ALONG THE SHORES of the Maule region, halfway up the Chilean coast, the wind is more than just another kind of weather. It shapes the landscape, the architecture and, increasingly, even the economy. Located a half day’s drive south of Santiago, Maule is buffeted by the southerly surazo wind, which blows steadily and lures tourists in search of windsurfing and kitesurfing spots. Here, growing numbers of adventure seekers are prompting many of the fishing villages that dot the coast to turn over their beachfronts to hotels, resorts and restaurants.
In the midst of this, surrounded by green fields, tiny hillocks, quaint weekend houses and, of course, the Pacific Ocean, stands the Hotel Punta Sirena. Situated along a stretch of beach on the outskirts of the town of Curanipe, the hotel…
