Feature Story 

Chile’s Lake District: Civilized Wild at the End of the World

It’s early evening, about 7:30, but the sun is still high above the horizon. A kayaker glides with smooth, even strokes across the lake’s placid surface. Nearby a lone swimmer braves the waters, chilly now in mid-March. The terrace of the hotel, which looks out on the lake, is packed with people sipping beer or coffee as they dig into cakes and pies—the kuchen for which this region is famous.