Humberstone and La Noria–these two towns in Northern Chile have thrived as saltpeter mines since 1872. After the Great Depression the cities were abandoned in 1960. The rumours of the dead rising from the cemeteries and walking around at night and ghostly images showing up in photographs terrified the residents of neighbouring towns too. The cemetery of La Noria contained opened graves where the bodies were fully exposed; this added to the mystery. In 1970, after becoming ghost towns they were declared as tourist spots. To honour the culture of its inhabitants which was rich in language, creativity, these towns were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
Humberstone and La Noria
