Activities & Tours
Nevados de Chillan has a huge advantage over all other ski resorts in Chile. Not only is there great skiing and snowboarding at Termas de Chillan (aka
Nevados de Chillan), there is also a huge range of non-skiing activities on offer. You will never be bored!
Activities at the Gran Hotel
Termas de Chillan has a daily program of included activities for guests staying at the
Gran Hotel. There are many things to do for adults and kids of different ages - dancing, yoga, aqua-fitness, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, night skiing, karaoke and stretching. The hotel can also arrange other activities at the resort.
Nevados de Chillan Ski Tours and Activities Nevados de Chillan has a network of groomed trails for Nordic skiing (randonnee) that weave through the trees. You can either DIY or the Gran Hotel offers guided cross country ski tours as part of the activities program.
Heli skiing is no longer available at the resort, but Nevados de Chillan offers different
cat skiing programs ranging from 1.5 hours to 4 hours. These operate from one of the top lifts in the alpine terrain, so the operation is weather dependent. The cat ski programs are reasonably priced with a maximum price of $CHP60,000 for a 4 hour program. For more information: email guiasdemontana@chillanski.net (telephone 56 42 206126).
Adventure Activities
For those with an adventurous spirit there are various activities such as rock climbing and paintball. Down at the base of the ski area is the howling dog sledding and snowmobiling. These tours are only short so they won’t break the bank.
For an incredibly cheap activity for the kids (or crazy adults), go tobogganing. Buy a toboggan in Las Trancas at one of the roadside huts.
Casino
The resort has a small cash-ino with lots of slot machines and various tables to play roulette, craps, poker, and blackjack. There’s also a bingo parlour. Thankfully the casino doesn’t open until 5pm so there’s no fear of the gambling interfering with the skiing.
Relaxation – Thermal Baths and Day Spa
After a hard day of skiing or boarding at Termas de Chillan, you can ease the pain with a soak in one of the many thermal pools around the resort.
The hot springs at the
Gran Hotel are complimentary for overnight guests, and it’s also open to the public for a small fee. There is an indoor pool that emerges into a delightful outdoor hot pool. It is absolutely beautiful to lie in one of the recliners, soak in the soothing effects of the pool and simultaneously soak in the views of the mountain. The termas at the Gran are treated with chlorine which seems to detract a little from the authenticity of the thermal springs, but at least you know the water is clean.
After you’ve marinated yourself in the hot springs at the Gran Hotel, we’d highly recommend a day spa treatment to rejuvenate the body you’ve battered on the slopes. The hotel offers a huge range of massages and treatments, and the warm and tranquil environment of the day spa is in complete contrast to the cold weather and gnarly runs outside. The staff are very professional and the beautiful décor starts at the entrance and extends to nice touches such as decorative bowls on the floor under the nose hole of the treatment plinths.
For the ultimate in pampering the Powderhounds highly recommend a hot stone massage. The stones heat muscles to enable a deeper massage without the associated discomfort. The warm stones on the abdomen are absolutely delicious and when they put the hot stones between the toes at the conclusion of the massage, it comes close to becoming a very happy ending!
Prices for spa treatments are quite reasonable. There are other establishments in the area that offer massages so prices remain competitive. As a guide to prices at the Gran, it costs about $CHP45,000 (about $US84) for a 80 minute hot stone massage. When you compare this to the cost of treatments at various US ski resorts at about $US150 for a 50 minute massage, it seems even more reasonable.
Other Activities Nevados de Chillan
The Gran Hotel has a medium sized gymnasium. I often wonder why a gym is required at a ski resort when skiing and boarding should provide all the exercise you need. However considering all the culinary delights on offer at the Shangri-La Restaurant, a workout in the gym prior to skiing might be required.
Nevados de Chillan organise various events. We were lucky enough to watch some snow polo as part of a huge sponsored event. It was really novel (and somewhat bizarre) to watch horses trying to run in the snow. For obvious reasons they didn’t play with a white ball, and the big red ball frequently got buried in the snow. After each chukka the groomer came out to groom the area. Pity the poor beginners who had to ski on that brown-ish snow the next day!