Ski Portillo
Ski Portillo
4.5
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Portillo is a ski resort located 100 miles from Santiago, Chile near the city of Los Andes. Beneath imposing mountains, Portillo rises from 2880 meters above sea level to its highest point 3332 meters with 23 ski trails and 12 lifts. Portillo is the oldest ski area in South America, and its history holds an important place in the legend of skiing. Over the past 50 years, Portillo has gained a reputation as an excellent destination for skiers and boarders. Practicing ski sports in Portillo is a very popular activity among people from all around the world.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
775 reviews
Excellent
506
Very good
188
Average
52
Poor
15
Terrible
14
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Fernanda R
2 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
Portillo is a very beautiful ski resort and has an equally beautiful lagoon. But it's so hard to get there and stay there that it turns out that the tour really isn't worth it. The agency picks you up at the hotel in the morning, you spend hours on the road. There is no restaurant for lunch, as in winter the hotel facilities are exclusive only for guests. There are bathrooms installed outside the hotel, but the queue, which is common for men and women, is kilometre-long. I ended up seeing some men urinating in public. Access to the base of the pond is Locked in winter. Soon, you can only see her from a distance. Think well before you close this tour. If you want to see snow and take a cheap cable ride, go to El Colorado, which has a great structure with quiet restaurants and bathrooms.
Automatically translated
Written August 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daniel O
3 contributions
Jul 2024 • Friends
Lack of structure to receive tourists. They charge 500 pesos to use a bathroom, adapted. A basic need of every person, ridiculous. Good for those who go skiing and taking a photo! You are not allowed into the hotel and the food options are limited!
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Written August 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Catharina
Belo Horizonte, MG4 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
The place is beautiful, but not worth it. The journey from Santiago is very long (3 hours there and 3 hours back) and in winter the hotel closes. In other words, external tourists can only see the lagoon from afar, from the parking lot. It gets crowded and you will spend most of your time in queues - 1. Queue to take a photo of the lagoon and take the photo in 15 seconds and have to leave to make room for someone else, 2. Queue to eat something at the food truck and with high prices, 3. Queue to use the bathroom (they charge 500 pesos) and it's horrible. Tour agencies won't let you stay for long because you have to return to Santiago, meaning you'll spend most of your time on the road.
Written August 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
powdermonkey1
Utah, USA2 contributions
My friend and I were visiting ski resorts in South America just this fall, we decided to make Portillo a stop. We made a hige mistake
The resort is very small; this includes hotel, lodge, rooms, entertainment, and especially the slopes. We covered the whole mountain in one day. People that were booked there for a week complained to us about making a bad choice is in picking portillo.
There is no terrain park to speak off, and it caters towards skiers. The lift lines are non-existent but this is due to that fact that everyone gets bored after a day and most of them booked a week long vacation.
The bar & disco are super small, and really never got jumping any of three nights we were there (and we were there during the big swiss festival that was an overpriced flop). If you are into the nightlife you will be disappointed.
The food in the hotel is okay, but the self serve buffet, and selection of other snacks and drinks is horrible. Prices were extremely high for things when compared to other resorts in South America.
Our rooms were horrible, small, dark, and musty smelling. We stayed at the hotel and at the Inca Lodge. I had a mattress that was so bad that there as a huge pit worn out over years of use that you had to try and sleep in.
I would never spend more than 2 days and 1 night here, and that is only because it is such a pain to get to you have to spend the night.
Take my advice if you really want to go for the day, only make it a day. Las Lenas, Bariloche, or Valle Nevado are all heads and shoulders above this place. Do not fall into their trap and book the week long vacation...even if you got powder ever day it would not be worth it.
Powder Monkey
The resort is very small; this includes hotel, lodge, rooms, entertainment, and especially the slopes. We covered the whole mountain in one day. People that were booked there for a week complained to us about making a bad choice is in picking portillo.
There is no terrain park to speak off, and it caters towards skiers. The lift lines are non-existent but this is due to that fact that everyone gets bored after a day and most of them booked a week long vacation.
The bar & disco are super small, and really never got jumping any of three nights we were there (and we were there during the big swiss festival that was an overpriced flop). If you are into the nightlife you will be disappointed.
