The Best Argentinian Ski Resorts For Your Bucket List

It’s the middle of summer and your feet are itching to get back on your snowboard. You try to distract yourself by watching a couple of snowboard movies but you know the reality… the only thing that can satisfy that urge is to get back on that board and Argentina is calling you, but where do you go? With ski resorts spread throughout the Andes, there are plenty of choices. So sit back, relax, and let’s break down the best that ski resorts Argentina has to offer.

CAVIAHUE SKI RESORT

Have you ever dreamed about snowboarding on an active volcano? Well, a visit to Caviahue ski resort in Argentina could just be your opportunity to do just that. Copahue Volcano is still active and it is possible to be snowboarding down the slopes at Caviahue and see large ash deposits flying through the air. Everything about the setting of Caviahue is pretty awesome, with the town set on the banks of Lake Caviahue at the base of the volcano.

In terms of terrain, Caviahue has a rather modest vertical drop at 420m with around 20 pistes across the resort. For advanced riders, the most interesting line is hiking to the top of the Volcano, conditions permitting… obviously. Caviahue is best suited to beginner and intermediates with 70% of the terrain dedicated to these abilities. Caviahue has a decent snow record and receives over 6m of snow per season.

CERRO BAYO

If epic views are your thing then Cerro Bayo ski resort has you covered. From Cerro Bayo, there are panoramic views across Lago Nahuel Huapi and into Chile that will have your friends frantically taping the like button. The views from Bayo across the lake make for a rather surreal experience, at times you feel like you are snowboarding on a postcard.

Cerro Bayo is a small ski area, especially in comparison to its nearby bigger brother Cerro Catedral. With only 14km of pistes, equal to The Remarkables in New Zealand, you could be forgiven for deciding to give Cerro Bayo a miss but hat would be foolish. Similarly to The Remarks, the fun at Cerro Bayo is on the off-piste. It is in the off-piste where you will have the best time hunting down those powder stashes.

CERRO CASTOR

Here is one for the bucket list, snowboarding at the most southerly ski resort in the world, Cerro Castor. If that tickles your fancy then be sure to read on as Cerro Castor ski resort offers a pretty unique experience. Outside the town of Ushuaia, Cerro Castor is a mid-sized ski resort that has the lowest ski resort base in Argentina at 195m. If you were in Europe, a lower base might have you worried but not here where the harsh conditions and cold climate ensure that Cerro Castor receives over 5m of snow per season. In the event of a bad season, Cerro Castor has invested in snow-making to ensure it can keep operations flowing.

Cerro Castor has a vertical drop of over 850m which opens up some decent terrain. The figures will tell you around 30 marked trails with the majority of the terrain suited to beginners. It is outside of the resort’s boundary where the terrain comes alive for the more advanced skiers and snowboarders. There are plenty of touring opportunities at Cerro Castor so bring your split-board.

CERRO CATEDRAL

The closest ski resort to Bariloche, the gateway to Patagonia, Cerro Catedral has some of the most immense views we have ever seen at a ski resort. Looking down on Lago Nahuel Huapi and across into Chile almost distracts you from actually snowboarding. The resort itself is no less impressive with the top of the resort covered in large granite rock formations that form an imposing landscape.

Cerro Catedral is a large commercial ski resort that has seen lots of development on lifts and infrastructure. There are still modernizations needed with a number of slower, older lift installations in place, however, it is moving in the right direction. If you want to stay closer to the action than Bariloche, Cerro Catedral has a purpose-built village at the base. The village is lively with a number of places to eat and an exceptional chocolate shop.

Cerro Catedral is second to none in terms of South American terrain. The largest ski resort not just in Argentina but in South America, Cerro Catedral Alta Patagonia has it all. The 120km of pistes are mostly suited to intermediates, with around 30km of that making up advanced terrain. The best part of snowboarding at Cerro Catedral has to be the side country. La Laguna is a short hike or tour from the main lifts and offers numerous off-piste options. The area at the top of the Nubes chairlift is also great when conditions are right, although this will close on high wind days. Cerro Catedral also has a pretty decent terrain park, fairly modest in size but is serviced by its own chairlift and has a line for jibs and jumps.

