Deep inside the labyrinthine canal system of Xochimilco south of Mexico City sits an island shrouded in local legend and psychological mystery. Every tree branch, hut, and wire is strung with severed, moldering doll heads and limbs.
The Legend of Don Julián
In the mid-20th century, a recluse named Don Julián Santana Barrera moved to the isolated island. According to local lore, he found the body of a young girl who drowned under mysterious circumstances in the canal. Shortly after, he discovered a floating plastic doll nearby, which he hung from a tree as a sign of respect to quiet the drowned girl's spirit.
Decades of Obsession
Over the next 50 years, Santana scavenged hundreds of discarded dolls from trash piles and canals, hanging them across the island until his death in 2001—when he was found drowned in the exact same spot as the girl.