There are two major ski destinations in Argentina. Though there are smaller resorts in South America, Catedral in Patagonia and Las Leñas in Mendoza are both great reasons alone to do a ski trip down south.
Catedral
Catedral is located in the bustling city of Bariloche. Bariloche has a population of approximately 150,000 people, so the true Argentine culture can be experienced in this ski town.
There are thirty nine lifts and the capacity to transport 35,000 skiers per hour at Catedral. The upper mountain has five different lifts that gain the summit allowing for small lift lines. The ski area has a trick park and two areas of more advanced terrain; Laguna and the Nubes chair lift.
Catedral is an excellent destination for the entire family. There are multiple large sledding areas and a shopping mall at the base of the slopes, so non-skiers have activities to do. There are also sixteen different restaurants on the mountain.
Accommodations can be found either slope-side, in the city or in the surrounding areas.
Las Leñas
Las Leñas is another type of ski area all together. There are no trees and it feels like you are on the moon when there. The ski village is located at the end of a snowed-in road, forty five minutes from the nearest town.
The skiing is the reason that this little village in the middle of nowhere was created. There are only a few places in the world that have this caliber of skiing: Alaska, certain locations in Europe, and possibly Greenland. But none of them are accessed as quickly as with the twenty-five year old chair lift, Marte. Though Marte is old and needs to be replaced - something that the corporation says is in the plans - it accesses a plateau that offers a lifetime worth of skiing for the advanced skier.
The village consists of various apartments and hotels with 3000 beds in the entire village. There are restaurants, one grocery store, one gas station, a few dance clubs and a lot of bars.
The cultural experience isn’t really met in this snowy wonderland, therefore it is important to check out Buenos Aires to get more of a feel of the real Argentina. The other negative to Las Leñas is that when it snows there is nothing to do but sleep, eat, drink and hope that the visibility gets better. Without trees there is a lot of vertigo with the onset of weather.
Catedral and Las Leñas are both worthy ski areas to visit. The best part is, is that the ski vacation isn’t just a ski vacation, it’s a cultural adventure as well.