#TurismoMacabro La Moira, El Aguacate and Lecumberri

Legends of La Moira, the Callejón del Aguacate, and Lecumberri

By: Casandra Vicario

We have references, thanks to books and especially to many films, of various places said to be haunted or to harbor some famous ghost within their walls—the Amityville house being one such case—but Mexico is no exception:

Located in the San Miguel Chapultepec neighborhood, on Calle José Vasconcelos, and now a cultural center, stands "La Moira," a house that has been known as a haunted place for many years. Legend has it that a boy named Marco once dared to go inside, where he discovered a boy his own age with a rope tied around his neck—an experience that sent him running away, only to return years later and be found dead, hanging from the ceiling of one of the rooms in the house.

Very famous, especially during the 1980s and '90s, is the Callejón del Aguacate, in the Santa Catarina neighborhood of Coyoacán—a narrow alley where a wide variety of spirits are said to appear: some say a man in a cape and hat shows up who, for some strange reason still undetermined, is said to be the devil himself; others claim to see a boy who plays up and down the alley, appearing and disappearing at will; there are also those who say they've seen a woman walking through the alley or peering out from the window of an abandoned house, whose family is believed to have been murdered many years ago. It's also said that a statue of the Virgin can be seen there, believed to have been placed anonymously to give rest to the souls that haunt the place. With all this, the Callejón del Aguacate is quite a challenge for those who enjoy paranormal thrills. Would you dare walk through it?

Another place where spirits, ghosts, strange noises, and every poltergeist effect imaginable might occur is the former Lecumberri penitentiary, today the Archivo General de la Nación (National General Archive). During the Porfiriato, the facility was filled with the worst of society—fights, murders, torture, and other such things happened there, since it held both men and women until 1954. Its cells were very small, and each one was packed with criminals; for all this, it also came to be known by the nickname "El Palacio Negro" (The Black Palace)—fittingly enough.

All of this makes for a great breeding ground for everyone to live out their own ghostly experience while walking through its depths.

Other spine-chilling places to visit include El Callejón del Diablo, la Casa de Don Juan Manuel, and the designer's house in the Centro Histórico, the witches' house in Colonia Rom, and La Casa de la Tía Toña in Chapultepec.

By: Casandra Vicario