The Island of the Dolls, or Isla de las Mucenas, is a popular tourist attraction located in the canals of Xochimico near Mexico City. The tragic story of why the dolls exist starts with island's lone inhabitant Don Julian Santana Barrera. This undated photo was posted to Flickr showing the Island of the Dolls. Esparta Palma/Flickr

Legend has it that Don Julian Santana Barrera found the body of a drowned girl in the river where his small island was situated. Shortly afterwords he found a doll in the same river and hung it in a tree in the memory of the girl. <a href="http://bit.ly/1jP8jpT"target="external">This photo</a> was posted to Flickr in August 2012. Jen Wilton/Flickr

Barrera was haunted by his discovery and began hanging more and more dolls in an attempt to appease the girl's spirit and protect the island from evil spirits. <a href="http://bit.ly/1lVlxXJ"target="external">This photo</a> was posted in Flickr in August 2008. Caliopedreams/Flickr

Close friends reportedly say that Barrera eventually started believing that the dolls themselves were possessed. <a href="http://bit.ly/1iwJOmv"target="external">This photo</a> was posted to Flickr in April 2010. Alejandro De La Cruz/Flickr

Barrera continued to add more dolls for several years until 2001, when he too drowned in the same river where he had found the little girl. <a href="http://bit.ly/1nF1iu8"target="external">This photo</a> was posted to Flickr in December 2007. Troels Myrup/Flickr

Locals believe that Don Julian Santana Barrera joined the other spirits of the island and that the island is charmed, not nightmarish. It became a tourist destination after the passing of Barrera, and visitors now bring more dolls. <a href="http://bit.ly/UKxYdG"target="external">This photo</a> of the Isla de la Munecas was posted to Flickr in April 2010. Alejandro De La Cruz/Flickr

<a href="http://bit.ly/1rA3G89"target="external">This photo</a> of the Isla de las Munecas, or Island of the dolls, was posted on Flickr in August, 2008. Esparta Palma/Flickr

The Isla de Munecas is seen in <a href="http://bit.ly/1jP8jpT"target="external">this photo</a> posted to Flickr in December, 2007. Bradleyolin/Flickr

The Isla de la Munecas is seen in <a href="http://bit.ly/1iwQjWn"target="external">this photo</a> posted to Flickr in April, 2010. Alejandro De La Cruz/Flickr