Read skier and snowboarder-submitted reviews on Pillán - Villarrica that rank the ski resort and mountain town on a scale of one to five stars for attributes such as terrain, nightlife and family friendliness. See how Pillán - Villarrica stacks up in the reviews, on and off the slopes, from skiing and family activities to the après scene. Read up on pros, cons and other comments in reviews left by fellow skiers and riders. Don't forget to submit your own Pillán - Villarrica review! Scroll to the bottom of this page to let other travelers know about your skiing and resort experience.
Reviews for Pillán - Villarrica
Total (3.1)
A ski resort's overall star rating displayed here is not calculated based on a simple average but takes several factors, including the age of a review, into account.
with global warming owners need add another surface lift to higher steeper terrain near condor rock.the problem is it´s an active volcano that destroyed the former expert area lifts 1985 which lie like abandoned ghost skeletons on upper slopes.also it just snowed 4 feet on a six foot base which means there is now over 120 inches of snow not 39 so the snow report for here needs updating
CASATOURS
Located in the heart of Chile’s “Lakes District” and considered Chile’s adventure capital, Pucon serves as our base to ski and snowboard the majestic Villarrica Volcano. Surrounded by stunning volcanic peaks, enormous lakes and Jurassic Park like Araucaria forests, Pucon is a natural paradise. The 2,847 meter (9,350 feet) Volcan Villarrica is the most active volcano in Chile, one of the 10 most active volcanoes in the world and one of only four volcanoes worldwide known to have an active lava lake within its crater. This stratovolcano known in the indigenous Mapuche language as Rucapillán or “House of the Spirit” towers above the hip lakeside town of Pucon. While the ski resort on Villarrica is small, it does offer the possibility of summit attempts to view the active, lava-spewing crater and get a very big 1,000 meter (3,000 feet) ski or snowboard down.
The weather in the south of Chile can be torrential during the winter, lots of precipitation occurs and storms can leave meters of snow on the flanks of the volcano. Many days can be spent in Pucon enjoying crystal clear natural hotsprings and hikes to waterfalls while waiting for the weather to pass. When the sun does shine, Villarrica is one of the most picturesque zones in all of South America.
I skiied here in late July 2005. It was some of the best snow I've skied on in 20+ years. It wouldn't call it difficult terrain, suitable to both beginners and intermediates for a fun day. Nothing really for experts, but a thoroughly enjoyable experience to look up at the smoke coming out of a live volcano and look down on the valley and beautiful lake below. Everyone was friendly, and even if you don't speak Spanish (which is useful) you will find plenty of people who speak English and everyone from staff to the locals will do what they can to help as best they can.
The purpose of my trip to Chile was not to ski, so I rented skis there and found them of better quality than most of the rentals in the USA. One other thing of interest here is that there is sledding on the lower portion of the hill. The lift will take you past this, but be on the look-out for it if you ski back down to the parking at the bottom rather than taking the lift down.
The town of Pucon is a classic resort town with a variety of lodging available and many fine restaurants. The one thing to be aware of is that winter here is actually the offseason as Pucon mostly caters to Chileans who come here to enjoy the cool Lake District in their summer. Thus, not everything is open as many hours as they would be in the summer, and you may want to call ahead if you have a specific lodging that you are seeking.
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