Haunted Islands
All over the world, there are islands with creepy backstories. From ghost sightings to gruesome urban legends, these islands are not for the faint of heart.
The Island Of The Dolls
Visually speaking, the Island of the Dolls might be the most haunting island on this list. Hundreds of dolls can be seen on this island, strung up in trees and buildings. Located south of Mexico City, the island's history is even more disturbing.
The Island Of The Dolls
You see, as the story goes, the island's caretaker, Don Julian Santan Barrera, found a drowned girl in the canals. Not long after that, he also discovered a doll, which he assumed belonged to her. To honor this girls memory, Barrera strung the doll up in a tree. But he didn't stop there.
The Island Of The Dolls
Barrera continued to hang dolls to keep the girl's spirit at bay—and by the looks of it, this practice became an obsession of sorts. The dolls are everywhere now, and the island has become a tourist attraction.
The Island Of The Dolls
Those who have visited the island have claimed to see supernatural things, like the dolls' parts moving on their own: their heads, arms, and eyes.
Gunkanjima Island
Gunkanjima Island is also called Battleship Island because of its unsettling appearance. It looks like a hulking, concrete ship—and its backstory is downright chilling.
Gunkanjima Island
Though the island has a long history, its most tragic chapter occurred during WWII. The Empire of Japan controlled thousands of Korean and Chinese laborers who lived on Gunkanjima Island.
Gunkanjima Island
Reportedly, from 1910 to 1945, around 60,000 workers had no choice but to work in the island's coal mine. As rumor has it, the ghosts of these poor souls never left the island.
Poveglia Island
Between Venice and Lido, one can find Poveglia Island. The island dates back to 421 when the locals had no choice but move there due to invaders. For years, the island remained quite safe... Then in 1348, the bubonic plague changed everything.
Poveglia Island
The bubonic plague disrupted life on Poveglia. It was mostly abandoned, becoming a place to send the sick. Thousands of souls met their ends on the island. But that wasn't the end of its dark story.
Poveglia Island
In the 19th century, the island experienced another dismal chapter: A mental institution was built. According to the story, one of the doctors threw himself off the bell tower. His ghost is said to still linger. Residents have even claimed to hear the tower's bell ringing.
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Daksa Island
In 1944, the SS had finally been beaten. The Croatian locals wanted to get rid of any of the Fuhrer's sympathizers. This is where Daksa Island comes in to play.
Daksa Island
Reportedly, though 300 men were taken in, 53 of them were sent to Daksa Island to meet their bloody ends. They weren't even given a trial. This would later be called the Daksa Massacre.
Daksa Island
The island became a mysterious site for over five decades. It wasn't until 2009, that someone discovered a mass grave. Since then, authorities have found more bodies on the island, which were likely SS men.
Today, the island is known as the "Island of Ghosts" and is said to be haunted.
Chiloé Island
Found off the coast of Chile, Chiloé Island is not a center for tourism. This might have to do with it drizzly weather, but it could also be boiled down to its dark history—and the claims that the island is haunted.
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Chiloé Island
As the legend goes, before the Spanish ruled the island, a coven of warlocks wreaked havoc on the locals. This coven was known as the "Brujos." In the 1880s, details about Brujos of Chiloé began to bubble of the surface as witch hunts became frequent.
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Chiloé Island
The Brujos completely turned their back on Catholicism. In fact, they were its antithesis; they welcomed the devil into their lives. They even had a brutal de-baptism ritual.
Chiloé Island
Perhaps one of the most chilling aspects of the Chilote folklore is the monster known as the imbunche. These monsters are said to guard the entrance of the warlocks' cave.
Chiloé Island
De-baptized via black magic, the imbunche is a human baby transformed into a blue hideous monster. The most nasty detail? These monsters supposedly fed on human remains taken from nearby cemeteries.
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Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island is one of the most popular creepy tourist attractions in America. Located in San Francisco, it has a long and unsettling history.
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Alcatraz Island
Even before it became the site of the famous prison, Native Americans also treated the island like a punishment for those who broke tribal rules. They believed that the island was home to evil spirits.
Alcatraz Island
It wasn't until 1934 that the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary opened. It closed almost thirty years later in 1963 and is a museum today. However, employees, inmates, and visitors have made some wild claims.
Alcatraz Island
Countless supernatural tales have come out of Alcatraz Island. People have sighted ghostly apparitions, heard banging doors, and heard spine-tingling screaming that can't be accounted for.
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Alcatraz Island
There were also guards who described some kind of ghostly being that had glowing eyes; they referred to it as "The Thing."
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The Isle of Skye
Located in Scotland, the Isle of Skye has a reputation for the supernatural. Its said to be haunted thanks to the number of ghostly spirits that haunt the site of Dunvegan Castle.
The Isle of Skye
Reportedly, there are musical ghosts afoot on the Isle of Skye. At Dunvegan Castle, music can be heard coming from a room void of musical instruments. The empty south tower also presents a similar phenomenon, as bagpipes can be heard emanating from it.
The Isle of Skye
Dunvegan Castle is associated with very unique ghosts—four of them, to be exact. One is said to be the ghost of Hugh MacDonald, a victim of the dungeons. But that isn't the most horrifying story.
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The Isle of Skye
Perhaps most tragically, one of the ghosts is said to be the castle's housemaid—a woman who made a terrible mistake. She accidentally dropped the son of the clan chief...out a window. Chillingly, some say that they can still hear her desperate screams.
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The Isle Of Wight
Located in England, many consider the Isle of Wight to be one of the most ghostly places around. Michael Morey is its most famous ghost. In 1737, Morey took his grandson's life and paid a terrible price.
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The Isle Of Wight
Michael Morey faced capital punishment for his evil deed. After his passing, his remains were left at Gallows Hill. It's said that his spirit never left and continues to haunt the area, his ghost still holding an ax. But he's not the only ghost.
Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Isle Of Wight
The Isle of Wight is also home to the Old Royal National Hospital. Many patients there suffered with tuberculosis and didn't make it. Visitors have claimed to see these patients' ghosts in attitudes of distress.
Additionally, near the Ventnor Botanic Gardens, visitors have claimed to see the ghosts of animals and nurses.
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The Isle Of Wight
There is also a ghost of a girl at the Priory Bay Hotel. In the hallways, guests have heard her grieving spirit crying out, "What have you done with my dog?"
Ocracoke Island
In North Carolina, Ocracoke Island's most famous legend has everything to do with the renowned pirate, Blackbeard.
Ocracoke Island
Orcracoke Island was a major destination for Blackbeard as he often held parties and meetings there. However, following one of these parties, the pirate lost his life just off the island's coast.
Ocracoke Island
People believe that Blackbeard's ghost still haunt Springer's Point every night. But Blackbeard isn't the only ghost running around Ocracoke Island.
Ocracoke Island
Enter: Mrs. Godfrey. Mrs. Godfrey is the ghost that supposedly haunts room 23 at the Island Inn. Guests have claimed to see her ghost, sometimes even seated on their bed. She's also known to go through visitors' makeup bags.
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