Lican Ray

Lican Ray sits on a peninsula sticking out into Lake Calafquen, with a beach on each side - Playa Grande and Playa Chica - both of black volcanic sand, which is normal for these lakes and startles people expecting pale sand. The lake is one of the seven lakes chain and is calmer and shallower near the shore than Villarrica, which makes it a family resort in January and February and very quiet the rest of the year. The name is Mapudungun and the surrounding area is Mapuche; communities around the lake run some of the tourism, including boat trips and food.

Background

The name means "Stone Flower" in Mapudungun, and a legend tells of a girl called Licán Ray who escaped with a Spanish sailor to the lake's islands, moving on whenever their fires gave them away. The town has no official founding date. Activity on this shore is thought to have begun in the 1930s, and it entered the Valdivia property records on February 15, 1944. A planned dam would have left the town 14 metres underwater, but after the 1960 Valdivia earthquake the Pullinque hydropower plant was built instead, in 1962. The road from Villarrica was paved in 1990. Calafquén Lake lies at 209 metres, covers 120 km2 and holds 11 islands.

Source: Wikipedia, "Licán Ray"

Highlights

• Two black sand beaches - one either side of the peninsula.
• Volcanic sand, not pale - normal for these lakes.
• A calm shallow shore - which makes it a family resort.
• Mapuche communities around - running some of the local tourism.

When to go

December to March; it is largely shut otherwise. Half a day.

Good to know

It is packed in January and February and empty outside those months, with most services closed. The black sand gets very hot underfoot. Getting a space near either beach is a problem through the season.

Nearby

Villarrica is north; Conaripe and Termas Geometricas are east along the lake.