Location Andes Mountains,
Chile Skiable area 7,000 acres | Base elevation 3,000 m (9,843 ft) | |
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Nearest city Santiago - 46 km (29 mi) Top elevation 5,430 m (17,815 ft) AMSL Lift system 5 chairlifts, 6 paddle lifts, 2 magic carpets | ||
Valle Nevado (Snowy Valley in the Spanish language) is a ski resort located on the El Plomo foothills in the Andes Mountains, at 46 km to the east of Santiago, the capital of Chile. Founded in 1988 by French entrepreneurs, it includes housing facilities along with around 800 hectares of skiing area.
History
The construction of the site began in 1987 and was completed the following year. This French-Chilean project was inspired by similar European resorts, especially Les Arcs in France. In 2001 the resort opened the first detachable chairlift in the region, gaining a significant advantage on its competitors.
From 2008 to 2010 important building projects have been realised in order to offer more housing to the tourists. One of the biggest among these projects is the construction of two buildings named Valle de los Condores. The last year also sees the installation of additional chairlifts and a ski lift, and the opening of several new slopes.
Valle Nevado Ski Resort opened the first mountain cable car in Chile in 2013.