Licán Ray is a
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
an town and resort area, located on the north shore of
Calafquén Lake
Calafquén Lake (Mapudungun: Lake like a sea) is a lake of Chile, which straddles the border between the La Araucanía Region and Los Ríos Region. It is one of the Seven Lakes and forms part of the drainage basin of the Valdivia River.
The Villa ...
, 27 kilometres from the town of Villarrica, within the
commune of
Villarrica,
Cautín Province,
Araucanía Region. It is a busy tourist centre with a population of 7,200 (measured in the 2002 census and updated in 2012). The town's name comes from
Mapudungun
Mapuche (, Mapuche & Spanish: , or Mapudungun; from ' 'land' and ' 'speak, speech') is an Araucanian language related to Huilliche spoken in south-central Chile and west-central Argentina by the Mapuche people (from ''mapu'' 'land' and ''che ...
, the language of Chile's indigenous
Mapuche
The Mapuche ( (Mapuche & Spanish: )) are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who sha ...
people, and means “Stone Flower”. The name can be written in different ways, such as Lican Ray, Licanray or Licán-Ray.
History
Legend has it that Licán Ray, or “Stone Flower” in
Mapudungun
Mapuche (, Mapuche & Spanish: , or Mapudungun; from ' 'land' and ' 'speak, speech') is an Araucanian language related to Huilliche spoken in south-central Chile and west-central Argentina by the Mapuche people (from ''mapu'' 'land' and ''che ...
, was the name of the daughter of the powerful
Cacique
A ''cacique'' (Latin American ; ; feminine form: ''cacica'') was a tribal chieftain of the Taíno people, the indigenous inhabitants at European contact of the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. The term is a Spa ...
Carilef. Licán Ray fell in love with a Spanish sailor and the two fled from the fury of her father and community to one of the islands in the Calafquén Lake. They hid on the island for days until cold weather forced them to make a fire, which betrayed their location and forced them to escape to a more distant island. Every time they made a fire to cope with the cold, however, their persecutors found them and they had to sail to another of the 11 islands, until eventually the persecutors lost their trail. The place was then named of Licán Ray in the daughter's memory.
The town has no official foundation date, though it is popularly believed that activity began on this shore in the 1930s and it was registered in the property records of the city of
Valdivia
Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and Cau-Cau R ...
on February 15, 1944.
In 1942, the government loaned some land to the
State Train Company, which harvested oak wood to use as railroad ties. The activities of this company brought some life to the town, providing transportation across the lake in the ship it used to transport its products and materials. By 1948, having used up the nearby reserves of
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
, the company left the town. Although a second, private company came to replace it and exploit the wood of the area, it only lasted until 1952. After this, the economy of the town decayed.
Plans to build a dam almost left the town 14 metres underwater but the decision was changed after the
1960 Valdivia earthquake
The 1960 Valdivia earthquake and tsunami ( es, link=no, Terremoto de Valdivia) or the Great Chilean earthquake (''Gran terremoto de Chile'') on 22 May 1960 was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. Various studies have placed it at 9.4– ...
. Instead, the
Pullinque hydropower plant was built in 1962 in
Pullinque Lake
The Pullinque Lake ( es, Lago Pullinque) is one of the " Seven Lakes" in Panguipulli municipality, southern Chile. The lake is of glacial origin and lies between Calafquén and Panguipulli Lake
The Panguipulli Lake ( ; es, Lago Panguipulli) is ...
.
In 1966, the government sold or gave away to build houses and tourist accommodation in order to improve the local economy and develop the area.
In 1990, the road that connects Villarrica with Licán Ray was finally tarmacked, giving an extra push to the local tourism industry.
Places of interest and landmarks
The main attraction is the landscape of lakes, mountains, volcanoes and native forest.,
VISITA Y DISFRUTALICAN RAY
chile.com Claudia Urzúa, retrieved January 14, 2014
* Calafquen Lake, at 209 metres over sea level, covering an area of 120 km2 holding 11 islands. The long and thin lake is host for several outdoor and tourist activities, such as fishing and watersports.
* Península Natural Park, a 15.5 ha peninsula extending into the lake from the town of Licán Ray. It is maintained by the local Mapuche
The Mapuche ( (Mapuche & Spanish: )) are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who sha ...
community and is a perfect spot to observe native woods such as Arrayán, or Chilean myrtle, and Lingue.
* Playa Grande (“large beach”), extending from the north base of the peninsula to the Malpun stream. The beach is covered in volcanic sand and is the starting point for many of the outdoor activities offered in the area.
* Playa Chica (“small beach”), extending from the south base of the peninsula to the fisherman's cove. It is a starting point for sailing activities.
* El Escorial, a petrified lava
Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...
river left from the 1977 eruption of Villarrica Volcano
Villarrica ( ) ( es, Volcán Villarrica, arn, Ruka Pillañ) is one of Chile's most active volcanoes, rising above the lake and town of the same name, south of Santiago. It is also known as Rucapillán, a Mapuche word meaning "great spirit's hous ...
. Today it is possible to walk along this stone river.
* The Artisan Markets, Plaza de Armas (main square) and Plaza San Francisco, all located in the town. These are popular locations for tourists to appreciate local architecture, culture and customs.
* The Promenade, located at the beginning of Playa Chica. This is lined with colourful boats, some of which can be rented by tourists to explore the lake or swim out in the waters.
See also
* List of towns in Chile
This article contains a list of towns in Chile.
A town is defined by Chile's National Statistics Institute (INE) as an urban entity possessing between 2,001 and 5,000 inhabitants—or between 1,001 and 2,000 inhabitants if 50% or more of its popu ...
References
External links
{{commons category, Lican Ray
Populated lakeshore places in Chile
Populated places established in 1942
Populated places in Cautín Province
1942 establishments in Chile