Ski Resorts in Chile
Empty pistes on a sunny Saturday at Valle Nevado.
The Andes of Chile have some world class ski resorts, listed and linked below.
There are no huge Alpine resorts here, but most resorts will provide even the best skiers with a day or two of satisfying downhill skiing on very quiet pistes.
After a few years of poor snow due to El Niño the 1999 season was a bit more like normal, with some good falls of powder above Santiago.
Chilean holidays are the last two weeks of July and the week around September 11th-18th (Fiestas Patrias) so avoid these times if you can.
Portillo - La Parva - Colorado - Valle Nevado - Chillan - Antuco - Lonquimay
It's possible to do a day trip to the resorts from your Santiago hotel using public transport - even including the Santiago Underground!
'Andes' run scheduled downhill skiing holidays in Chile each year which visit many of these resorts, please visit their main Chilean Ski Holidays Page
Portillo
The couloir at Portillo.
Piste Plan for Portillo
Portillo is near the Argentine frontier, two and a half hours drive north from Santiago, the capital of Chile. There are 8 modern lifts and the amazing old high speed Va y Vient tows. The resort lies between 2600m and 3400m. Quite a small and unusual resort, but well worth a visit.
| Ratings | Skiing Quality |  |
| Atmosphere/Scenery | |
|
| Country/People/Food |  |
|
| Weirdness |
 |
One of the weird and exciting Va-y-Vient tows at Portillo.
VALLE NEVADO - LA PARVA - COLORADO
These three resorts lie between one and one and a half hours drive from Santiago the capital of Chile. They are now linked by a common lift system and together provide a huge skiable area. Even a good skier will take a day or more to ski out any one of these resorts. All three provide a great base for a weeks skiing. The best two resorts are La Parva and Valle Nevado. Both have some excellent long off piste runs and there are several good steep couloirs at the top of La Parva.
La Parva
Off-piste powder at La Parva
La Parva is just one hours drive from Santiago, the capital of Chile. There are 13 modern lifts and it is linked to the neighbouring resorts of Valle Nevado and El Colorado. Our favourite run is a big off piste run down the left side. The resort lies between 2560m and 3650m above sea level.
Piste Plan for La Parva
Empty pistes at La Parva.
| Ratings | Skiing Quality |
 |
| Atmosphere/Scenery | |
|
| Country/People/Food | |
|
| Weirdness |
 |
El Colorado
Piste Plan for El Colorado
El Colorado is just one hours drive east from Santiago, the capital of Chile. There are 10 lifts on a conical shaped mountain, giving skiing in the sun at all times of the day. The resort lies between 2500 and 3300m above sea level.
Valle Nevado
Piste Plan for Valle Nevado
Valle Nevado is just one and a half hours drive east from Santiago, the capital of Chile. There are 8 long, modern lifts giving access to some wide open bowls which usually contain some great powder. One of the best resorts in Chile for snowboarders. The resort lies between 2850 and 3670m above sea level.
Skiing at Valle Nevado
| Ratings | Skiing Quality |
|
| Atmosphere/Scenery | |
|
| Country/People/Food | |
|
| Weirdness |
|
Chillan
Chillan is a pretty big resort on the south side of the volcano of the same name. The lift company are a bit unsure at the minute whether they're running a ski area or some sort of a prison camp. They have some pretty tough regulations and don't even ask about waiving them. Make sure you bring regulation ski pants! They seem to be very concerned about illegal access to their snow and if you try to jump over the 2m high perimeter fence you'll probably be shot on sight. That said, if all you want is a quiet days skiing on good pistes then you could do worse. There are plenty of runs here to keep a good skier happy all day. The resort is a 2 hour drive form the city of Chillan. There are lots of hotels and cabin accommodation in the area around the bottom of the resort. base elevation is about 1600m, top station is at 2600m. We like the long Tres Marias run the best.
Piste Plan for Chillan
Chillan lies some four hours drive south of Santiago on the Chilean side of the Andes a one hour drive on a good road from the city of Chillan. Set on the southern slopes of an active volcano, with some great runs through the trees. There are pistes between 1500m and 2700m, with some runs in natural lava 'half-pipes' which are excellent for boarding.
Boarding at Chillan, August 2007.
Antuco
Antuco is a small resort with just two tows and about 600m of vertical run. It is located about two hours drive inland from the city of Los Angeles. The resort is built on the north side of the volcano Volcan Antuco. Base elevation is about 1400m. The nearest accommodation is a couple of small rustic hotels about half way between the small village of Antuco and the base of the resort. Bring your own skis as renting equipment might not be possible.
Sunset on the Antuco pistes
| Ratings | Skiing Quality | |
| Atmosphere/Scenery | |
|
| Country/People/Food | |
|
| Weirdness |
 |
Lonquimay
Lonquimay volcano, the two tows and one chairlift lie just to the right of this picture.
| Ratings | Skiing Quality | |
| Atmosphere/Scenery |
|
|
| Country/People/Food | |
|
| Weirdness | |
Villarrica-Pucon
Quite a good resort on the slopes of Volcan Villarrica. There are excellent views of the steaming volcano behind and out to the huge Lago Villarrica to the north. The terrain is all pretty similar, but there are several natural 'half-pipe' lava gullies which will be excellent fun for boarders and were pretty good fun to ski too.
Base elevation is at 1400m, the top station is at 2100m. Great views of the volcano and out over Lago Villarrica
Piste Plan for Villarrica
Villarrica lies in northern Patagonia on the Chilean side of the Andes a short drive from the wee village of Pucon. Set on the northern slopes of an active volcano, with a magnificent view out to Lago Villarrica this is an unusual and interesting resort. There are pistes between 1200m and 2100m, with many runs in natural lava 'half-pipes' which are excellent for boarding.
The volcano makes a very interesting ascent and off-piste run back down, but this is mountaineering terrain, with hazards from ice, poor weather including zero visibility and avalanche danger, so only go with a guide or if you have extensive mountaineering experience and know how to use an ice-axe and crampons, and can navigate in zero visibility. Inexperienced people have died on this mountain.
Climbing Volcan Villarrica with snowboards.
and skiing from the summit of Volcan Villarrica above the resort
| Ratings | Skiing Quality |
|
| Atmosphere/Scenery | |
|
| Country/People/Food | |
|
| Weirdness |
|
Villarrica is the only place I have ever seen parrots on the piste.
