For a truly amazing Andean skiing and snowboarding experience, the magnificent slopes of Valle Nevado await.
Valle Nevado is the biggest resort with the most extensive skiable area in Chile. It is also a year-round mountain resort with the highest trails and the best snow in the country.
Valle Nevado’s literal Spanish translation means snowy valley. It was given this name due to the high amount of snow it receives of over 7 meters.
The resort’s inception dates back to 1988 when the resort was opened to the public. The construction of the resort was modeled after the Les Arcs and other major French resorts. The French architectural influence was a result of a French-Chilean partnership.
Nestled in the famous Andes Mountain Range, Valle Nevado is arguably one of the best ski resorts in Chile. It offers a world-class ski experience with a varied terrain consisting of many runs.
The ski resort has a variety of runs that range from gentle beginner and mellow intermediate runs to challenging pistes for advanced thrill-seekers.
Valle Nevado caters to a well-heeled, upmarket crowd. It has a well-developed infrastructure, that attracts thrill-seekers from all over the world.
The purpose-built resort’s base is friendly to international visitors complete with multilingual staff. There are also many non-skiing activities to keep your entire family entertained such as biking and tobogganing. You’ll also find plenty of shopping opportunities to get supplies, including clothing, snacks, gifts, and ski equipment.
What Valle Nevado Ski Resort has to offer section
Services
Mountain Features
Resort Features
VALLE NEVADO OPEN DATES AND TIMES
Valle Nevado Ski Field is estimated to be open
Between the dates of June 04 2022 and estimated to close on October 02 for the 2022 season.
Ski life Services at Valle Nevado open as early as 8:15 AM and last to close is at 5:00 PM.
Skiers and snowboarders love Valle Nevado’s diverse terrain that is made up of wide-open bowls and drops. The bowls are protected from the elements by southern-facing slopes, guaranteeing quality powder that stays fresh longer.
The ski field’s terrain is one of the best in South America. In fact, Valle Nevado was the first resort in Chile to open a FIS standard snowboard park. This was in anticipation of the FIS World Cup Snowboarding series in 2001.
The snowboarding scene at Valle Nevado is also top-rated, as the resort has a FIS standard boardercross course. In addition, the natural terrain around the resort feels like a park.
The ski field is located above the tree line and has a mix of natural rolling terrain and gullies, as well as well-maintained and expertly groomed runs.
The resort features an expansive 2,200 acres of skiable terrain, with 18 lifts providing access to 45 superb trails. The size of this terrain is massive and is thought to rival that of Canada’s Whistler Blackcomb.
Valle Nevado’s terrain is generally mellow, although the resort has several beginner slopes. The official slopes stats stand at:
The downside of Valle Nevado’s terrain is its lack of extensive steep drops. However, it has plenty of off-piste opportunities for experienced thrill-seekers. In addition, the almost tree-less terrain leaves options for thrilling half-pipes, cornice, and bowls.
Skiers and snowboarders who wish to access a wider range of pistes and terrain can purchase the interconnect ticket. This ticket allows thrill-seekers to access Chile’s Tres Valles (a mimic of the French Les Trois Vallees), which include the combined slopes of El Colorado, Valle Nevado, and La Parva snow areas. The Tres Valles offers an astoundingly large skiable area of about 7,000 acres.
Valle Nevado has the best lift structure and network in South America. The gondola and the Andes Express quad are the crown jewels of the ski field, providing fast and convenient access to the slopes.
The resort prides itself in having modern fast lifts which are quite rare among South American resorts. In particular, the fast, detachable chairlifts are a sight to behold.
The lifts include a gondola, chairlifts, and surface lifts that whisk thrill-seekers up the 810-meter vertical. Before embarking on your journey, be sure to check the weather conditions as adverse weather conditions such as high winds lead to the closure of the lifts.
Beginners and kids enjoy the surface lifts such as the magic carpet which allow them to get used to riding the lifts.
It is easy to get a ski pass to Valle Nevado. You just need to visit their website and order your pass online.
Like most ski resorts you will still need to check in at the base camp to get the pass which you’ll use to scan at the lifts.
Visit the Valle Nevado website to order yours today.
(Please note that the main site has English as an option, but the ski pass section is only in Spanish. However, if you don’t speak Spanish, you can use Google Translate to translate the webpage to any of the supported languages.
