Chilean Ski season opens

If you didn’t get to make enough turns on -- and in -- the snow this past winter, take note:

Portillo, located high in the Chilean Andes and one of South America’s top ski and snowboarding resorts, is now open and boasting top conditions.

Greg Fitzimmons, a spokesman for Portillo, said the area received nearly 10 feet of snow in the days leading up to its opening on June 18. He said the big storms that came in June mean North American skiers -- who typically head to Portillo in August -- shouldn’t have to wait for midseason conditions.

Though Portillo is probably off the radar for most Americans, the resort has been used by the U.S. and other national ski teams for years for early-season training. Perched above the Laguna del Inca, it’s about two hours from Santiago, Chile’s capital, and has 14 lifts, a 2,500-foot vertical drop and 35 named runs. It is accessible via direct flights to Santiago from numerous North American cities. United, American and several Latin American airlines offer flights from LAX for less than $950 round-trip from July 19-26.

The resort has four types of lodging, starting with the yellow Hotel Portillo, which offers ski weeks starting at $2,150 per person with lift tickets and four meals daily; and the Octagon, with rates starting at $1,450 a week per person for lift tickets, accommodations with four bunk beds and a private bathroom, four meals daily in the Hotel Portillo dining room and access to the many activities and entertainment offered at the hotel.

Other options are chalets of different sizes and the no-frills Inca Lodge for diehard skiers. Rates at the Inca start at $1,050 for a week of accommodations, lift tickets and meals in a self-serve restaurant.

Portillo has a variety of specialty weeks for wine enthusiasts, families and singles, and training camps taught by pros such as Chris Davenport and Kim Reichelm for skiers and snowboarders who want to improve their skills over the Northern Hemisphere’s summer.

Schussers looking for even more of a South American experience can combine skiing at Portillo with a stay at the Tierra Atacama Hotel in Chile’s Atacama desert as part of of the resort’s Sun & Ski package, which runs from July 2 through Oct. 1.

Info: skiportillo.com.

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