Church of Ichuac, Catholic church in Ichuac, Puqueldón, Chile
The Church of Ichuac is a wooden structure located in Puqueldón within the Chiloé Archipelago, distinguished by its distinctive tower featuring octagonal and square sections. The entire building was constructed from locally sourced materials using traditional regional carpentry methods.
The building was constructed around 1880 using local wood in keeping with southern Chile's regional architectural traditions. It represents one of a significant group of religious structures that document the development of local architecture on the islands.
The church's patron is the Virgin of Candelaria, whose feast is held on 2 February. The temple belongs to the parish of San Pedro Nolasco de Puqueldón, one of the 24 parishes of the Diocese of Ancud, and the local community organised repairs here in the early 1990s.
The church stands in the town of Ichuac on Lemuy Island, reached from Puqueldón by road; the community organised repairs in the early 1990s and the building is reported in good condition. It belongs to the San Pedro Nolasco parish of Puqueldón, Diocese of Ancud, so opening times depend on parish use.
The church was declared a National Monument of Chile in 1999, a year before the 16 Churches of Chiloé were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage on 30 November 2000. In the early 1990s the Ichuac community organised the repairs itself, and the building is reported to be in good condition.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,371 contributors worldwide.