tourist attraction, looked after by his nephew on the island. Some say the dolls' eyes move; some say laughter can be heard at night. Tourists still add new dolls to the island—some to fulfill vows, some to take photos. The boatmen stop their boats by the shore and let people walk in a circle under the trees.

Not all dolls' faces can be clearly seen. Over time, some have fallen to the ground and been covered by grass, while others have sunk halfway into the mud.

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