Capilla de Achango

Capilla de Achango is a small Catholic church perched on a hill in the Las Flores area of the San Juan mountains. It features thick mud walls coated with goat manure and earth, a compacted earth floor mixed with cow blood, and handwoven wool carpets dyed with plant pigments.

The Jesuits built the original chapel in 1655, though the current structure dates to 1787 and served the local mountain community. It became an essential place of prayer for those living in this remote high-altitude area.

The Virgin of Carmen statue arrived from Cuzco through Chile and features natural hair, a silver crown, and a painted oil mantle. This figure remains central to worship and prayer at the site.

The chapel sits in a remote mountain location, so visitors should expect challenging terrain and local isolation. Finding local guides or gathering information beforehand is helpful since the site is not easily accessible by standard routes.

Before crossing the Andes into Chile at over 5000 meters altitude, Commander Juan Manuel Cabot's Northern Division of the Army of the Andes prayed here. This military moment connects the chapel to a significant episode in South American independence history.