10 reasons for traveling to South America in summer if you are a snow freak.
1.The first reason is that is winter there while here is summer. After countless summers traveling to Chile, it still feels magical for us that in only 13 hours you change the roasting heat for wearing your feather jacket and your beloved longjohns!
2.The Andes is not any mountain range, with its 7240 km long is the longest mountain range on earth. If the Pyrenees, with its 430 km is a very varied and distinct mountain range, imagine the Andes. It's wild, unpredictable and incredibly beautiful! It is a place that doesn't leave anybody indifferent.
Villarrica Volcano, Chile.
3.There are many resorts to choose from. Together Chile and Argentina have a total of 31 and, like the mountain range that hosts them, they are very varied. Don't expect lifts like in the Alps, but most have very decent facilities that give access to an incredible and varied terrain that will delight any lover of snow sports!
4.The snow cannons are practically non-existent in these latitudes, so imagine how much it snows especially in the resorts from the center / south. Of course there are not so good seasons, but the precipitation averages is very high thanks to the closeness to the Pacific!! Around here you know it is unimaginable a ski resort without snowmaking, many years some of them wouldn't even open!!!
5. If you like to lose yourself with your Spliboard or Touring Skis this place is a paradise. The Andes, unlike the Pyrenees or Alps, are very little inhabited and exploited, if you really want to feel off the grid, without mobile phone service and not see anyone in days, this is your place!!!
6. The volcanoes. Chile hosts 2900 of these colossus, 90 of them have activity. Those giants, some asleep others not, completely captivated us from the first time we saw them! Apart from its incredible beauty, that sensation of feeling the earth alive under your feet is indescribable !!!
Llama Volcano, Chile.
7. The wild nature and especially the Araucarias. We fell in love with those living dinosaurs of the plant world from the very first moment we saw them. It is a recurring example but in those magical forests you feel in a Jurassic Park movie !!!
8. If you like to immerse yourself in natural Hot Springs after a good day on the mountain as much as we do, Chile is your place. There are many Hot Springs centers and lots of natural spots to soak up. We even know some river of hot water with natural pools accessible with Split / Ski in winter, an experience that you can't miss !!!
9. The gastronomy. In our opinion, another important reason to travel is to discover new flavors and we can assure you that the culinary culture of Chile and Argentina are very rich and varied.
The mixture of local traditions and products with Spanish influence in the case of Chile and the Italian in the case of Argentina created a delicious and with lots of personality cuisine.
10. For us, Spanish speaking people it’s really easy and fun to travel in such countries for communication reasons. But also for the non Spanish speaking people it’s an extra motivation to start learning this beautiful and useful language. But we warn you, there are some differences in words and verbs, such coger, that in Spain means to grab and in Argentina means something completely different, we invite you to find out!!! ;)
We could write, at least 10 more reasons, such as its imposing and wild coast that is only 2 hours from the Andes, its deserts of the north, its fjords and glaciers of the south, ... but all that we will tell you in another post!!!