Tourism

Salto del Laja in southern Chile.

Chile is the longest country in the world, north to south, and it has mountains in the east (the Andes), miles of beach in the west (the Pacific), desert in the north (the Atacama), and the southernmost major city in the world in the south (Punta Arenas). With so much geographic diversity, tourism is a major part of Chile´s economy, and the main source of income for many of its people.

Turismo Don Ambrosio near Salto del Laja.

Olivier Döbeli and Marcela Venegas are the owners of Turismo Don Ambrosio, a small resort outside Los Angeles down the street from Salto del Laja. The Swiss man and Chilean woman work in the restaurant on their property, which operates next to a church built on land they donated to a local congregation.

El Rio Laja in southern Chile.

Francisco Espindola Catalan works in southern Chile during the summer months as a kayaker with a whitewater rafting business. The rafting season here usually lasts until late April or even as late as mid-May, but closed this year in the middle of March due to a lack of business after the earthquake in February.