Come to visit Corralco in the heart of Andes mountains, in the Araucanía Region. It´s characterized by the diversity of activities that you can do, and for fans of skiing has fields for all levels, in a natural environment that will surprise you.
Corralco is part of the Malalcahuello National Reserve - Nalcas, in the Araucanía region of southern Chile. Between ancient araucarias, volcanic soil and a couple of quilas, Corralco presents a prehistoric and almost apocalyptic landscape, with a breathtaking view of the volcano Lonquimay to crown the landscape. This "small' ski resort has 26 tracks, 2 ski lifts with seating and 4 ski lifts without. It may seem small but the truth is that Corralco is a spectacle for skiing, thanks to its easy access to backcountry skiing and almost within reach of the cable car.
On average, Corralco receives about 7 meters of snow per year, slightly more than the average in Chile. As for the tracks the center has 38% of its ski area for beginners, 15% for intermediate, 23% for advanced and 23% for experts. These figures do not consider the sidecountry to which you have access from the ski lifts. If we consider it, backcountry skiing would take at least a good 40% of the ski area in the center. Wonderful.
There is plenty of terrain for beginners, but the intermediate skier could be left with little space, which could cause either a stagnation in their learning, or a mandatory pressure to give more, but if you are able to ski the red lanes, you will have plenty of time to have fun. Inside the black tracks I highlight Carpinteros altos and Pumas, both fast and fun tracks to get some speed.
I repeat, the great wonder of Corralco is the easy access to the sidecountry thanks to the cable car Cumbre (newly opened in the season of 2014) that will leave you almost in the crater of the volcano.
In Corralco we found 2 Mountain restaurants: At the base there is El Zorro con Botas with buffet mode, and Cafetería 1600, with enough to continue having fun without having to go to the base.
The opposite of Santiago, Corralco, is (at the moment) a quiet place to escape the crowds and enjoy the ski season almost alone.
Although the center has more than 10 years of operation, recently, in 2013, was inaugurated the Hotel Valle Corralco Mountain & Ski Resort, with all the facilities one could ask for: Restaurant with a great chef, bar with a large bartender, spa, heated pool, day care...and I could continue for quite a while mentioning the services they offer. The hotel has been designed with the comfort of the skier and his family in mind, actively including those who do not ski but enjoy the mountain the same way. It is very good for the family since they provide day care and activities such as excursions for all ages. The hotel features a cinema room for 25 people and a games room with pool tables, board games, etc.
The hotel has 54 rooms, 17 of them linked together (thinking of the family), 47 standard rooms and 4 luxury suites with jacuzzi in the bathroom. In terms of pensions, you can choose between half-board (breakfast and dinner) or full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Some packages include ski lessons. All passengers have access to daily tickets during their stay in the hotel. If you don't want to ski, don't worry, the hotel offers daily guided tours! Some last a few hours, while others can last all day.
If you would like to do some specific ski tour that is not what the center offers, in Malalcahuello you will find a wide variety of local and experienced guides.
To get to Corralco, you can go by bus or plane to Temuco. Corralco is located 718 kilometers (440 miles) from Santiago, raising the question of whether it would be better to fly to Temuco and stay at only 120 km (75 miles) away from the ski resort. It is best that you can coordinate with the hotel so that they will pick you up from the airport, but you must do so in advance. If flying is not for you, you can take a night bus that will drop you off at the junction of the road with the path to the ski resort. The good news is that it will arrive around 7am in the morning, so if you can sleep on the bus you can start skiing early.