The food in the hotel is okay, but the self serve buffet, and selection of other snacks and drinks is horrible. Prices were extremely high for things when compared to other resorts in South America.
Our rooms were horrible, small, dark, and musty smelling. We stayed at the hotel and at the Inca Lodge. I had a mattress that was so bad that there as a huge pit worn out over years of use that you had to try and sleep in.
I would never spend more than 2 days and 1 night here, and that is only because it is such a pain to get to you have to spend the night.
Take my advice if you really want to go for the day, only make it a day. Las Lenas, Bariloche, or Valle Nevado are all heads and shoulders above this place. Do not fall into their trap and book the week long vacation...even if you got powder ever day it would not be worth it.
Powder Monkey
Written August 10, 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
reinarubia
Calhoun, GA6,219 contributions
Portillo is near the Argentine border, high in the mountains. The ski resort is situated on a beautiful turquoise lake named Laguna del Inca.
My husband and I hired a guide to take us to Portillo for a day trip out of Santiago in March of 2002. It was off season, so there was no snow except for some in the tops of the distant peaks, but we wanted to see the Andes. The resort is up there all by itself. It is not a town, just a cluster of buildings. We ate an excellent lunch at the lodge and watched a short film about the resort. The lunch was expensive by Chilean standards.
To get there you have to go up these turns called switches. I can’t remember exactly how many there are but each is numbered in the curve. I’ll guess around 20 turns. It was very slow going and a little nerve wracking when we would pass buses and trucks coming down.
Along the way we saw goats on the mountain side and some wildflowers. However, as you can see by my photos, the Andes are very stark and barren.
I am glad we took the day trip to say I’ve done it but since I’m not a skier I don’t believe I’ll do it again.
My husband and I hired a guide to take us to Portillo for a day trip out of Santiago in March of 2002. It was off season, so there was no snow except for some in the tops of the distant peaks, but we wanted to see the Andes. The resort is up there all by itself. It is not a town, just a cluster of buildings. We ate an excellent lunch at the lodge and watched a short film about the resort. The lunch was expensive by Chilean standards.
To get there you have to go up these turns called switches. I can’t remember exactly how many there are but each is numbered in the curve. I’ll guess around 20 turns. It was very slow going and a little nerve wracking when we would pass buses and trucks coming down.
Along the way we saw goats on the mountain side and some wildflowers. However, as you can see by my photos, the Andes are very stark and barren.
I am glad we took the day trip to say I’ve done it but since I’m not a skier I don’t believe I’ll do it again.
Written December 30, 2005
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kevinl33
Calgary, Canada714 contributions
I read that this resort was one of the top 10 resorts in the world, so I was very enthusiastic and excited to go. However, it's not. It's a very tiny resort, with extremely old lifts and short runs. I know there is a good downhill course for training the world cup teams from North America, however, if you're unfortunate enough to be there when they're training, they'll be using the one and only decent run for training purposes and you'll have even less to ski.
I mentioned the lifts being extremely old. I wasn't exaggerating. They are still using poma tows and make extensive use of an aniquated platter contraption. There is also a mix of short, fixed grip quad chairs. They're the slow kind.
The resort would be okay for beginner and intermediate skiers, even then, I think they'd get bored of the limited variety of runs. For expert skiers, you'll only find pitches of no more than 10 turns of any interest, and those aren't very scary.
They had a small resaurant near the top of one of the lifts where I had my lunch. The food was good and the service was also good. One postive comment about the restaurant, they have staff that carry everyone's food tray to their tables for them. That way nobody will slip and spill their food.
There is no bar or lounge anywhere to be found at the base area. The restaruant closes mid-afternoon after the lunch time crowd and opens again early evening for dinner. So there is no place to go after a day of skiing. I though that was really poor.
I mentioned the lifts being extremely old. I wasn't exaggerating. They are still using poma tows and make extensive use of an aniquated platter contraption. There is also a mix of short, fixed grip quad chairs. They're the slow kind.
The resort would be okay for beginner and intermediate skiers, even then, I think they'd get bored of the limited variety of runs. For expert skiers, you'll only find pitches of no more than 10 turns of any interest, and those aren't very scary.
