8.5Very Good
Portillo
South America's most iconic ski destination — a legendary hotel at 2,880m in the Chilean Andes, 160km from Santiago.
4Profiles
1,030–3,670 mAltitude range
Mid-range – LuxuryPrice tier
2Countries
The Andes present some of the world's most altitude-consistent skiing: resorts routinely sit above 2,500 metres, with peaks exceeding 5,000 metres providing a dramatic visual backdrop. The dry Andean climate produces light, low-moisture snow — particularly in Chile and western Argentina — that is closer in character to Utah powder than European snowpack. Chile's Valle Nevado and La Parva complex above Santiago is the most developed and internationally accessible cluster. Argentina's Las Leñas and Cerro Catedral offer longer seasons and bigger terrain. The southern hemisphere season runs June through September, making these resorts an important destination for northern hemisphere skiers, instructors, and racing teams seeking summer training.
4 Resorts in Andes
7.5Good
Cerro Catedral
South America's premier ski resort — 120 km of piste in Patagonian Andes above the lakes and forests of Bariloche.
7.5Good
Las Leñas
The Andes at their most uncompromising — a legendary freeride mountain with one of the longest lift-accessed descents on earth.
7.0Good
Valle Nevado
South America's largest ski resort — high-Andes terrain 46km from Santiago, open when the northern hemisphere is in summer.