Chile’s Valle Nevado Ski Resort Opens Early for Winter Season

Santiago, Chile — Valle Nevado Ski Resort, the first ski area to open in Chile, will kick off its 2025 winter season on Friday, June 13. This opening comes a bit earlier than expected, fueled by 20 inches (50cm) of early snowfall.

The resort is the first in South America to open for the winter season and has been able to start due to forecasts predicting up to five feet (1.5m) more snow in the coming days.

This marks the second consecutive year that Valle Nevado has opened early. Last year, many South American ski areas saw an early start due to up to 15 feet (five meters) of snowfall in May. This year, despite not reaching those heights, Valle Nevado still looks ahead to a promising season.

Valle Nevado, located just 90 minutes from Santiago and sitting at 9,925 feet elevation, offers access to Tres Valles, the largest interconnected ski area in the Southern Hemisphere. The resort is coming off one of its most successful seasons ever and has made significant improvements, including over $3.4 million spent on lift upgrades, expanded terrain, and hotel renovations for the 2025 season.

For holders of North American Ikon, Mountain Collective, or Power Passes, exclusive packages and skiing days are currently being offered. As other ski areas across the Andes prepare to open, it remains to be seen how quickly they will follow suit, with La Parva already announcing a start date of June 21, 2025.