They had a small resaurant near the top of one of the lifts where I had my lunch. The food was good and the service was also good. One postive comment about the restaurant, they have staff that carry everyone's food tray to their tables for them. That way nobody will slip and spill their food.
There is no bar or lounge anywhere to be found at the base area. The restaruant closes mid-afternoon after the lunch time crowd and opens again early evening for dinner. So there is no place to go after a day of skiing. I though that was really poor.
Written May 25, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa S
New York City, NY312 contributions
Jun 2017 • Solo
This was one of the highlights of my life.
I skied Portillo in August in the 1990's
After my boyfriend who I was with on and off for 16 years broke up our relationship.
At the time, I was heartbroken.
But I had the most amazing 7 day vacation.
Portillo is 22,838 ft above sea level. World Class Skiing. 100 percent above the tree line. Condors in the sky. It's located 160 km
By vehicle from Santiago Chile. Opened in 1949, it hosted Alpine World Ski Championships in August 1966. It marked
The emergence of Jean Claude Kelly.
I got lucky. I skied beautifully,
And the men there were gorgeous. Only the Finest from Chile and Argentina. Everybody there was divorced and many
Had attended Columbia University in
New York City. I was the only pretty blonde American Woman that was there from New York City. Enough said. I felt beautiful being so popular. The owner of the resort was
American and I was always invited for dinner to eat at the Owners private table with him and his wife, who was Chilean.
My boyfriend in New York asked me to go back with him the week after I returned to New York. I felt so beautiful from Skiing Portillo
I was glowing for weeks.
I spent 16 years of my life with my boyfriend in New York. We did not live together. We keep separate apartments but we had lunch with each other every day,and spent evenings together 3 times a week. He was a Magnificent man, but he
Didn't want to get married because his parents had had such a terrible marriage
And that was quite painful for him. I was told at a the age of 11, that I could not have children. We were a great pair until he got
Horribly Sick. He married a nurse that he
Had know as a friend for over 30 years.
She takes care of him and his finances.
He is now in a wheelchair.
He was a Tribal Art Dealer, internationally
And he had 3 other businesses, so he could never travel with me in August. He
Was busy with the accountants. But we did travel together, often on business in London or in Paris. I met him when I was 29 years old and fell madly in love. He took me
To 11 Cadogan Gardens for my 30th birthday.
You will love Portillo, Chile. There is nothing in the world like it.
I skied Portillo in August in the 1990's
After my boyfriend who I was with on and off for 16 years broke up our relationship.
At the time, I was heartbroken.
But I had the most amazing 7 day vacation.
Portillo is 22,838 ft above sea level. World Class Skiing. 100 percent above the tree line. Condors in the sky. It's located 160 km
By vehicle from Santiago Chile. Opened in 1949, it hosted Alpine World Ski Championships in August 1966. It marked
The emergence of Jean Claude Kelly.
I got lucky. I skied beautifully,
And the men there were gorgeous. Only the Finest from Chile and Argentina. Everybody there was divorced and many
Had attended Columbia University in
New York City. I was the only pretty blonde American Woman that was there from New York City. Enough said. I felt beautiful being so popular. The owner of the resort was
American and I was always invited for dinner to eat at the Owners private table with him and his wife, who was Chilean.
My boyfriend in New York asked me to go back with him the week after I returned to New York. I felt so beautiful from Skiing Portillo
I was glowing for weeks.
I spent 16 years of my life with my boyfriend in New York. We did not live together. We keep separate apartments but we had lunch with each other every day,and spent evenings together 3 times a week. He was a Magnificent man, but he
Didn't want to get married because his parents had had such a terrible marriage
And that was quite painful for him. I was told at a the age of 11, that I could not have children. We were a great pair until he got
Horribly Sick. He married a nurse that he
Had know as a friend for over 30 years.
She takes care of him and his finances.
He is now in a wheelchair.
He was a Tribal Art Dealer, internationally
And he had 3 other businesses, so he could never travel with me in August. He
Was busy with the accountants. But we did travel together, often on business in London or in Paris. I met him when I was 29 years old and fell madly in love. He took me
To 11 Cadogan Gardens for my 30th birthday.
