For those who want to celebrate the night of Halloween with terrifying experiences, Latin America offers tours to different places that test the courage of their visitors, from haunted castles and ghost towns to a mysterious island where scary dolls Annabelle hangs from trees.
Here are four Latin American countries that fans of paranormal experiences should not miss, especially on Halloween.
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Island of the Dolls, Mexico
South of Mexico City is Xochimilco, one of the most popular waterways where young people have fun riding traditional boats full of flowers and colors, however, on Halloween this place turns into one of the creepiest places for those who visit.
At some point along the way, the boat passengers arrive at an evil island, adorned with numerous dolls hanging from trees. The story goes that in that place a man buried a girl who died mysteriously and that screams, laughter and crying were heard at night. For this reason, Mr. Santana, a resident, decided to fill the island with dolls so that the girl’s spirit would be soothed and the country would return to peace.
Today this place is full of visitors, especially on Halloween night, the day on which the island is illuminated in a unique way for the entertainment of visitors. The tour includes a visit to Mr. Santana’s home where tourists can see the first doll created for this eerie collection.
Humberstone, Chile
This is a ghost town, located in the region of Tarapacá (Atacama Desert), which was previously devoted to mining. Today there are remains of alleys, buildings, hotels, theaters, locomotives, as well as the former offices of companies that extracted salt from this area.
According to legend, at night, people can hear the screams of men, women, and even children who were used to work in the various mines of the area. Some hear the creaking of doors and the sound of tools hitting rocks.
Humberstone has guides who accompany visitors on the tour of this mysterious abandoned village. Along the way, they tell of the bloody legends that make this country one of the darkest in Latin America. The offices of this salt pan, along with its neighbor Santa Laura, are managed by the Museo del Salitre Corporation and were declared a National Monument in 1970 and a World Heritage Site in 2005.
Castillo Marroquin, Colombia
Located in the Colombian city of Chía, this place, which today is an exclusive destination for cultural events, celebrations, bullfights and equestrian events, has an interesting history behind it. According to legend, the wife of the first owner of this magnificent castle mysteriously disappeared one morning when she went to look for clothes in her room.
Shortly after, her body was found near the Bogota River, and since then, locals claim to hear her ghost walking the hacienda’s corridors and even believe they have seen her near the Bogota River. This impressive castle was designed by architect Gastón Lelarge in 1898 and has two circular towers, an interior chapel, kitchens and large recreation spaces.
Catacombs of San Francisco, Peru
In Lima, the capital of Peru, visitors can spend Halloween on an adrenaline high by visiting the catacombs of the Convent of San Francisco that are hidden under the chapels of the Church.
Its narrow corridors connected to the crypts of the Franciscan order hide eerie stories of those buried there forever. The vaults contain hundreds of human skulls and bones dating back to the 17th century. Of particular note is a 32-meter-deep tomb that only the bravest dare to visit, with local guides attending to tourists of all ages.
If the experience wasn’t terrifying enough, outside is the Matusita House, famous for the ghost stories and paranormal phenomena that have been reported there. Residents claim that citizens can still see ghostly shadows and hear ghostly screams.
