Villarrica-Pucón is skiing at its most surreal: the pistes run down the flank of an active, smoking volcano, high above the blue of Lake Villarrica and the adventure town of Pucón. On a clear day the view stretches across a whole chain of Andean volcanoes, and the boldest skin to the crater rim for the descent of a lifetime. The snow can be fickle this far south, but the setting is like nowhere else on earth.
Villarrica-Pucón is a ski resort in Chile, in the Andes. The village sits at 1380 m and the lifts top out at 2340 m, with 20 km of pistes and 9 lifts. Its BestSnowHotels snow score is 72/100, and the season usually runs Jun 8 → Oct 25.
How we score and classify resortsRun counts and piste kilometres are indicative. Green runs only exist in France, Spain, Andorra, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, the United States, Morocco, Algeria, Lesotho, South Africa, Egypt, Canada, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Chile; Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany start at blue. Indicative average snow depth near the top of the resort, in cm.
A handful of well-rated hotels in and around the resort. Pick one, then compare live prices across Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Great · 1.5k reviews
A long-standing favourite in Villarrica-Pucón, trusted by thousands of guests before you.
Guests rate this hotel as great (4.2/5 from 1,517 reviews). A budget-friendly option for Villarrica-Pucón, with live nightly rates shown for your exact dates so you always see the best price.
Great · 1.9k reviews
A long-standing favourite in Villarrica-Pucón, trusted by thousands of guests before you.
Very good · 785 reviews
Strong value for Villarrica-Pucón, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Very good · 622 reviews
Strong value for Villarrica-Pucón, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Excellent · 470 reviews
One of the highest-rated places to stay in Villarrica-Pucón, with guests singling out the service and comfort.
Very good · 668 reviews
A long-standing favourite in Villarrica-Pucón, trusted by thousands of guests before you.
Excellent · 195 reviews
One of the highest-rated places to stay in Villarrica-Pucón, with guests singling out the service and comfort.
Very good · 317 reviews
A dependable, well-reviewed choice for a stay in Villarrica-Pucón.
Very good · 203 reviews
Strong value for Villarrica-Pucón, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Great · 297 reviews
A dependable, well-reviewed choice for a stay in Villarrica-Pucón.
Very good · 188 reviews
A dependable, well-reviewed choice for a stay in Villarrica-Pucón.
Very good · 147 reviews
Strong value for Villarrica-Pucón, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Ratings from Google, prices indicative per night. Live availability and rates via our booking partners.
Villarrica-Pucón is a drive-up day resort rather than a true ski-in/ski-out address. There is a day lodge and cafe at the base on the volcano, but almost all lodging sits down in Pucón, about 30 to 40 minutes below on the shore of Lake Villarrica. Base yourself in town for hotels, hot springs and restaurants, then drive up to the lifts each morning.
Villarrica-Pucón sits on the flank of the Villarrica volcano, one of the most active in South America, rising 2,847 m above the lakes and forests of Chile's Araucanía region. The lift-served area starts around 1,380 m and climbs the cone with roughly 20 km of mostly beginner and intermediate pistes on nine lifts, and a vertical close to a thousand metres. More than half the terrain is gentle, which makes it a friendly, jaw-dropping place to learn, while stronger skiers and ski-tourers push higher, some all the way to the steaming crater for a run they will talk about forever. The season runs June to October, but the snow here is more maritime and variable than the dry powder of the high central Andes near Santiago, so it pays to watch the forecast. The real magic is the location. Below the slopes lies Pucón, a lively adventure town on Lake Villarrica famous for hot springs, rafting and hiking, so the off-snow days are as good as the skiing. Most visitors base themselves in town, a short drive below the lifts, and pair a few days on the volcano with the wider Lake District. It is not a big-mileage resort, but for scenery, novelty and a genuine bucket-list story, few places on earth match skiing down a live volcano above a Patagonian lake.
Hotels and apartments around the lifts. Compare prices on Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Everything on our site connected to Villarrica-Pucón: its area, the lists it makes, head-to-heads and trip guides.
Villarrica-Pucón offers 20 km of pistes across 9 lifts, from 1380 m to 2340 m. Whether it suits beginners depends on the dedicated learner zones at the base of the slopes, so check the local ski-school options for green and blue run access.
The season runs from Jun 8 to Oct 25, with a snow score of 72/100. Snow is usually most reliable in the heart of that window, deep in winter, while the closing weeks bring longer days and softer afternoon snow.
Villarrica-Pucón is a drive-up day resort rather than a true ski-in/ski-out address. There is a day lodge and cafe at the base on the volcano, but almost all lodging sits down in Pucón, about 30 to 40 minutes below on the shore of Lake Villarrica. Base yourself in town for hotels, hot springs and restaurants, then drive up to the lifts each morning.
Villarrica-Pucón has 20 km of marked pistes served by 9 lifts, between 1380 m and 2340 m of altitude.
Villarrica-Pucón counts about 16 marked runs in total. The colour breakdown above shows how they split by difficulty, a good guide to whether the resort fits your level.
The closest alternatives, an easy switch if dates or hotels are tight.
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