For most, a contemporary ski resort would feature tall peaks shrouded in puffy snow, high-tech lift queues, upscale hotels with great spas, lively apres-ski bars and stores brimming with the newest in winter duds.
Today’s premier mountain resorts are vibrant winter playgrounds that appeal as much to non-skiers as to powder lovers. But hidden away in the Chilean Andes lies Ski Portillo, a far-flung, all-inclusive resort available only for the South American winter.
Not much to do but ski – and for its loyal followers, that’s precisely the idea. Spreading over 5 sq km with 35 trails served by 14 lifts (including several drag lifts), Portillo was South America’s first ski resort.
It may not be as huge as what you’ll encounter in the Rockies or Alps, but its off-piste snow and expert-level runs have made it a must-visit destination for many. Equally important is the vibe: Portillo is timeless – in a good way.
Whereas other resorts have pushed hard to go modern, Portillo has clung to its old-fashioned charm. It takes a two-hour drive north-east of Santiago along the same skinny mountain road as the transport trucks. The bright yellow hotel – where people meet up for meals and bar-time camaraderie – has changed little.
Overnight capacity has increased ever-so-slightly to 450 since opening. There is no town to lounge about in, and not much to keep non-skiers entertained. Started by the Chilean government in 1949, Portillo entered its modern phase in the 1960s, when it was won at auction by Bob Purcell, a New York finance whiz (he bid alone).
He then invited his nephew Henry, who was then 26 and climbing the corporate ladder at Hilton Hotels, to serve as its general manager. Skiing in the region has an even longer history:
Norwegian engineers skied over the mountains in the 1880s to work on the railroad connecting Chile to the Argentine city of Mendoza on the opposite side of the Andes.
Locals would ride the train – essentially using it as a ski lift – once it was completed in 1910, then ski back down the mountains. That railroad is long gone, but Portillo, with actual ski lifts these days, is still in business, with the Purcells still running things.
