# Ski instructors in Nevados de Chillán

> Skiing the flanks of an active volcano through southern beech forest, with the longest run in South America and thermal springs at the base.

- Region: Pinto, Ñuble
- Country: [Chile](https://alpinepal.com/en/ski-instructors/chile)
- Time zone: America/Santiago
- Currency: USD
- Coordinates: -36.86333, -71.37667
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2439886

Page: https://alpinepal.com/en/resorts/nevados-de-chillan
Last reviewed: 4 August 2026

## About Nevados de Chillán

Nevados de Chillán skis the flanks of an active volcano, several hundred kilometres south of Santiago, and the geology shapes everything about it. There are thermal springs at the base as a direct consequence, the snowpack is deeper than the central Andes because it is further south and wetter, and the terrain runs through southern beech forest rather than the bare high-altitude bowls of the Santiago resorts.

It has the longest run in South America — Las Tres Marías, around 13 km — and a reputation among Chileans as the place to go when the central Andes are thin.

Being a working volcano, conditions and access can change with volcanic activity, which is one of the more unusual reasons to want a local instructor.

## Where lessons start

The tree-lined terrain makes this a much more comfortable place to learn than the treeless resorts above Santiago — there is something to look at when the light goes flat, which matters more than beginners expect. The base area has good gentle slopes and the thermal pools afterwards are not a bad end to a first day.

## Getting there

Concepción is about three hours and Santiago around six by road. The nearest town is Chillán, 80 km away. Most visitors fly domestically to Concepción and drive.

## Resort areas

- Base Nevados

## Meeting points

- Base, junto al telesilla Otto

## Instructors at Nevados de Chillán

_No instructors have joined here yet._

## Qualifications required in Chile

Chile has no state licence. The professional standard is the Instructor certification (Asociación Chilena de Instructores de Esquí).

## Frequently asked questions

### Is it safe to ski on an active volcano?

The volcanoes used for skiing in Chile are continuously monitored and the resorts operate under official alert levels — skiing stops when the level says so. The practical effect for a visitor is that terrain and access can change, sometimes at short notice, which is exactly why a local instructor who follows the alerts is useful rather than decorative.