The Corralco Ski Resort in Chile on the Lonquimay Volcano is the antithesis of the ski resorts near Santiago. Corralco is located off the beaten track so it’s very quiet and you can get away from the hordes. However that may change in the near future because Corralco Chile is a new ski resort that is evolving rather rapidly with the development of new facilities, lifts, and a luxury hotel. Build it and they will come! 

Corralco Mountain and Ski Resort is mainly frequented by South American families who enjoy the child-friendly facilities and gentle slopes, whilst outside the ski resort boundaries, the extensive slopes lure backcountry powder hounds who are happy to earn their turns.

Since 2014 and the addition of the Cumbre (summit or top lift), the ski resort has had 2 chair lifts and 4 surface lifts, 25 trails across 500 acres (200 hectares) of skiable terrain, and a vertical drop of 920 metres (1,480 to 2,400 metres elevation).

The base of the Corralco ski resort sits just above the treeline so the slopes are treeless and open; ideal for learning to ski or snowboard. There are a handful of long groomed beginner slopes near the base that are very mellow, whilst further up there are a few intermediate groomed trails. Corralco also has a few “advanced” groomed trails which can be tackled by strong intermediate riders and are lots of fun for some speedy turns. In between the groomed trails are lots of off-piste lines and with some traversing you can access an abundance of interesting terrain features that have resulted from lava flows.

Corralco Chile offers excellent backcountry and mountaineering access and this is the main drawcard for experienced skiers and boarders. An ascent to the “peak” (aka crater) of Lonquimay is particularly popular which is at an elevation of 2,890 metres, 490 metres higher than the new top lift.

Corralco gets huge amounts of snow, and the quality of the snow is often pretty good because the slopes face south to southeast. The Lonquimay Volcano is rather exposed and at the mercy of the weather gods. Whilst the weather isn’t as fickle as it is at nearby Villarrica, there might be days when you need to sit it out.