Chile

Chile may look like an afterthought on a map of the world, but it's ended up with the most beautiful and contrasting scenery on the continent. It has a Pacific coastline nearly 4,500 kms long, stretching from the border with Peru in the north to the freezing waters of the Antarctic. It has beaches, desert, volcanoes, fjords and glaciers.

Best of all, Chile has some of the highest mountains on earth, stretching over 7,000 metres (around 23,000 feet) into the heavens. And that means you'll find bucket loads of quality snow here.

There are loads of little ski resorts in Chile, and quite a few biguns too. Which you decide to go for depends on your idea of convenience, how much you need to get away from it all and whether you get a thrill from making first tracks, or prefer the relative comfort of the piste. There's something for everyone.

If it's convenience you're after, you can't go far wrong with Valle Nevado. Only 50 kms (31 miles) from the capital Santiago, it's the biggest ski resort in Chile. It's got heaps of runs, seemingly limitless off-piste and plenty of on-mountain Alpine-style accommodation, with all the usual glitz and glamour of a top resort.

It's also linked with neighbouring resorts El Colorado-Farellones and La Parva, giving you access to more terrain than you could possibly hope to cover in a week.

If you're looking to escape Santiago's clutches all together, the ski resort of Portillo is a good bit further away - about 150 kms from the capital - and has some awesome off-piste, as well as a number of world-class downhill runs.

Chapa Verde's popular with families, thanks to its top notch facilities, decent ski schools and good range of pistes, while the ski resort of Termas lays claim to the best board park and longest slope in Chile.

The season runs from June to October.

Cost

Ski resorts in Chile are pricier than elsewhere in South America, though still a lot cheaper than similarly-equipped resorts in Europe and North America. At bargain basement level, you could get a week's skiing or snowboarding in Chile with accommodation, meals and lift passes for around US$500.

Getting here

Getting to your resort is normally a case of hiring a car from Santiago airport and driving yourself, though transfers are available.