Santiago
Santiago is the gateway to any
Chile skiing holiday. Whether you just do a brief stopover in the city at the start or end of your ski vacation, or use it as a base to access the Tres Valles ski resorts, Santiago is a must do!
With a population of 5.5 million, more than 36 percent of Chile’s population lives in Santiago. Whilst it doesn’t have the culture and pizzazz of other South American cities, Santiago is certainly the heartbeat of Chile.
Ski Resorts near Santiago Chile
The closest ski areas to Santiago are the interconnected ski resorts in the Three Valleys (Tres Valles). The boutique
La Parva is only 50km east of the city and a popular choice for the elite of Santiago.
El Colorado and
Farellones ski areas are part of the one resort and are great for beginners and for racing on long groomers.
Valle Nevado is a behemoth ski area that is internationally renowned.
To the southeast of Santiago is little Lagunillas, a non-commercial ski resort. Nearby is
Chapa Verde (Spanish), 145km from Santiago.
The most well known ski resort amongst North Americans is
Portillo, which is 164km (about 2 hours drive) northeast of Santiago near the Argentina border. Portillo has been cited as one of Warren Miller’s top 10 favourite ski destinations, partly because of the steep slopes and the powder, but also because of the charisma of the big yellow
Hotel Portillo.
About five hours south of Santiago is
Nevados de Chillan, a ski area that sits adjacent to a hot springs resort,
Termas de Chillan.
Not far from Santiago there are also
Chile heli skiing opportunities, and in the Aconcagua Valley is
Arpa cat skiing, 108km (about 2:15 hour drive) from Santiago.
Where is Santiago?
Santiago (Santiago de Chile) is located in the central valley of Chile between the Chilean Coast Range and the spectacular Andes Mountains.
The Santiago Benitez International Airport is the main airport which is located 26km west of central Santiago.
LAN is the major international carrier with flights from Canada, United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Other airlines fly into Santiago from other South American cities.
Accommodation Santiago Chile
Santiago has lots of accommodation options spread across the various neighbourhoods of the city. In recent years many hostels and other budget accommodation options have popped up, and there are also upmarket
Santiago hotels that are very reasonably priced, especially when compared to
La Parva accommodation or
Valle Nevado hotel accommodation.
Santiago Accommodations Listings
Santiago Activities
Your first impression might be that all Santiago has going for it in winter is the smog, and whilst
Santiago activities aren’t as obviously attractive to the tourist compared to other South American cities, Santiago certainly has an intriguing allure. There are various
things to do in Santiago Chile, particularly if you’ve got plenty of time on your hands. There are several museums, quirky shops, a vibrant café scene and a few other attractions. A day trip to Maipo Valley or Aconcagua Valley to visit the wineries is a must-do, especially to try some of the unique varietals such as Carménère, a delicious medium-bodied red.
Why Stay in Santiago?
If you’re looking for a distinctive Chilean culture at the
Chile ski resorts near Santiago, then you may be sorely disappointed. In Chile only the elite going skiing, and when you stay on-mountain at the ski resorts the atmosphere is very similar to that of a North American ski resort.
However if you stay in Santiago where there’s a melting pot of socio-economic groups, you know that you’ll experience the real heart and soul of Chile. The culture of Chile might not smack you in the face as it does in some other South American cities, but Santiago provides a great opportunity to slowly absorb the Chilean culture….. all in Chile time.
Travel Agents & Tour Operators
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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.
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