You will love Portillo, Chile. There is nothing in the world like it.
Written June 7, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bgrino75
Santiago, Chile3 contributions
Aug 2016
This weekend we went with my family to know (and skiing) to Portillo ski center. We heard about how beautiful it was, and it’s beautiful landscapes. Just arrived and my 4 year old daughter wanted to go to the bathroom (natural after more than 2 hours of traveling from Santiago), so we went to the ticketing area assuming there were the toilettes. 3 members of the staff (3 differents opportunities), stopped us and told us that the bathrooms were for guests or users of the ski area. I tried to explain that we came to ski, a man (apparently a supervisor) looked me up and down with a critical eye and said, "I'm doubting you come to ski". Beyond tickets or no tickets, guest (or not), which I found embarrassing is to have a place that allows a girl of 4 years old urinate in his pants because he hasn´t bought a lift ticket.
Of course, I don’t have any desire to come back and recommend its center.
Special mention to VALLE NEVADO SKI CENTER where I have gone for many years. Sometimes not skiing, but to spend the day accompanying someone, and no one ever asked me any explanation for using a table or go to the bathroom.
Of course, I don’t have any desire to come back and recommend its center.
Special mention to VALLE NEVADO SKI CENTER where I have gone for many years. Sometimes not skiing, but to spend the day accompanying someone, and no one ever asked me any explanation for using a table or go to the bathroom.
Written August 14, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hannibal L
Florence, Italy140 contributions
Jul 2015 • Couples
I disagree with the 5 star reviews. It is a nice ski resort but very small. There are only a few slopes but they are well maintained, even with an unusually low amount of snow.
The view of the lake was nice. I do not agree with some of the low reviews either. I am a snowboarder and i thought it was fine for snowboarding, and there is a slope for every skill level. That's just it though: only about one slope for every skill level.
The map of the ski resort is a bit deceptive about the size of the ski resort and some of the lifts were inactive for part of the day, even when the website said that they weren't. Quite a few of the lifts were not chairlifts but those lifts with a round pad that pull you ahead. So keep that in mind if you think that those lifts are uncomfortable.
I'd say that ski portillo is nice for a day out when you are staying in a nearby city in chile or argentina, but i wouldn't want to stay there for any more than that. Going off the same few slopes every day all day would quickly become boring to me.
The view of the lake was nice. I do not agree with some of the low reviews either. I am a snowboarder and i thought it was fine for snowboarding, and there is a slope for every skill level. That's just it though: only about one slope for every skill level.
The map of the ski resort is a bit deceptive about the size of the ski resort and some of the lifts were inactive for part of the day, even when the website said that they weren't. Quite a few of the lifts were not chairlifts but those lifts with a round pad that pull you ahead. So keep that in mind if you think that those lifts are uncomfortable.
I'd say that ski portillo is nice for a day out when you are staying in a nearby city in chile or argentina, but i wouldn't want to stay there for any more than that. Going off the same few slopes every day all day would quickly become boring to me.
Written July 27, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carrflor
Washington DC, DC1 contribution
Sep 2012 • Family
A little farther to drive, but a much better road than Valle Nevado. Keep in mind that South American resorts cater to hotel guests, so day trippers like us are don't have access to the facilities, like a lodge, storage, etc. But generally the staff were otherwise helpful. Awesome views, much better fall lines and runs than Valle Nevado, and much better service.
My sense is that Valle Nevado and the areas nearby are much more heavily marketed than Portillo because of their proximity to Santiago, they just have a bigger marketing budget. But to put it bluntly, Valle Nevado just plain sucks. Crummy road, arrogant and even abusive employees. High prices. Skip Valle Nevado and go to Portillo.
My sense is that Valle Nevado and the areas nearby are much more heavily marketed than Portillo because of their proximity to Santiago, they just have a bigger marketing budget. But to put it bluntly, Valle Nevado just plain sucks. Crummy road, arrogant and even abusive employees. High prices. Skip Valle Nevado and go to Portillo.
