World Horror Tourism Based on Legends to Real Stories

Horror tourism has recently gained popularity among visitors who are enjoying their vacations. They explore places like old houses, remnants of graves, and more.

Each tourist location has its own unique stories. There are underlying reasons behind these occurrences, such as cases of torture, suicide, or even murder.

Several tourist destinations around the world are well-known and often visited by travelers. Summarized from various sources, here are some horror tourism destinations worldwide:

Snake Island (Brazil)

Ilha de Queimada Grande is an island off the coast of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The island is home to one of the deadliest snakes on Earth, but it has recently become a popular destination for thrill-seekers.

Some believe that there is a golden lancehead viper (Bothrops insularis) snake on every square meter of the island, totaling around 4,000 snakes according to Smithsonian reports. The Wall Street Journal, on the other hand, reported that there are five of these slithering creatures per square meter.

Living comfortably without predators but with limited land prey, two things happen: their population explodes uncontrollably, and the snakes use migrating birds as a food source.

To ensure their avian prey doesn’t escape, the golden lancehead vipers have evolved to produce venom that is five times stronger than that of mainland snakes. With this venom, they can swiftly incapacitate birds.

“The venom is so potent that it can melt human flesh and kill a person within an hour.”

Devil’s Island (French Guiana)

Located in French Guiana, Devil’s Island was one of the locations used by the French government to exile and punish political opponents or individuals considered the most threatening.

For several decades, the island was known as the most brutal prison in the world, with thousands of people dying during their time there.

Many died from endemic tropical diseases, while others fell victim to the brutality of the government itself.

Access to Devil’s Island has been closed since then. In addition to scattered bodies and skeletons, the threat of endemic diseases still looms in the area.

Guanajuato (Mexico)

Leaving a corpse to rot and dry may seem horrifying, but in Guanajuato, Mexico, it is a common practice to preserve and display corpses as a form of respect.

The locals call it the “Day of the Dead celebration.” Before leaving the corpses to dry, they are embalmed and displayed. The mummified bodies are then placed in snail-shaped containers.

However, some bodies are left in their original positions when they died, with their mouths gaping open or even their eyes wide open.

Doll Island (Mexico)

What if you come across several dolls hanging from trees with wide, empty-eyed gazes and partially damaged bodies?

According to local legend, in the forests of Mexico, a small girl’s corpse was found floating by the riverbank. The island’s caretaker then brought the girl’s body to the riverbank, where she was found holding a doll.

To commemorate the deceased girl, the man hung the doll on a nearby tree. Strangely, he continued this daily ritual, bringing more dolls to the forest for the little girl. Dolls were hung on every tree in the forest.

He continued this activity until his death, and now the island’s residents claim that the dolls often move and emit screams at midnight. Other witnesses claim to hear the dolls whispering and disturbing the visitors.

Suicide Forest (Japan)

Aokigahara Forest is a favorite place for the Japanese people and has become infamous as a suicide destination.

Since the 18th century, Aokigahara Forest has been believed to be the ideal location for those who wish to end their lives. Many Japanese people deliberately bring their elderly relatives to end their lives there.

Hanging is one of the most well-known suicide methods in Aokigahara. When discovered, the bodies have already decomposed or only left behind bones.

The forest is also said to be haunted by the spirits of elderly men and women who died there during the hunger crisis in Japan.

Since 1970, patrols have been deployed to search Aokigahara and find missing individuals.

The Japanese government estimates that over 100 bodies are found in Aokigahara every year. The dense and lush forest makes it difficult to find a way out once you are lost, adding to the eerie atmosphere. It is said that if you get lost, you might hear the screams of people who have ended their lives.