Portillo is the oldest ski area in South America, and its history holds an important place in the legend of skiing. It is a history of adventurers and the Andes, and of dreams and accomplishments in the wonderful world of skiing.

A fun group of compatible people enjoying the best of all adventure sports in beautiful, uncrowded conditions - Portillo is dedicated to skiing as it should be.

Portillo is best called a boutique ski area. With one hotel and no neighboring town, many guests say it feels like a private club. Fewer people means fewer skiers and snowboarders on runs, no lift lines and powder that doesn't get tracked out for days. Nobody gets up very early, meals are social events, dinner is late. Life moves at a leisurely pace and lends itself to making friends. Our intimate resort has a capacity for no more than 500 guests, and with 450 employees, our guests can expect personalized, attentive service.

But Portillo is not just for skiing or snowboarding, socializing and relaxing, it is also for renovating and restoring the body and mind in a natural environment that is nothing less than spectacular. Portillo has been South America's premier destination ski resort for more than 50 years, internationally famous for its majestic, Andean setting and tremendous snow.

Portillo operates on a weeklong, Saturday to Saturday basis. Our guests arrive like a freshman class, but quickly make friends and contacts, sometimes even on the drive up from the airport. By the end of the week, families have grown closer, romances have bloomed and guests have made lifelong friends, having lived, skied and laughed together during their wonderful week in Portillo.

Our guests come from near and far, they speak a lot of languages and they represent the full spectrum of skiing and snowboarding abilities: from beginner-beginner to #1 world champions. They come to Portillo for many different reasons . . . its beauty . . . its fantastic ski terrain . . . its spa and fitness services . . . the uncommonly warm hospitality . . . the camaderie . . . the fun. So many Portillo guests end up coming back - they simply love the Portillo way of life.

The Portillo ski and resort experience is unlike that of any other commercial ski resort. We offer our Grand Hotel Portillo, with a variety of room options, as well as the Octagon Lodge, with four bunks to a room and a private bath, and the Inca Lodge, with four bunks to a room and a communal bathroom (the Inca is popular with our 20-something crowd on a budget). There is no neighboring town, meaning Portillo is totally self-contained, much like a cruise ship nestled in the magnificent Andean peaks, with skiing/snowboarding the main, but far from only, activity.