Written September 7, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hola, quiero ir por tierra de Santiago a Mendoza y me gustaría parar en Portillo, caminar un poco, comer en el restaurante del hotel y luego seguir con mi camino hacia Mendoza. ¿Es eso posible? no encuentro información sobre buses/micros o colectivos que estén constantemente saliendo de Portillo hacia Mendoza. Saludos
Written May 27, 2022
Están habilitados los Skidays para 1er semana de setiembre?
Written August 25, 2019
Estimado PSONDER:
Agradecemos mucho tu contacto a través de TripAdvisor!
Nos alegra confirmar que tenemos abierto ski day hasta el 22 de septiembre.
De todas formas, quedamos a tu disposición aquí o directamente en el hotel ante cualquier consulta.
Un saludo cordial,
Cecilia - Guest Service
Written August 28, 2019
Hola, cuanto cuesta la entrada para pasar el dia? aceptan dólares? No vamos a esquiar si no a que los chicos conozcan y jueguen con la nieve. Muchas gracias
Written August 22, 2018
Estimada ArianaKap:
Muchas gracias por comunicarse con nosotros!
Ingresar al recinto de Ski Portillo no tiene costo (como bien lo estipularon las previas respuestas!).
En el hotel aceptamos pago en dólares, podrá acercarse a la recepción para confirmar esta información así como alguna otra consulta que tenga.
No dude en visitar nuestra página web y en contactarnos nuevamente ante preguntas o asistencia!
Muy atentamente,
Cecilia - Guest Service
Written August 29, 2018
Hola cómo se llega de Mendoza capital a portillos vamos 2 adultos y dos niños que me recomiendan?? Hay nieve??
Written August 15, 2018
Estimada Noelia R.:
Muchas gracias por su contacto!
La forma de llegar a Ski Portillo desde Mendoza, es tomar el camino internacional hacia Chile y, a 3Kms de la aduana Chileno-Argentina, Usted llega a Portillo.
No dude en ingresar a nuestra página web para comunicarse a través del teléfono o correo, para obtener un mapa y más detalles.
Quedamos a su disposición.
Atentamente,
Cecilia - Guest Service
Written August 29, 2018
Hi Grace, would you like to share your experience at ski Portillo with me? I'm from a country doesn't have snow so i totally don't know what to do. I have lots of questions if you don't mind to give me your advance.
1. Do you know how to get there by public transport? i will stay in the city. There is some hotel pick up service but it's so expensive for me.
2. I don't have gear for ski, do you know how much to rent 1 set? (i think it would be 3 or 4 items for one set)
3. As far as i know the cost for taking lift in Portillo resort is about $77, do i need to pay anymore fee like entrance fee? Can i enter there but not doing ski, just enjoy the enviroment and have a meal at the hotel maybe.
thank you in advance
Written July 24, 2018
Dear Duong A.
Thank you for your contact!
Since Ski Portillo is located quite far away from Santiago, there is no regular public transportation directly from Santiago to the hotel.
However, there are several travel agencies or transfer companies in Santiago that you can contact and find the best pricing for you.
Another alternative would be to travel from Santiago to the city of Los Andes, closest city to Portillo, overnight there and find a transfer service to Portillo.
There is a regular bus service from Santiago to Los Andes, so getting there from Santiago is quite easy.
Once at Portillo, you will be able to rent the full equipment for skiing: Standard Adult (skis, boots, poles), US$ 42, per day.
The lift ticket price for the slopes is about USD 77, per day, depending on the currency.
Yes, you can visit the hotel without having to ski or rent the equipment. There is a self-service restaurant available for visitors, as well as a bar and other alternatives for lunch.
For more information, please visit the official website of Ski Portillo and feel free to send an e-mail to our Reservations department with your doubts.
Kindest regards,
Cecilia - Guest Service
Written August 6, 2018
Vale a pena para um day pass, em comparação ao Valle Nevado? É fácil a contratação do translado a partir de Santiago?
Written July 24, 2018
Não vale a pena. A estrada pra lá é bem dificil, cheia de curvas perigosas e bem distante de Santiago. Gostei mais das pistas de Portillo, porém para um day pass mehor seguir para o Valle Nevado.
Written July 24, 2018
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