Icalma, Village on the shore of a glacial lake in Lonquimay, Chile

Lake Icalma is a large body of water in the Andes of La Araucanía Region, surrounded by steep, forested shores and deeply cold waters. The landscape around it is defined by dense forest, mountain slopes, and the distinctive araucaria trees that grow along the shoreline.

Icalma is a Mapuche Pehuenche mountain settlement on the shore of Lake Icalma, a glacial lake of about 9.8 km² fed by the Huillinco and Icalma rivers and drained by the Rukanuco toward the Bío Bío. Ethnographic studies record that its inhabitants divided the land into pülom, the low valley and lake shores, and mawida, the forested heights. The Chilean customs office of the Icalma pass, 11 km from Villa Pehuenia in Argentina, now stands in the village.

The Pehuenche communities have deep roots in this region and depend on the araucaria trees that ring the water for food and livelihood. These ancient trees form part of their identity and daily practices.

The lake is reached through mountain passes, with elevation and Andean weather patterns affecting accessibility throughout the year. Plan for changing conditions and check local information before visiting, as mountain weather can shift quickly.

The trout in the lake, brown and rainbow, are not native: they were introduced, and fishing is not an ancestral Pehuenche practice. The traditional harvest here is the piñón, the seed of the araucaria, gathered by local communities.