Curious to know what the snow is like today at Valle Nevado?
Check out the live webcam feed below to see what the conditions are like up on the slopes.
The resort receives an average seasonal snowfall of about 7 meters. This is quite high by Chilean standards and is more than in the neighboring El Colorado Ski Resort. This is in part due to the direction of the slopes and the icy winds that blow over the resort. The snow quality is also high and stays fresh longer.
Valle Nevado also has a higher number of fine weather days. This allows skiers and snowboarders to enjoy the slopes in fine sunny weather and fewer disruptions at the lifts. Valle Nevado’s fine weather record is so good that it only fully closes for 5 days per season.
To complement the natural white stuff, Valle Nevado has an artificial snow-making capability that covers a higher proportion of the slopes.
Check out the following live representation of the estimated snow depth for Valle Nevado Ski Resort.
See below the Valle Nevado weather forecast for the next few days.
Valle Nevado’s accommodation is clustered around the resort’s ski village. The lodging and dining spots consist of hotels, condominiums, and some restaurants.
The exclusive Hotel Valle Nevado is the flagship facility at the resort. It offers deluxe services with classy accommodation and dining options. The hotel is also practically built right on the slopes, offering ski-in/ski-out access. The accommodation at Hotel Nevado is only available in the following packages:
The other great place to stay at Valle Nevado is at Hotel Puerta del Sol. It is a mid-range hotel that is perfect for guests traveling with their families. All of its 121 rooms have access to a terrace from where guests can watch over the resort. Some superb amenities at this hotel include an outdoor heated pool.
Alternatively, you can stay a little further down the mountain in the larger town of Farellones if you are looking for a more affordable experience. Some great places to stay there include:
There are plenty of transport options that will take you up to the resorts from here so this is a great alternative.
Valle Nevado’s accommodation is clustered around the resort’s ski village. The lodging and dining spots consist of hotels, condominiums, and some restaurants.
The exclusive Hotel Valle Nevado is the flagship facility at the resort. It offers deluxe services with classy accommodation and dining options. The hotel is also practically built right on the slopes, offering ski-in/ski-out access. The accommodation at Hotel Nevado is only available in the following packages:
The other great place to stay at Valle Nevado is at Hotel Puerta del Sol. It is a mid-range hotel that is perfect for guests traveling with their families. All of its 121 rooms have access to a terrace from where guests can watch over the resort. Some superb amenities at this hotel include an outdoor heated pool.
Alternatively, you can stay a little further down the mountain in the larger town of Farellones if you are looking for a more affordable experience. Some great places to stay there include:
There are plenty of transport options that will take you up to the resorts from here so this is a great alternative.
The resort is nestled within the Chilean Andes Mountain ranges, in the Santiago Metropolitan Region. It is about 67 kilometers (less than an hour’s drive) from Santiago City.
Visitors arrive via the Santiago International Airport. The main ways to get to the resort from the city and the airport include:
If you’re self-driving to the resort, be sure to comply with local regulations and obtain the authorization to drive in Chile as an international. In addition, note that the road up the mountain is tough to drive on as it has several hairpin switchbacks.
Some helpful tips for safe driving include:
Valle Nevado gets a high average snowfall of about 300 inches (762 cm) per year. The snow quantity is so high that Valle Nevado’s name is Spanish for “snowy valley.”
Valle Nevado has a massive 2,225 acres of skiable area.
Some also say Valle Nevado can be considered bigger than some of the biggest ski resorts in the world if you include the heli-ski areas.
Yes, there is ample parking at Valle Nevado at a fee. When you arrive, the resort’s staff will guide you to an open spot where you can park your car overnight or for several days if you intend stay longer.
Yes, Valle Nevado is the perfect place to learn to ski or snowboard with a number of easy runs on gentle slopes, surface lifts, gear rentals, and skiing and snowboarding lessons.
Valle Nevado has a fantastic snow park with great jumps and rails.
Yes, you do, Valle Nevado gets lots of snow and is situated high up in the Andes. The local administration requires that all vehicles driving up the elevated ski areas to carry snow chains. Ensure that the tire chains match your vehicle’s wheels and remember to read the vehicle manufacturer’s specifications. You’ll find lots of places to purchase or rent snow chains at the resort and in Santiago.