Chile
Ski Chile, South America
Chile has some great ski resorts perched up high in the majestic Andes mountain range. Chile is a great destination for a ski or snowboard holiday because you can combine powder skiing with an interesting culture.
Other than the skiing, Chile is also renowned for its weird shape – the long skinny country that spans 4,300km along the coast of South America and is 18 times longer than its widest point. It’s the land of startling diversity in regards to its geography and climate. From hot arid deserts in the north, to the chilly (OK, pun intended!) expanses of Patagonia in the south, it’s definitely the land of contrasts.
Ski Resorts
Chile has at least 20 ski resorts located in the southern half of the country. The most northern resort is
Portillo, which is 164km northeast of
Santiago, and not far from the border of Argentina. Portillo ski resort is world renowned, and is recognized in photos by the distinctive yellow Hotel Portillo set amongst the magnificent backdrop of the snow covered Andes.
Also near
Santiago are the ski resorts in the Three Valleys (Tres Valles): the modern and massive world class
Valle Nevado, and the interconnected
La Parva,
El Colorado and
Farellones ski resorts. To the southeast of Santiago is little Lagunillas, a non-commercial ski resort. Nearby is Chapa Verde, 145km from Santiago.
About five hours south of Santiago near Chillan is
Termas de Chillan (Nevados de Chillan), a hot springs resort that sits on two active volcanoes. Further south is the small family resort of Pucon Villarica. This ski resort is also situated on a volcano, and is popular with snowboarders due to the natural half pipes formed by lava flows. Other southern resorts include Antillanca (adjacent to Bariloche in Argentina) Antuco, Lonquimay, Llaima, and El Fraile. And way down south is the Cerro Mirador Resort.
The lift systems at the Chile ski resorts are generally not very good, especially when compared to
USA ski resorts and
skiing in Canada. Undertake a good pre-season fitness regime, as your quads won’t get much rest on all those surface tows (although they will get a long rest on the slow chairlifts). The ski resorts nearer to Santiago have acceptable lift and facility infrastructure, whilst the more southern resorts have less infrastructure on offer. The upside of the lack of glitz is the lower cost. Another disadvantage for many of the southern resorts is that they are not well suited to the expert skier or boarder.
Skiing in Chile
The Andes is the second highest mountain range in the world, and it’s still rising. The summit of Aconcagua which is only 15km from the border of Chile, sits at 6,950 metres (22,841 feet). Thankfully the ski resorts aren’t as high, but those around Santiago still rise to around 3,650 metres. These elevations are fantastic for the views and snow quality, but are not quite so good for the ability to breathe for the first day or so.
These northern ski resorts are above the tree line, and as you move further south the elevations are lower which affords some tree skiing opportunities. Average annual snowfalls are generally around the 6-7 metre mark, except for
Termas de Chillan that receives a bountiful 10 metres annually. The snowpack is coastal, so it’s reasonably stable, and considering the cool temperatures, the powder is reasonably dry. That being said, Chile ski resorts sometimes also suffer from horrendously icy conditions.
The weather can be very kind and provide lots of sunny days, but considering that many of the resorts are very exposed, nasty weather can close the resorts and access roads for days at a time. This may put a quick dampener on your ski vacation, but when the bluebird day arrives you’ll forget about it and enjoy skiing bliss once again.
Heli Skiing and Cat Skiing in Chile
There are various
heli skiing and
heli boarding opportunities in Chile. These are typically situated at the upscale ski resorts such as Portillo, Valle Nevado, and La Parva. All the operations provide single day heli skiing packages, and most provide single runs options. See our
Chile heli skiing overview for more information.
There is only one formal cat skiing operation in Chile (and South America). The
Arpa cat ski operation is located about 100kms north of Santiago.
When is the Ski Season in Chile?
Chile is a great place to have a winter vacation in summer (of course this only works for those who live in the Northern Hemisphere!), or a winter vacation in winter! The ski season begins in mid-June and runs to October. However the best skiing conditions in Chile are generally mid July to early September, but the busy Chile holidays are during July.
Why Ski or Snowboard in Chile?
Chile is a great place to have a ski holiday and experience the Latin culture all at the same time. You can speak Spanish to your heart’s content or giggle at the Spanglish where eating is described as “gastronomy”, and skiing is something that you practise. In Chile, dinner is eaten late, dancing goes to the wee hours, and you might get away with having an après siesta. And as part of the culture, only the super keen powderhounds are up early for first lifts. Fantástico!
Chile Travel Agents
 |
Santiago Adventures - Santiago Chile
SA is an English speaking travel company based in Santiago with a particular passion for skiing. They can organise package for you to all of Chile's top ski resorts as well as cat skiing & heli skiing tours.
|
Chile Tour Operators, Packages & Tours
 |
Santiago Adventures - 5 resorts in 7 days
This has to be the cheapest ski tour in Chile considering what is on offer. Includes 2 days of aat skiing at Arpa. Transfers, accommodation, nearly all meals & more...
|
 |
Ski, Wine Tasting & San Pedro - 10 Days
Combine skiing at 3 of Chile's top ski destinations including a day of cat skiing with a tour of Chile's central & northern region. Wine, natural wonders and unforgettable vistas.
|
Heli & Cat Skiing Tours & Packages
 |
Arpa Express - Portillo Extension
The great way to finish off a week at Portillo and maximise your ski time in Chile. Stay an extra night en-route to Santiago Airport and ski 10,000+ vertical feet with Arpa Cat Skiing.
|
 |
Santiago Adventures - Heli + Cat Skiing Tour
7 day / 6 nights heli & cat skiing tour combining 2 days of cat skiing + 3 days of heli skiing in some of the most exciting terrain in the Andes. Package includes acommodation, meals, transfers +++.
|
<Advertise your business here>