Cerro Bayo
Cerro Bayo
Cerro Bayo ski resort in Argentina was once a little locals’ ski hill, a mom and pop type ski area that largely flew under the radar. Cerro Bayo is still little but it’s slowly becoming more upscale, and it touts itself as providing a boutique ski experience. Boutique Mount Bayo certainly is – it’s a complete contrast to the bustling
Cerro Catedral ski resort near
Bariloche.
Cerro Bayo is renowned for the remarkable vistas across the breathtaking Andes into Chile, the amazing forests, and the great views across Lago Nahuel Huapi. The azure waters of the lake are spectacular, and their proximity to the ski area almost makes the runs seem steeper because you feel like you might just ski over the edge into the lake. Skiing or boarding at Cerro Bayo is incredibly aesthetically pleasing, and combined with the nearby
Villa La Angostura, it provides a delightful Argentine ski holiday experience.
Cerro Bayo Ski and Snowboard Terrain
Cerro Bayo is just a tiny ski area with only 200 hectares (494 acres) of terrain, 12 lifts, and 22 trails that are only 12km in length. The inbounds area might be diminutive, but the top lift provides access to a large backcountry area where it’s possible for kitted out advanced riders to find lots of fresh lines days after a snow storm. This off-piste area is an absolute highlight for powderhounds.
Cerro Bayo ski resort sits above and below the timber line so it offers some open alpine bowls as well as widely spaced tree skiing. At one end of the spectrum there are short steep sections and at the other end, wide groomed mellow runs. The split of piste trails is 10% black (advanced to expert), 35% red (intermediate to advanced), 40% blue (easy intermediate), and 15% green (beginner). For greenhorns a highlight is the 5km long panoramic run that features wondrous views of Nahuel Huapi Lake.
Like many South American ski resorts, the quality of most of the lifts leaves much to be desired. There are 4 surface lifts, 6 double chairs and 2 single chairs that are old and slow, leaving plenty of time to contemplate life. However shiny new for 2012 is a gondola that runs the full vertical of the ski resort.
Cerro Bayo receives a respectable amount of snowfall by South America standards, with an average of 6 to 9 metres of snow per season (they clearly have a bit of trouble with maths or measuring snow!!). The snow quality is fairly typical of the Andes. It ranges remarkably from awesome powder to sloppy mashed potatoes, and the base elevation is only 1,050 metres, so the snow cover can be very patchy.
Where is Cerro Bayo ski resort?
Cerro Bayo is a mountain of the Andes range within the Lakes District. It sits in western Argentina so Chile is just a stone’s throw away, whilst Buenos Aires is a 1,800km drive to the northeast.
Cerro Bayo is situated above the little town of
Villa La Angostura, a 9km (15 minute) drive away. Villa La Angostura is located one hour north (70km) of
Bariloche, and only 1.5 to 2 hours from
San Martin de los Andes.
The San Carlos de Bariloche airport is commonly used as the gateway for Villa La Angostura. Flights from Buenos Aires to Bariloche take a couple of hours. From the airport either rent a car or take a bus to Villa Angostura. If you do the latter there are regular shuttle buses between the town and Cerro Bayo ski resort.
Cerro Bayo Accommodation
A multi-million dollar development is planned for Cerro Bayo that will convert the base area into an on-mountain village. In the meantime the only on-mountain accommodation is the mid-mountain shelter, La Casita del Bosque.
Everyone stays in Villa la Angostura. In addition to
Villa la Angostura hotels, the town has lots of accommodation ranging from absolutely gorgeous 4 star hosterias down to 1 star affairs, various apart hotels, cabins (cabanas), and at least five hostels.
Villa La Angostura is a charming village situated on the north shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi. Many of the buildings are wooden and very quaint, and the village offers a quiet pace. Villa La Angostura has various cute shops, chocolatiers, and plenty of restaurants and bars but don’t expect the outrageous nightlife typical of Argentina.
Cerro Bayo Accommodations Listings
Cerro Bayo Facilities
The facilities might be a little dated in comparison to Catedral, but what the base area lacks in the modern stakes, it makes up for with charm. There are various log refugios (lodges) and rather than just offering usual ski resort fare, Cerro Bayo also has gastronomy delights on offer.
Other facilities include ski and snowboard school, equipment hire, a ski shop, child care, kids club and the obligatory chocolate shop.
Why Ski or Snowboard at Cerro Bayo?
Cerro Bayo (pronounced Bar-gjo) continues to evolve into a very classy ski resort, but thankfully it doesn’t have the associated attitude. It still has the charm and associated lack of crowds consistent with a locals’ ski hill. It’s probably not an international destination resort in itself, but head to Cerro Bayo for a few days as a great supplement to a Patagonian ski holiday.
The natural surroundings are awe inspiring and just beautiful. Girls you don’t need to worry about brushing your hair or putting make-up on at Cerro Bayo. Everyone will be too busy looking at the gorgeous views to even notice what you look like!
The Powderhounds were impressed with Cerro Bayo and provided the following “
best skiing in South America” awards to Cerro Bayo:
- Ski resort for powderhounds
- Overall terrain
- Backcountry
- Uncrowded slopes
Ski & Snowboard Tours that include Cerro Bayo
Hosted & Guided Off-Piste Ski & Snowboard Safari's
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Patagonia Powder Tour (10 days)
Experience the best of Patagonia in Argentina including Cerro Bayo, La Hoya, Catedral & the beautiful town of Bariloche. For advanced skiers & snowboarders
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Argentina Snow Adventure (8 days)
An adventure to the best ski areas in Patagonia for advanced to expert skiers & snowboarders. Ski areas include Cerro Catedral (Bariloche), Cerro Bayo & Chapelco
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Argentina Hosted & Guided Instructional Safari's & Tours
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Ski Patagonia Instructional Tour (8 days)
Visit the best ski areas in Patagonia including Cerro Bay, Catedral (Bariloche) & Chapelco & improve your skiing skills. For intermediate to advanced intermediate skiers.
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Argentina Ski & Snowboard Safari (14 days)
Ride 4 of Argentina's best ski areas in the Patagonia region including Catedral, Cerro Bayo, La Hoya & Chapelco. Strong intermediate to expert riders with instructional emphasis.
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