Place to see: Doll´s Island (Isla de las Muñecas), Xochimilco, Mexico

Dolls of Doll's Island

Dolls of Doll's Island by Juan C. Hamparzumian

Hi there!

Dolls of Doll's Island
Bye Bye Barbi, of Doll's Island

About this place:

Located in the heart of the Xochimico's canals, Doll's Island has a history totally unique. Sometime in the 1950’s Julián Santana Barrera begun collecting dolls found in the trash. He lived in this tiny island in Xochimilco and according to his family, these dolls kept the bad spirits away. The family also says that a young girl drowned at the island and he brought the dolls to keep her spirit happy. The island was for many years forgotten, but then in the 1990’s a program to clean up the canals gave again way for the Mexican style gondolas (trajineras) to pass by the island. Julian drowned at the island on April 17th, 2001. His family keeps the place by visitor’s donations; the place has no electricity, no running water or any other kind of utilities. Cellular phones do get a signal, as Xochimilco is inside the limits of Mexico City’s Federal District.
To get there, you take a “trajinera” from the Cuemanco Pier and ask to be taken there. It’s a 2 hour trip each way, and during the trip you can enjoy beautiful views of Xochimico’s scenery.

Postcards about Doll´s Island (Isla de las Muñecas):

  • Juan C. Hamparzumian

    30 September 2008
    From:
    Juan C. Hamparzumian

    Invited by a group of friends from the Mexico’s Photography Club, We met at the Cuamanco Pier early Sunday September 30, 2008. The day was cloudy, but great for pictures. I had no idea what to expect; I was told people had many different reactions to the place. One of many is that you can live in one of the largest cities in the world, in a tinny island, with no utilities at all. But, hey, cellular phones worked! I don’t have a particular felling about this place. For the others in the group, emotions showed all over the map. After a two hour trip, we finally reached the island. We stayed about 40 minutes; time flew so fast, but we had enough time to take many pictures. On the way back, as we moved slowly thru the waterways, it was time to talk about the island. We all had different reactions, but we all seemed saddened by the conditions this family lived in, and about the story of a man who kept bad spirits away with dolls. If you have the time, during a trip to Mexico City, this could be an interesting visit if you decide to take a trip in Xochimilco’s canals.

Xochimilco, Distrito Federal, MX

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Discovered by Juan C. Hamparzumian
on 30 September 2008.
19957 views.