Time for Skiing

Chile has miles and miles of mountains, where you can find amazing ski centers, tracks for different types of skiers and the best infrastructure to receive tourists who like to go up to the mountains and enjoy the sun, the snow and the white sport.

We begin in the capital, where the Andes is located less than an hour away from downtown Santiago. Getting to the mountains is simple, so you only need to get on a bus or drive your own car to one of the many ski centers there and spend the day by the snow.

In Santiago ski centers feature excellent infrastructure, with hotels and restaurants available for tourists, as well as equipment rental for skiers and snowboarders. These centers also include schools for kids and adults, so it is never too late to learn how to get on those skis and slide down the mountain.

In the central area of Chile the centers available are Portillo (23 tracks), Valle Nevado (the largest and most modern center in the country), El Colorado/Farellones (with its own system to create snow, if necessary), La Parva (14 tracks) and Lagunillas (13 tracks, under the administration of the Andes Club). All the centers are open until mid-October.

The central area, however, is not the only place you can go to enjoy the mountain. If you have the time to travel or are already in the South of Chile, it is recommended to travel to one of the ski centers there.

In Rancagua, 145 kilometers away from Santiago, you can find the Chapa Verde Ski Center. It is a much quieter and cheaper place than the centers in Santiago, but it features the same quality in the services it provides. There are 22 tracks and cabins, for those who would like to spend more than a day in the mountain.

Further south, in Chillan, there are two Ski centers: Termas de Chillán and Antuco. The first one features 28 tracks, one of them is the longest track in all of South America, and many other activities related to snow such as snow carts, randonee and sledges. In Antuco, there are tracks at 1400 meters of altitude.

45 kilometers away from Temuco you can find the Corralco Ski Center, where there is excellent snow and obstacles in the tracks, perfect for advanced skiers to experiment and have a great time skiing down. It’s in the middle of an incredible landscape and you can take the time to visit the Conguillio National Park, which is nearby.

In the same city you can find Los Arenales, a center that is open all year. In summertime, it focuses on adventure activities, and in the winter is all about ski and snow. There is a shelter with capacity for 32 people and quality infrastructure.

Pucon, a touristic city by definition, features tracks to ski in the Villarrica Volcano. It is one of the most beautiful places in the country, where you can see lakes, rivers, mountains, national parks and native vegetation everywhere. The Ski Center is modern and versatile, where you can also enjoy thermal baths and night life in the city below.

Surrounded by volcanoes, Antillanca is located in the Osorno Volcano. Its name means "the jewel of the sun", explaining the beauty of the place. There are tracks for professionals and for those who are just beginning to ski, as well as infrastructure for those who don’t ski but visit the mountain anyway (disco, childcare, television room, game roon, etc.)

Further down the Andes, we find El Fraile in Coihaique, in the austral zone of Chile. Surrounded by native forest and with a privileged view of the rivers and the city down below, it features five tracks of 600 and 3200 meters of longitude. It is open from Thursdays to Sundays.

The last center in the country is in the Mirador Hill, in the city of Punta Arenas, the last frontier. It is located in the Magallanes National Park, with a breath-taking view of the Magallian’s Strip and Tierra del Fuego. It features twelve tracks of "dust snow", a medium difficulty center due to the trees on the way. You can practice other activities there, though, such as sledges and snow motorbikes.

Chile is taking advantage of its four thousand kilometers of Andes under the snow, transforming infrastructure into modern spaces for tourists who visit from all over the world, to see the mountains and practice the white sport. Don’t waste this opportunity, climb the mountain and see it all with your own eyes.