Leisure, business, education, and health are among the top reasons for traveling today. While few people embark on journeys across the world to try and prove the existence of monsters, there are a few notorious destinations that are thought to be home to truly terrifying creatures. Even though there’s no proof that these beasts really do exist, many believe that they are out there, waiting to be discovered.

If you are interested in monster-hunting, then there are a few key towns, cities, and countries where you should go. Keep reading to find out what destinations around the world are supposedly home to legendary monsters.

10 Loch Ness, Scotland

Perhaps the most famous mythical monster of all, the Loch Ness Monster is said to live in the deep, dark waters of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. Sightings of Nessie go back to 565 A.D., and since then, authorities have received story after story, fake photo after fake photo. Still, nothing has been confirmed. Or denied.

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You can take boat tours across the loch, though be warned that it can get a bit windy out there. So you know what to look for, Nessie is often described as looking like a prehistoric swimming creature known as a plesiosaur, or a large sea serpent.

9 Pine Barrens, USA

New Jersey is famous for a lot of things, but demon-like creatures aren’t one of them. That is unless you go to the Pine Barrens area. A beast with bat wings, clawed hands, a forked tail, hooves, and the head of a horse has been said to haunt Pine Barrens, and many local sightings have added fuel to the rumors.

Originating in Native American folklore, the Jersey Devil, as the beast is called, was later thought to have been born in 1735, birthed by a New Jersey woman. Pretty creepy stuff!

8 The Australian Bush

There is plenty to be afraid of in the vast Australian outback, and killer spiders, snakes, and crocodiles are the least of your worries. Indigenous Australian legends tell of the Bunyip, a large creature with flippers, tusks, and sharp teeth that lurks in the ponds, creeks, and billabongs in the Aussie bush.

Sightings of the infamous Bunyip go back to the 1880s after European settlers began hearing strange sounds coming from the billabongs in the middle of the night. It is told that the Bunyip doesn’t like the taste of kangaroo or koala, either; it much prefers to eat women and children.

7 Hafnarfjörður, Iceland

Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
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Hafnarfjörður, Iceland

Maybe calling it monster-hunting is a bit of a stretch, but you can go on the search for elves in Iceland’s Hafnarfjörður. The town is said to be home to creatures called Huldufólk and álfar, otherwise known as hidden people and elves.

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Readers Digest reveals that around 50-70% of the population in Iceland believe that fairies exist, with building projects even being halted to avoid damaging the land of the Huldufólk. The legends of these elf-like creatures are thought to date back to the beliefs of the Norse settlers, as well as those of slaves from Ireland.

6 Prague, Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is said to be home to the golem, and no, not the one you’re thinking of. Jewish folklore tells the story of an animated human-like being created from inanimate matter.

Legend has it that in the 16thcentury, a rabbi named Judah Loew created a golem out of clay to defend Prague against anti-Semitic attacks. He gave it life by placing a shem (one of the names of God written on paper) into its mouth. Some believe that you can find the remains of the rabbi’s golem in the attic of the Old New Synagogue in Prague.

5 Point Pleasant, USA

Between 1966 and 1967, a horrifying creature terrified Point Pleasant in West Virginia. According to eyewitnesses, the being was seven feet tall, had demonic red eyes, wings that spanned out across 10 feet, and could fly at great speed and at great eight. He came to be known as the Mothman.

Around this time, a number of eerie occurrences were reported. In addition to pets vanishing, the nearby Silver Bridge suddenly collapsed, killing 46 people in the process. Though the city has been free of its terror since then, there’s nothing to suggest that the Mothman won’t return one day.

4 Gobi Desert, Mongolia

If you’re interested in catching monsters, you should head to the vast Gobi Desert in Asia. According to whispers from nomadic Mongolian tribes, the desert is home to the Mongolian Death Worm. The creature is said to look like, well, a large red worm, lying in wait beneath the hot sands of the desert.

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It is believed that when the worm attacks, it spits out acid at its prey. If you’re lucky enough to escape the venom that it spewed out at you, the Death Worm also has the power to zap you with an electric shock.

3 The Himalayas, Nepal

Known across the world as Bigfoot, Yowie, Yeti, the Abominable Snowman, and Sasquatch, the infamous ape-like beast has been sighted all over the planet. While some believe Bigfoot resides in the mountains and forests of North America, many sightings come from the Himalayas.

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The description of Bigfoot is pretty consistent across all sightings, no matter where they are. He is believed to resemble a giant ape, with feet as large nearly 25 inches. Though there’s been no solid evidence to prove that he exists, and photos of him have been proven to be fake, it’s still possible that Bigfoot is out there, waiting to be discovered.

2 Puerto Rico, Mexico, And Latin America

Reports across Puerto Rico, Mexico, and elsewhere in Latin America, claim that a violent and malicious creature known as El Chupacabra sometimes emerges to terrorize local farmers. The legend was born in the 1990s after slaughtered farm animals were found in Puerto Rico.

According to eyewitness accounts, the Chupacabra is five feet tall, hairless, and has long skinny legs. It supposedly gets around by hopping and has fangs, a row of spikes on its back, and fiery red eyes. Some argue that witnesses really saw coyote attacking livestock, but nobody can be sure.

1 London, England

Forget Jack the Ripper. The Victorians in London were prey to another kind of Jack. First emerging in 1837, the Spring-Heeled Jack is said to be an evil beast with the ability to jump to great heights. The creature was described by witnesses as having the face of a devil, with red eyes and clawed hands.

According to legend, the Spring-Heeled Jack would tear away the skin of his prey and spit out blue flames. If you don’t want to go to London to search for the creature, it has also been spotted in Liverpool, Lincolnshire, and even Scotland.

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