Skiing the Tres Valles

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Cold smoke - La Parva
Cold smoke - La Parva
Each of the Tres Valles villages have a distinct vibe
Each of the Tres Valles villages have a distinct vibe
Tres Valles ski resorts have good intermediate terrain
Tres Valles ski resorts have good intermediate terrain
Beginner terrain at La Parva in the Tres Valles
Beginner terrain at La Parva in the Tres Valles
Powder skiing Tres Valles
Powder skiing Tres Valles
Tres Valles offers some great backcountry
Tres Valles offers some great backcountry
The access road has plenty of switchbacks
The access road has plenty of switchbacks
Valle Nevado in Tres Valles Chile
Valle Nevado in Tres Valles Chile
Powder in Tres Valles
Powder in Tres Valles
Tres Valles Chile
Tres Valles Chile
Tres Valles Chile
Tres Valles Chile
Ski-in ski-out hotel at Valle Nevado
Ski-in ski-out hotel at Valle Nevado
Los Tres Valles de los Andes
Los Tres Valles de los Andes
There are 4 villages in Tres Valles
There are 4 villages in Tres Valles
Tres Valles has lots of surface lifts
Tres Valles has lots of surface lifts
Farellones has a good range of lodging options
Farellones has a good range of lodging options
The Tres Valles ski resorts are interconnected
The Tres Valles ski resorts are interconnected
Lots of groomed intermediate terrain
Lots of groomed intermediate terrain
Tres Valles is near Santiago de Chile
Tres Valles is near Santiago de Chile
Plenty of dining options
Plenty of dining options

Skiing the Tres Valles

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Tres Valles Ski Resorts Santiago Chile

The Tres Valles is made up of 3 largish ski areas; Valle Nevado, La Parva and El Colorado, plus the small ski area of Farellones which is really just part of El Colorado. Tres Valles offers skiing near Santiago, so not surprisingly the ski areas are rather popular on the weekends.

Of the Tres Valles ski resorts, Valle Nevado is the most well known by international skiers and snowboarders. La Parva is exclusive and trendy and frequented by the local elite. El Colorado seems to be popular with ski racers and terrain park dudes, whilst the highlight of the little ski area of Farellones is the village which has some good nightlife and affordable lodging.

Not to be confused with the Three Valleys in France (Les Trois Vallèes) which has some world famous ski resorts, Tres Valles in Chile doesn’t quite rival its French counterpart, yet by South American standards, it’s impressive.

Pros and Cons of Los Tres Valles de los Andes

Pros 
  • The ski resorts have proximity to Santiago and the international airport and it’s possible to get to Tres Valles in 60 to 90 minutes if conditions and traffic are good. Santiago receives direct flights from many international cities. Unlike many other South American ski resorts, you don’t need to take an additional domestic flight.
  • Tres Valles gets lots of fine weather in between the intense snow storms.  
  • It offers huge piste and off-piste terrain choice.
  • All three ski resorts have great terrain for intermediate riders.
  • The resorts have well-developed amenities and infrastructure (especially by South America ski resort standards). 
  • The region offers some impressive backcountry including the renowned Santa Theresa.
  • It’s great to escape the smog of Santiago, which contributes to some amazing sunsets up in the mountains. 
Cons
  • The resorts don’t cooperate well with each other to make the most of the interconnected terrain by creating a well priced multi-resort lift ticket. You have to buy separate lift passes or a very expensive dual-pass, even if you just want to ride one lift at your “home” resort to get over to another.
  • There is no public bus system to connect the ski resorts by road.
  • The resorts can get rather busy, particularly on the weekends due to the proximity to Santiago.
  • The snow quality (and quantity) can be variable (as with all South American ski resorts). The resorts are above the tree line so the snow can be at the mercy of the wind and sun, and during a snowstorm many of the lifts close.
  • The access road is made up of lots of switchbacks and it gains elevation quickly. It is sometimes choked with traffic and it gets a bit scary when there are idiots who don’t know how to drive on steep snow roads.
  • The Tres Valles resorts are situated at a high elevation and there’s the risk of getting altitude sickness.
Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective
  • The resorts cater for the elite of Chile and the value for money is not particularly good relative to other parts of Chile, although it’s considerably less expensive than the high profile US ski resorts.
Also see the pros and cons for each of the resorts on the respective overview pages: Valle Nevado; El Colorado (and Farellones); and La Parva. You can also compare the resorts on various factors on our Chile ski resort ratings.

Tres Valles - Interconnected Ski Resorts

Farellones and El Colorado are interconnected via the slopes with La Parva and Valle Nevado, and it’s possible for strong intermediate riders and above to ski between the three resorts, although sometimes the required lift connections are closed due to weather or avalanche conditions. The combined areas of Tres Valles are large and provide a lot of terrain variety. A multi-resort lift ticket is required to head over to one of the other resorts, but it costs significantly more than a single resort pass. Subsequently many visitors who want to sample another resort head there by road.

Travel to Tres Valles

Some people choose to self-drive however there are numerous transport companies in Santiago offering transfers to/from the resorts. See the specific getting there pages for each resort for more information about transfers to Tres Valles. Or if you’re really cashed up you could always fly by helicopter from Santiago!

Another option could be to jump on one of the guided tours that visit Tres Valles along with other Chile ski resorts.

