Portillo

Just a couple hours’ drive from the Santiago Airport, Portillo sits on the major thoroughfare that connects Argentina and Chile. Oft described as a cruise ship in the mountains, due to its fully inclusive nature, Portillo has been run by an ex-pat family since the ‘60s. The high alpine terrain, which includes the famous 5,000-plus-foot Super C couloir, trickles down to a crystal clear lake and is accessed by about a dozen chair and surface lifts. The area’s high altitude also helps to preserve snow between storms but a new, $3 million snowmaking system will be turned on in 2019, further bolstering the resort's snowpack.

Details

Skiable Acres:

1,235

Runs:

35

Vertical Drop:

2,743 feet

Distance To Airport:

102 miles

Website:

skiportillo.com

Portillo

How To Get There

Once you fly into Santiago (SCL), you can drive yourself the 102 miles to Portillo via a combo of scenic highways. But, to really soak in the views, reserve a shuttle to bring you to and from the world-famous ski resort.

Portillo

Where To Stay

You won’t beat the views from the iconic Hotel Portillo but the Octagon Lodge offers most of the same amenities with a smaller price tag. If your budget is begging for something even less expensive, the Inca Lodge is a ski bum’s paradise.

Travel Tips From The Pros:

Sit in the front seat when driving to the mountains. Chile is notorious for having steep roads with hundreds of switchbacks; literally, the road to Valle Nevado is 100 switchbacks. Take the front seat and be unapologetic about it.

— Marcus Caston

Where To Ski

Portillo is an expert skier’s dream resort. On powder days, take a few laps on Garganta and Condor–which are left ungroomed when it dumps–before traversing back to Primavera Run for more deep turns. Put the pedal to the metal on Kilometro Lanzado and if you’re up for a challenge, make the long hike to the Super C couloir to earn 5,200 vertical feet of steep, challenging chute skiing. If the hike doesn’t make it hard to breathe, the views will. Note: If you plan on skiing off-piste, be sure to have the proper safety equipment, knowledge and a partner.

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Portillo

Where To Eat

If you’re staying at Hotel Portillo or the Octagon Lodge, four daily meals–breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner–are part of your package. If you’re laying your head down at the Inca Lodge, four meals a day are served in the self-service cafeteria. To switch things up, take a jaunt over to the Posada Restaurant for delicious, yet affordable, fare.

Portillo

Nightlife

There’s no place for après quite like Tio Bobs. As the sun starts to set, head down to the Portillo Bar for live music, drinks and snacks and for a real party, the Posada Restaurant turns into a bar with a live DJ starting at 11:30 p.m. local time.