Book Your South American Ski Vacation with Rocky Mountain Getaways

Whether skiing opposite season in the Southern Hemisphere is on your bucket list of things to achieve in life or you are simply looking for a family friendly ski vacation during the North American Summer, Rocky Mountain Getaways has the expertise, the service, and all the best special offers to deliver you the vacation of a lifetime at the best possible value for your South American ski vacation.

Our experts have been to the destinations and will offer you knowledgeable insight towards your purchase of the best possible South American ski vacation package.

Things you should know about skiing South America:

Destinations

Your premier South American ski destinations are located in Argentina and Chile. For more specific information about Skiing Argentina or Chile click on one of the links below:

Argentina Ski Packages    

 

 

 

Chile Ski Packages         

 

 

 

For general guidelines to planning a South American ski vacation read the rest of this page.

Skiable Terrain

Just like in North America, the characteristics of skiable terrain in South America can vary widely between different resorts but a common thread between many of the major South American ski destinations is high base area elevations where skiing is exclusively above treeline creating an exotic lunar atmosphere on the mountain and in the resort base area. For instance the base elevation of Ski Portillo is 9,450’ with a vertical rise of 2,500’ all above treeline. Valle Nevado is 9,383 feet with a 2,657 vertical rise all above treeline. Las Lenas in Argentina is at 7,349’ at its base and rises to 11,253 feet all above treeline (a whopping 4,035 vertical rise).

Some regions of South America are characterized by volcanic activity and there are several ski resorts located on or near active volcanoes. Examples include Nevados de Chillan (formerly Termas de Chillan) a ski and hot springs destination located 5 hours south of Santiago. Other examples include Ski Pucon, Antillance, Antuco, and Corralco all located in Chile.  

Not all South American resorts are completely above treeline or located on a volcano. Argentina offers a major destination, Cerro Catedral, in Argentina’s beautiful Lake District that combines skiing with the extravagant natural beauty of Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi with its inspiring spired peaks (hence the name) and pristine lakes complimented even further as a destination by the attraction of the charming old world  European style town of San Carlos de Bariloche. Cerro Castor, the newest South American ski resort is located in Tierra del Fuego in the city of Ushuaia and is the southernmost ski destination in the world.  Both Cerro Catedral and Cerro Castor offer tree skiing opportunities as well as above treeline open bowls and terrain.

 

South American Ski Season

South American ski season goes from mid to late June through September or early October. Sometimes positive or negative snow conditions can extend or shorten the season. June and Augusts represent regular season for the most part where July represents Holiday Season due to school vacations. September typically represents value season.

South American Ski Packages

South American ski vacation packages are usually available on a weeklong basis with a Friday to Friday or Saturday to Saturday arrival. Often times this arrival pattern is not flexible, especially over Holiday Season in July. Some resorts allow shorter stays during regular season known as Mini Weeks that also have set arrival patterns, for instance a Friday arrival for 3 nights or a Wednesday arrival for 4 nights. Others do not. Usually stay patterns are more flexible over value season in September. Rocky Mountain Getaways can sometimes make an exception to the resorts set arrival pattern on a case by case basis depending on your desired arrival date and length of stay.

Flights

Flights from North America ideally leave the evening prior to your first day of reserved lodging and arrive either in Buenos Aries, Argentina or Santiago, Chile the following morning, usually between 4:00 am- 10:00 am.

Flight durations range from 10 hours to 33 hours with a 10-16 hour flight duration characterizing a pretty efficient use of your time getting down to South America. Look for flights with this duration. Flight rates vary significantly, but $1,100.00 per person at the low end is a very reasonable flight rate and depending what class of service you fly, flights can cost $2,500 plus on the other end of the spectrum. Your goal therefore is to achieve a shorter flight at the best available price.

Domestic Airlines that fly from American and Canadian cities en route to Santiago and/or Buenos Aries include United, Delta, & American.

Foreign Airlines that fly between North and South America include Air Canada, LAN Chile, Copa Airlines, Aerolineas Argentinas, and TAM (now merged with LAN).

LAN Airlines makes for a very nice service experience on the way down to Chile.

Extended South American Ski Vacation Itineraries

A lot of people like to stay in either Buenos Aries or Santiago for a few days before heading to the mountains or after leaving the mountains (or both in some cases). Others like to ski multiple resorts as part of their South American ski package. Some also like to indulge in sightseeing including wine or coastal tours, other towns or cities that offer attractions, or other available adventure activities.

Rocky Mountain Getaways can set up your full service custom itinerary based on your preferences in this regard.