Lodging Tres Valles

Your decision about which Tres Valles village to stay in may depend on your budget, your group size, and what type of ski vacation you want. Our Tres Valles lodging page provides greater detail on this as well as the various accommodation options. In essence, if you want to have a resort-style hotel vacation with the ease of ski-in/out lodging then stay at Valle Nevado. Farellones offers a range of lodging styles and a more Chilean experience. See more about accommodation options here >>

 Lodging Tres Valles
  Farellones El Colorado   Valle Nevado  La Parva
Hotels  yes  no  yes  no
Lodges  yes  no  no  no
Apartments  yes  yes  limited  yes
Backpackers  yes  no  no  no
Flexible Stay Duration?  yes  yes  no  no
Flexible Arrival Day?  yes  yes  no  no
Slope Access mostly a short walk some ski-in ski-out mostly ski-in ski-out ski-in ski-out
or close to slopes
Budget  varied  varied  deluxe expensive unless
you have a large group
Book Package Tres Valles packages  n/a Tres Valles packages  n/a
Book Lodging  Farellones lodging El Colorado lodging Valle Nevado lodging La Parva condo
         

Packages

If you prefer the support of a travel agent, we have several package options available. Lead prices are only a guide because rates vary depending on season, demand and room configuration. See package options & get a quote here >>

Tres Valles Guided & Hosted Ski Tours

If you are a strong intermediate skier/boarder (and above) and are wanting to experience several ski areas, a guided tour could be ideal, particularly if you are a solo traveler. Guides are generally multi-lingual and know not only the terrain at the ski resorts, but the best restaurants & bars to go to, and take care of transport logistics You can see some of the most popular tours for this area below or click here to see all tours that visit the Tres Valles area>>
Tres Valles Ski Tours

Safari (Road Trip) Tours

High Andes Adventure
GUIDED OFF-PISTE ROAD TRIP
7 Days | 6 Nights | 5 Days Skiing inc 1 Day Cat
Ability: Intermediate to Expert
Visit the highest ski resorts in the Andes and experience a day of cat skiing at Valle El Arpa. Situated in the shadow of Aconcagua, the tallest peak outside the Himalayas, these ski and snowboard centers will bring out the big mountain
Price p/p From price based on twin/double-share room occupancy for 2023 season.
Base/invoice currency is in USD inc taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 4,695
View Details
 
Classic Shortie
GUIDED OFF-PISTE ROAD TRIP
9 Days | 8 Nights | 6 Days Skiing
Ability: Intermediate to Expert
This tour is ideal for first-timers to skiing in Chile or those wanting a quick fix of southern POW as it visits many of Chiles best resorts including Valle Nevado, La Parva, El Colorado and spectacular Nevados de Chillan.
Price p/p From price based on twin/double-share room occupancy for 2023 season.
Base/invoice currency is in USD inc taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 4,895
View Details
 
Chile All Mountain
NO HIKING OFF-PISTE TOUR
9 Days | 8 Nights | Max 8 Guests
Ability: Strong Intermediate to Advanced
No hiking or uphill skinning with more turns and less thigh burn! Heads to the best Chile ski areas near Santiago including Valle Nevado, & La Parva plus the massive Nevados de Chillan.
Price p/p From price based on twin/double-share room occupancy.
Base/invoice currency is in USD inc taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.

*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 4,799
View Details
 
See all Safari (Road Trip) tours that visit TRES VALLES here

Single-Base, Multi-Ski-Area Tours

Explore Atacama & Valle Nevado
7 DAY TOUR (Unguided) ex SANTIAGO
Private groups only | 2 Night, 3 Days
Ability: Beginner to Expert
This incredible tour is one of extreme contrasts with half of the week spent exploring the Atacama desert and the other half skiing at Santiago's largest ski resort; Valle Nevado. Do it now or add it to your bucket list!
Price p/p From price based on 2 guests booked (cheaper for larger group of up to 8)
Base/invoice currency is in USD inc taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
Enquire Enquire
View Details
 
See all Single-Base, Multi-Ski-Area tours that visit TRES VALLES here

Backcountry Skiing Tours

Central Andes Backcountry Safari
ANDES BACKCOUNTRY FREERIDE TOUR
8 Nights | 9 Days | 7 Days Skiing
Ability: Advanced to Expert
This all-inclusive safari takes in some of the most iconic ski/snowboarding lines in the Chilean Andes with destinations including Portillo, La Parva, El Colorado & Cajón del Maipo. Stay in fabulous accommodations with all meals included.
Price p/p Base/invoice currency is USD
Displayed price might vary slightly from actual due to exchange rate fluctuations.
USD 4,690
View Details
 
Santiago Ski Weeks
GUIDED RESORT & BACKCOUNTRY TOUR
7 Days | 6 Nights | 4 Resorts
Ability: Intermediate to Expert
Pack in 4 of Chile's best ski resorts in just 1 week! Whilst most of the terrain you will ski/ride is lift-accessed there will be some opportunities for ski touring & boot packing to get to the steep, deep and untracked powder. Join a tour as a solo or small group or create your own custom tour.
Price p/p Price is per person quad-share inc taxes.
base/invoice currency is USD
Displayed prices might vary slightly to actual due to exchange rate fluctuations.
USD 4,550
View Details
 
See all Backcountry Skiing tours that visit TRES VALLES here
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