About Millakokura
About The land
Millakokura is located in Puesco, Curarrehue (pronounced koo-ra-ray-way) in the Araucania Region of southern Chile. Our land is tucked into a deep valley along the rushing Trankura River, between an ancient volcano and towering granite peaks. We steward seven acres with mountain views, river access and thriving forest—the perfect place to disconnect from the outside world and reconnect with nature and with yourself. Right next door is Villarrica National Park, with active volcanoes, pristine lakes, hot springs, wild rivers, millennial forests and rich culture. We feel grateful every day to call Puesco our home and can’t wait to welcome you to this sacred land.
Host your retreat here
Kelsey with a drum crafted at one of the first drum-making retreats on the land.
Guardians of the land
Meet retreat steward, Kelsey Clark
Kelsey earned her degree in Women’s Studies from Arizona State University. During this time she studied abroad in Costa Rica, where she began to develop her passion for nature and adventure. After college she migrated to Portland, OR, where she eventually met the love of her life, LJ Groth.
LJ was only in Oregon for the summer, but he convinced Kelsey to visit him in Chile where he lived for most of the year. Much like it was for Kelsey and LJ, Puesco was love at first sight. Kelsey was blown away by the stunning landscapes and sweet people, and in 2017 she decided to make the move full-time to Puesco with her dog Rezzi. Here Kelsey found a spiritual connection with the land and began to facilitate intentional gatherings and retreats in this space. These gatherings inspired a huge shift in the use of the land.
Kelsey felt the call to cultivate a deeper connection with the power of the water and of the mountain, and she created Millakokura. She is driven to facilitate the most fun, fulfilling, healing and transformational experiences possible for guests here at her home in Puesco, Chile.
Meet LJ, guide and cultural liason
Kelsey’s husband LJ Groth graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Journalism and traveled to Chile in 2005 in search of waterfalls and wild rivers to film for a kayak movie. When the rest of the crew returned to the States, he decided to stay for the summer season in the tourist hub of Pucon where he was offered a job as a guide and kayak instructor. He split time between White Salmon, WA and Pucon, Chile for several years before committing to his own guide service in nearby Curarrehue in 2012. He was drawn to the small town vibe, the deeply rooted indigenous Mapuche culture and the power of Curarrehue’s huge mountains, lush forests and pristine rivers. Before settling in Puesco, he lived with a Mapuche family where he was welcomed into the local community and immersed into their customs and lifestyle. This experience helped him understand the ancestral history and spirituality of the people native to this land and initiated what are now lifelong friendships here in Chile.
Kelsey and LJ’s wedding on the land in 2022.
“Ancient and current too, the land that Kelsey and LJ respectfully guard, always close to and honoring the Mapuche nation that has been a part of its sacred story, is a place to come home, to ourselves and to the memories we all hold of lives past, lives shared before as women, and as people.”
—Maria Prieto, Rio Abajo Rio drum-making retreat and Manada de Niñas camp
An ecosystem of reverence & community
Millakokura is part of a network weaving together healing, adventure and reverence for the land and its ancestral guardians here in Puesco. Our sister spaces include:
Cerveza
Puesco
Artisan beer and music along the Trankura river.
Grab a beer
Puesco
Escape
Guided outdoor adventures in the Chilean Lake District.
Plan yours
Puesco
Fest
An annual musical celebration of our sacred waters.
Get tickets
We are honored to be connected with Ruka Trankurra, a local family farm offering experiences in beekeeping, cooking workshops and and farm-to-table meals. We’ll happily weave a visit into your retreat experience!