Ski and Surf Chile in One Trip

Surfing is a year-round sport if you own a wetsuit and a car, but skiing requires a bit of international travel if you find yourself craving snow in mid-July. Most ski resorts in the United States are lucky if they stay open into May. Some in Colorado have been able to keep open to the public until late June, but you’ll basically be skiing on mush. Luckily, the Andes Mountains in Chile offer skiing June through October.

Portillo Mountain Resort is an incredible escape into challenging terrain and incredible powder. It’s a private resort so you won’t find a big town. Instead, you’ll find one hotel and two small lodges that host a max of 450 guests that have the entire 1,240-acre mountain. While Portillo is the oldest and most highly regarded by powder-chasing skiers and boarders all over the world, it’s not the only resort to choose from. There are at least 10 other resorts just hours away from Santiago International Airport.

Once you’ve relished in the powder of the Andes, you can take a quick three-hour drive to Valparaiso, Chile, on the coast. It’s known for some of the best surfing in Chile as well as an incredibly colorful town full of street art and creative city landscapes. Known as the Technicolor city, it will make you feel like you’re living in a Crayola box in the best way.

To get the most out of both of these places in one trip, at least 10 days is recommended, but two to three weeks is ideal if you’re lucky enough to make it happen.