Ensenada is a small village on the southeastern shore of Lake Llanquihue, in the Chilean Lake District, and it stands in the shadow of one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the Andes. Osorno, a near-perfect cone of snow rising to about 2,650 metres, fills the sky behind the village on clear days, while the jagged Calbuco, which erupted dramatically in 2015, stands to the south. The mix of blue lake, black volcanic sand, dark forest and white cone gives the place a unique, almost theatrical setting, and many travellers say it is the best view in southern Chile.
The ride along the lake from Puerto Varas, about forty kilometres to the west, is a pleasure. The road is paved, wide and gently curving, and it follows the shore past orchards, small farms and sheltered coves, with the volcano growing larger at every turn. Traffic is steady in summer, especially on weekends, so an early start gives you the best light and the quietest road. Weather in the Lake District is changeable, with rain and cloud possible at any time of year, and the volcano often hides in cloud, so patience is a virtue. The best months are December to March, when the days are long and warm.
Ensenada is small, with a few cafes, guesthouses and shops, and fuel is best bought in Puerto Varas, which has about twenty-five thousand people and everything you need. From the village the road continues to Petrohué, where the river tumbles over black lava rock in a series of rapids and falls, and onward to Lake Todos los Santos, a long emerald lake ringed by forest. Both are well worth the short extra ride.
The region has a strong German flavour, a legacy of settlers who arrived in the nineteenth century to farm and log the forest, and you can see it in the architecture, the bakeries and the menu. Kuchen, the local fruit cake, is an institution, and many cafes serve it with strong coffee. Stop for a slice, watch the light change on the volcano, and breathe in the smell of woodsmoke and wet earth. The Andes here are green, gentle and generous, and the only real risk is staying too long.