This time of the year, boost your travel itinerary by visiting some famous haunted locations around the globe. The vacation won’t even require you to spend a ton of money because you can join ghost hunting expeditions with a group to split the fees or simply see the places without a guide. This way, you don’t have to worry about using up all your finances and getting a friend to send extra cash from abroad.
Island of the Dolls, Mexico City
In the southern part of Mexico City, a small island enclosed by the Xochimico canals holds a gloomy history. It began when the caretaker of the island named Don Julian Santana Barrera found the body of a drowned little girl in the deep waters. Soon after, he discovered a floating doll near the canals and assumed it belonged to her. Believing that the doll possesses the spirit of the child, he hung it on a tree to pay respects.
Some stories say the girl haunted him in his nightmares, which is why he continued to hang more dolls or their parts — limbs, heads, and doll eyes — in the trees. This was his troubling pastime for 50 years until he drowned in the canals himself. Locals eventually called the mysterious island “Isla de las Muñecas”. Legend says the dolls move their heads and open their eyes, while witnesses assert they hear the dolls whisper to one another.
Bloody Chapel, Ireland
Leap Castle, now called the Bloody Chapel, houses a number of scary spirits, including the well-known Elemental. Locals also share the tale of a 15th-century priest, ruthlessly murdered by his brother in his chapel and in front of their family. Lastly, the castle features a murder hole or oubliette where prisoners starve to death. The long and bloody history of the place earned its savage reputation due to the discovery of three cartloads of human remains.
Frighten yourself silly and embrace the realm of the unknown around the globe. This themed vacation will not only help you see the world in a whole new light, but it will also let you experience the spiritual beliefs of different cultures.