Vichuquen

Vichuquen is a village of adobe houses with tiled roofs and continuous frontages, declared a national monument for that fabric, sitting near a lake that is joined to the sea by a channel and is therefore brackish and used for sailing. The area marks something historically specific: it is around the southern limit of Inca control in Chile, and the name and local traditions record mitimaes - populations the Inca moved from elsewhere in the empire and settled here, a standard imperial practice. A local museum covers that and the pre-Hispanic material of the area. Llico on the coast is the sailing and beach village at the lake's outlet.

History

When the Spanish reached the Lico rivers in 1585 there were already Mapuche and Inca settlements here. The village became the head of its commune in 1865, and in 1987 its old part was declared a Typical Zone for its colonial architecture (Wikipedia, Vichuquén).

What to look for

• Adobe frontages and tiled roofs - a village protected as a monument.
• A brackish lake joined to the sea - used for sailing.
• Near the Inca southern limit - with mitimae settlement recorded here.
• A local museum - on the pre-Hispanic and colonial material.

When to go

December to March. A full day.

Practical notes

The village is small and quiet, and the museum keeps limited hours. The lake shore is developed with holiday houses in parts. Roads from Curico are long. Earthquake damage has affected adobe buildings here as elsewhere.

Nearby

Llico and the coast are west; Curico is inland east.

Key facts