CERRO CHAPELCO

The town of San Martín de Los Andes is along one of the most scenic drives in Argentina, The 7 Lake Route or Los 7 Lagos Ruta. This road is worth driving without the possibility to snowboard but with Cerro Chapelco en-route it would be silly to miss the opportunity.

Cerro Chapelco has some great facilities and is fairly modern compared to lots of South American ski resorts. There is a gondola to take you from the base to the mid-mountain where you can take further chairlift’s to the highest lift points at 1980m and 1970m respectively. The terrain at Chapelco ski resort looks quite small on paper with around 20 trails. There is a considerable vertical drop of 730m which at least guarantees you a long run to the base area. If you are looking for a challenge you will need to head to the upper areas of the resort where it is possible to find bowls and chutes just outside the resort’s boundary. Inbounds, there is off-piste riding that can be really fun in the right conditions.

Beginners will be happy at Chapelco with some rather mellow beginners terrain accessible. There is a long winding green run from outside Refugio Graeff at mid-mountain that ambles its way down to the base area.

LA HOYA

La Hoya is found outside of Esquel, an old mining town nearly 200 miles south of Bariloche. The vibe in Esquel is completely different from that of bustling Bariloche. Similarly, La Hoya is nothing like the much larger Cerro Catedral but that’s ok. At La Hoya, you will find a small ski area with a small terrain park. The resort only has around 20km of pisted terrain but this is much more when you consider the off-piste.

Freeriding at La Hoya is opened up by taking the ‘Traversía Del Filo’ which opens up a much larger area of terrain. Following the traverse, you can have your pick of steeps, chutes, and powder lines in the wide bowl. La Hoya will treat you to enough days to make the most of the traverse with an exceptional 8m of snow falling per year in the resort.

LAS LEÑAS

Possibly the best-known ski resort in Argentina, Las Leñas is a freeride mecca. The definition of big mountain snowboarding, Las Leñas has plenty of terrain dedicated to expert skiers and snowboarders. Its butt-clenching lines are what attracts many pro riders from around the globe.

At Las Leñas you will find a number of large gated off-piste zones that can make the resort seem huge. Unfortunately, a lot of this terrain is accessed at the top of the Marte chairlift that can spend a long time closed, with the resort staff said to be quite slow at opening the Marte chairlift after a storm. When everything is open at Las Leñas ski resort there is a pretty impressive 1,200m of vertical drop which shows there is plenty to get those thighs burning. On the pistes, you will find some excellent groomed runs which are great in the mornings. Intermediates/advanced snowboarders will enjoy making the most of these whilst the Marte is closed.

Similar to most Argentinian ski resorts Las Leñas can receive around 6m of snow per season, although it does go through bad seasons. When the conditions are right there are not many better places to be. To avoid disappointment consider a longer trip to Las Leñas to make the most out of the resort.

LOS PENITENTES

Close to the border and the famous Chilean ski resort of Portillo, you could be forgiven for driving straight past Los Penitentes. Los Penitentes ski resort doesn’t receive a large amount of international tourism but that shouldn’t put you off. If you make the journey to Penitentes you will be rewarded with some interesting terrain and decent snow.

With the highest lift point at 3,190m, Los Penitentes ski resort is high in the Andes but is still dwarfed by the surrounding peaks. The ski area is rather small with 25 pistes but half of the trails are dedicated to red and black runs which means there is plenty of challenge to be discovered. In addition to the pisted terrain, there are splitboarding opportunities available and off-piste to be explored.

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GET IN TOUCH

As always thanks for reading and know it is your turn to have your say! Let me know in the comment section which of these resorts you have visited? Are any on your bucket list? Or have I missed out on the best of the lot.