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Travel to Valdelen with ski insurance from Essential Travel

Valdelen is located at the very southern tip of Argentina, 173 miles from Rio Gallegos and just two and a half miles from the town of Rio Turbio. The Valdelen Centre of Winter Sports is situated at the border area with Chile, known as ‘Mina 1’. The landscape of this section of the Andes range is heavily forested. Despite being Argentina’s smallest ski area, the resort of Valdelen receives a large number of visitors.

The small resort town of Rio Turbio is just two and a half miles from the base of the pistes. If you want to stay closer to the slopes, try the La Frontera hotel, or you may like to visit its café and restaurant facilities while taking a break from skiing. The people at Rio Turbio are friendly and the resort provides a warm, welcoming atmosphere for visitors to enjoy. During August, visitors to Valdelen will have the added attraction of being able to enjoy some of the area’s culture at the Provincial Snow Festival. You can expect to be entertained and have the chance to involve yourself in activities such as sporting competitions, folklore festivals, plays and handicraft fairs.

The skiing at Valdelen takes place on three prepared runs, two intermediate pistes and one for beginners. Skiers of advanced or expert ability will not find any terrain suitable for this level here. This is because the off-piste areas are covered in thick forests that are impossible to ski through. Two surface lifts transport skiers from the base to the starting points for the runs.

A particularly interesting tour is on offer if you decide to get away from the slopes for a day. The tour takes you on an impressive journey to scenic locations in the region including the Towers of Paine, Pacific Fjords and other photogenic areas. Tourists may also like to visit the border crossing with Chile, called ‘Mina 1’. Accommodation at ‘Mina 1’ can be found at the Municipal Hostel. The border is only two and a half miles from Rio Turbio and connects with Puerto Natales on the Chilean side.

The ski season at Valdelen runs from May to September. The best method of travel to the Valdelen Centre of Winter Sports is to take a 4 hour flight from Buenos Aires to Rio Gallegos.

Skiing in Valdelen

Valdelen is located in Southern Patagonia, two and a half miles from Rio Turbio. It is the closest ski resort to Rio Gallegos, the capital of Santa Cruz. With 250 acres of skiable area, Valdelen is one of the smallest resorts in Argentina and provides a convenient location for skiing when visiting the area or crossing the border into Chile.

The three pistes at Valdelen form a 250-acre area on which to ski. The highest point reached on the runs is 2,788 feet. The slopes are suitable for beginners, advanced and slalom skiers. The longest run is 1,640 feet and has a slope of 19 degrees. The other two slopes are 820 feet long and have a slope of 38 degrees. There is no off-piste skiing at the resort, as it is extremely difficult to navigate in the dense lenga forests. Access to the slopes is provided by two chairlifts with the ability to transport 700 passengers an hour to the top of the runs. To extend your day on the slopes, one of the runs is open for night skiing until midnight.

Other winter activities available at Valdelen Centre of Winter Sports include renting snowmobiles and snowbikes, photographic tours of the area and a tour of Torres del Paine National Park, across the border in Chile.

The ski resort of Valdelen is one of the smallest in Argentina, but can get quite busy during the ski season due to its location on the border with Chile. The resort offers casual visitors to the region the chance to ski or tour the Torres del Paine National Park. Valdelen resort is convenient, peaceful and possesses great natural beauty.

The pistes at Valdelen are open from May through to September. Good quality powder snow is present at the resort for most of the season. The best method of arrival at the resort is to take a domestic flight from Buenos Aires to Rio Gallegos and then transfer to Rio Turbio by bus.

Transportation to Valdelen

Valdelen ski resort is located close to the mining town of Rio Turbio and is less than six miles from the border with Chile. The most convenient method of travel to the resort is by plane to Rio Gallegos, from where you can take a bus transfer to Rio Turbio.

By car from Rio Gallegos, the journey to Rio Turbio takes you on Provincial Route 253 and National Route 40.

By plane from Buenos Aires, the nearest airport to the resort is at the region’s capital of Rio Gallegos, with flight taking about 4 hours. The journey from the airport to the resort can be made by bus or hire car. From London, Buenos Aires International Airport (Ministro Pistarini) is a 16-hour flight.

There is a narrow gauge train route from Rio Turbio to Rio Gallegos; however, it is not available for passengers as it is only used for industrial transportation to the port at Rio Gallegos.

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